Hughes takes early lead at Travelers

CROMWELL, Conn. — Mackenzie Hughes shot a career-low 60 Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Travelers Championship as the PGA Tour tried to switch its focus to golf amid concerns about the coronavirus.

Hughes, a 29-year-old Canadian, had a chance to shoot the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but his 40-foot birdie attempt on his final hole came up short. Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same 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.”

It was good enough for a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland, who each shot 63 on a day of low scoring.

Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of six players to shoot 64. Mickelson learned Thursday that he was granted an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open for being in the top 70 in the world on March 15, when golf was shut down because of the pandemic.

There were 106 players who broke par.

Hughes’ bogey-free round included a 30foot birdie putt on his second-to-last hole, the par-3 eighth.

McIlroy, who also started on the back nine, eagled the par-5 13th and followed that up with two straight birdies. He made four more birdies on the front nine for a 31.

“It’s just been nice to get back into some competitive golf again,” McIlroy said. “You know, it doesn’t feel the same because you’re not having thousands of people reacting to your birdies and getting that going. I felt the weekends have been a little flat for me just because that’s when you’re in contention and that’s where you sort of start to feel it.”

The run-up to the tournament was consumed by news about the coronavirus and questions about how long the tour can continue after two players — Nick Watney and Cameron Champ — and the caddies for Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell tested positive. Those were the only four positive tests of the 1,382 conducted by the tour since its return.

Players who test positive must withdraw. Koepka, his brother Chase, McDowell and last week’s winner, Webb Simpson, withdrew over concerns about the virus. The Travelers is the third event on the tour since golf resumed.