Canadian shocks field at Players
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Mackenzie Hughes made it look simple in his first round at TPC Sawgrass, posting a bogey-free round at The Players Championship.
The Canadian rookie shook his head and laughed. Even after a stellar debut Thursday of a 5-under 67 to share the lead with William McGirt, Hughes saw enough of the Players Stadium Course to realize that surprises lurk around every corner.
“There’s just not really a moment where you can let up,” Hughes said.
No need explaining that to Adam Scott, who won The Players in 2004 and was off to a strong start on a steamy afternoon when he was 6 under and heading to the infamous par-3 17th with its island green.
First, he watched Masters champion Sergio Garcia hit a gap wedge that took one big hop, land just behind the cup and disappear for a hole-in-one. Scott followed by spinning a shot off the bank and into the water for a double bogey, and he compounded that with another double bogey.
“I played some good golf out there, and unfortunately not on the last two,” Scott said after settling for a 70. “It happens.” At least he had company. Dustin Johnson’s first wedge of the day hit the pin, caromed off the green and led to bogey. On a day when nothing seemed to go his way, the world’s No. 1 player opened with a 71. Rory McIlroy went to tap in from two feet and missed, then had to make one twice that long for double bogey on the 10th hole. He shot a 73. Through it all, Hughes was rock solid. Only twice did he have par putts longer than three feet, and he made them both. The last piece of stress came on the final hole when trees blocked his way to the green. To chip out sideways would risk chipping into the water, so he found a four-foot wide window in which he had to keep it under one branch and go over two more. It was a large enough gap and the perfect shot for a 6-iron.
“I was close enough to the trees. It paid off,” said Hughes, who already has won (Sea Island) in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.
Fast starts and bad finishes were the norm, and not just for Scott.
Defending champion Jason Day ran off two straight birdies after making the turn and was in the lead at 5 under, which for the former world No. 1 was a peculiar position. He hasn’t won since The Players last year. Day, however, made three bogeys over his last four holes and had to settle for a 70.
David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., also shot 70, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford shot 71 and Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot 2-over.
Day was playing in the same group as Rickie Fowler, the 2015 champion who also got off to a fast start until one bad shot — a really bad shot — on his 15th hole at the par-4 seventh. From the middle of the fairway, Fowler blocked it so badly to the right the ball hit a cart path and went deep into the pines. It took him two shots to get out and he made double bogey. Fowler also shot 70, but managed to see the big picture.
“No one’s going crazy low or anything like that,” he said.