Oh Canada! Hughes fires a 60
CROMWELL, Connecticut — Mackenzie Hughes had the best round of his professional career Thursday morning, but in his mind it’s still not the best he’s ever played.
The Canadian shot a 10-under 60 at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, making 10 birdies and no bogeys to lead Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland by three shots after the first round.
“I’ve probably had more meaningful rounds of say 65 or 66, but as far as going low and how I felt about the game, it’s definitely probably top five,” Hughes told reporters over a remote news conference.
Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., had a chance to shoot the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but missed a 40-foot putt for birdie on hole No. 9, his 18th hole of the day.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford is the only Canadian to shoot under 60, carding a round of 59 at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.
Hughes did beat his previous best round on the tour, however, a 61 in the first round of the RSM Classic in November 2016. He went on to win that tournament in a five-way playoff after shooting a fourth-round 69 at Sea Island Golf Club. Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same par-70 TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event.
“I kind of joked walking off there that 59 wasn’t even the record because of Jim’s 58,” Hughes said. “It’s probably not even that special around here. But as a personal milestone it would have been neat.”
Hughes alluded to his previous best at the RSM Classic, saying that he learned a lot from that experience and how to carry the momentum into later rounds.
“Really the mentality [today] is to go out there and make a bunch of birdies again,” said Hughes. “The golf course is kind of yielding some scores, and in order to be there on Sunday, I’ll have to keep making birdies.”
Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of six players to shoot 64. Bryson DeChambeau’s 65 was the worst score in the marquee threesome.
Roger Sloan of Merritt shot 67, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., had a 2-over 72 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., opened with a 73.
Hughes’ bogey-free round included a 30-foot birdie putt on his second-to-last hole, the par-3 eighth.