Canadian Open starts low
Coach Mace incorporates boxing as part of defensive team’s bonding exercise
Mackenzie Hughes finally feels like he belongs.
And he posted a score during the opening round of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey on Thursday to prove it.
Starting on the 10th tee, the Dundas, Ont., native carded a 5-under 67, with six birdies and a bogey, to stay right in the thick of things and announce to everyone that Canadians should be taken seriously here.
“You can’t win it on Thursday, but you can lose it on Thursday,” said Hughes, who sits 26th in the FedExCup standings. “I put myself in a pretty good spot. I know that the scores are out there today and someone might go out and shoot seven or eight under, but it’s a four-round tournament and I’m off to a great start.”
He’s right, somebody did. Americans Hudson Swafford and Brandon Hagy carded 65s in wet morning conditions that made the 7,253yard par-72 course ripe for picking. Their scores had held up when play was suspended due to rain at 3:45 p.m., and were later matched by Americans Matt Every, Kevin Chappell and Ollie Schniederjans.
Another 11 golfers, including two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, were one shot back, with Hughes among a group of 15 in the clubhouse at 67.
Hugheshad20to30friends and family following him around a course he hadn’t played since 2013, when as an amateur he missed the cut for a second straight year. He’s among 17 Canadians trying to end a drought dating back to 1954, when Pat Fletcher was the last Canuck to win the event.
Graham DeLaet (-4) of Weyburn, Sask., is a shot back of Hughes, followed by Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. (-3).
If it seems like the Calgary Stampeders’ defensive line is playing with a little more spring in their step and more fight in the fourth quarter, then they have a local boxing studio to thank for it.
And while they’re at it, former Stampeders defensive linemanturned-coach Corey Mace also deserves a shout-out, too.
“He’s having a tough time (with retirement), so we’re trying to support him getting back into shape,” joked defensive lineman Bryan Hall. “He’s using us to do it and finding a way to get out of meetings with the coaches and come boxing with us.”
Truth be told, Mace had the idea of using Rumble, a club-inspired boutique boxing studio located at the heart of 17th Avenue SW, as a way to do some team bonding within the defensive line once a week.
Clearly the objective is working. As for the workout?
The intense class is led by instructor Dan Humphries who instructs the players through different boxing techniques on individual bags, improving their cardio and strength.
“Well, we can always get tougher,” chuckled Mace. “But for me, I thought it was a good thing to get the defensive line together and do something out of the building. I mean, wow, it’s a great workout. We all leave sweating our butts off. But if anything else, it builds hand speed and violence with your hands and it does translate over to the game.
“Dan’s been doing an incredible job over there at Rumble and it shows.”
The defensive line has been hit hard with injuries this season with Charleston Hughes recently missing two games and Cordarro Law and Ja’Gared Davis are also still on the sidelines.
But with Hall, Micah Johnson, Derek Wiggan, James Vaughters and Co. all chipping in where they can, the Stampeders have managed to allow the third-least amount of points (120) heading into Week 6 action and recorded the secondmost sacks (14) out of any team.
Blame it on the boxing or Mace’s genius idea, either way, something is working.
“I think obviously we showed signs of it last game and came out strong,” Hall said. “We want to keep getting better. Us doing the little things — going to boxing ... we work good together and that’s why we play good.”
Going up against some of the best offensive talent in the CFL each week is one thing — but Rumble?
“I will say this ... anyone can say they can fight,” Mace said. “But as soon as you can get in there, you can tell. It ain’t made for everybody.”
That being said, Hall does use boxing as part of his off-season training regimen and can throw a punch or two.
“It’s really good for the cardio, hand speed, striking properly and learning how to use your hands properly,” said the six-foot-one, 291-pound tackle. “Our trainer pushes us. It’s a whole different mindset when you walk in there. We walk in there for 45 minutes and get at it. It’s a challenge, just like in the fourth quarter in the game. What are we going to do? Just like in boxing, during the last 10 minutes we have to fight through it.”