CANADIAN OPEN
Dundas’ Mackenzie Hughes at three-under before rain delay
OAKVILLE — As long as they keep making weather- and playing golf outdoors-there will be delays and postponements. And often more than one.
So, Mackenzie Hughes simply shrugs off the weather alarm which forced the final 55 golfers off the course Thursday night, compelling them to return to Glen Abbey early Friday to complete the first round of their RBC Canadian Open.
For Hughes, that will involved 524 yards. He was sitting at three under par and had birdied two straight holes, with his threesome ready to play No. 18, when the no-fly warning sounded at about 8 p.m., halting proceedings for the second, and final, time in under four hours.
“I try to think of these things as one of those I-can’t-control moments,” said the 27-year-old PGA Tour pro from Dundas. “I would have loved to have finished; I had a nice little momentum going there.
“But it’s one of those things I don’t sweat too much about and tomorrow morning I’ll just get up and try to make a birdie.”
At three-under, Hughes is tied for third among the 21-strong Canadian contingent in the Open. Brantford’s David Hearn and B.C.’s Nick Taylor finished at four-under 68, five back of leader Robert Garrigus’s red-hot 63.
Nine Canadians hadn’t completed their rounds when play was ended for the day, including Hamilton’s Justin Yong Woo Kim at plus-seven through 13 holes.
Hughes had gone through 12 holes at one-under when the first suspension, lasting two hours and 14 minutes, was called in the late afternoon. He’d opened with birdies on two of the first three holes, but gave those strokes back on the seventh and ninth. Unpredictable winds on the front nine caused him to mis-club on those holes, as they did many other golfers.
But he had four birdies and a bogey over his final eight holes of the day.
Burlington native Michael Gligic also had an impressive day, shooting a 69 to join Hughes at three-under. It was his best 18hole result in the five Canadian Open rounds he’s played: two each at Hamilton in 2012 and Royal Montreal two years later. He had a 43-foot putt for eagle on 18, but left himself a tough 10footer, which he couldn’t quite drain for birdie.
“I wanted that last one,” he said. “It was a tough little putt. Overall it was a good day. It was a little nervy on the first tee shot but other than that I settled in really well today and was able to
make a couple of putts. Got myself in trouble a couple of times and made good up and downs, and kept myself in it.”
Although Gligic played about 100 rounds at Glen Abbey as a junior star, since turning pro a decade ago he has played a handful of casual rounds there and those were usually “with a beer or two and my buddies. So it’s definitely a lot different. The atmosphere’s great, and there’s been a lot of support so far.”
Playing in the morning grouping, his threesome was hit for a brief time by a hard rain and, unfortunately, his rain gear was in his car, not the much-preferred location of his golf bag. So he got soaking wet, “and had to turn my hat backwards to putt, it was pouring off the rim. It was a bit uncomfortable for a few holes, but it didn’t affect me much.”
He plays in the afternoon grouping (2:15 p.m. tee time) Friday
“It’s just the first day,” he said of his solid first round. “I’m not going to get ahead of myself.
“There are tons of good scores out there I’m just going to keep plugging away and see what happens,” he added.