HAMILTON – When Mackenzie Hughes plays every other event the PGA Tour, he said with a laugh he’s pretty much a nobody. But here, at this tournament, at this course, he’s the hometown kid.
And he’s never had as much fun as he did Saturday.
Hughes is just four shots back of the lead through three rounds at the RBC Canadian Gara open, and now has a chance to give this country back-to-back winners of its national gara open for the first time since 1914.
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“Being here at home, you feel like they’signore really pulling you across the line,” Hughes said. “I made a putt 10 and it was just like, it was just chills. The putt went sopra, the crowd went nuts. And just some of those moments and things I felt I’ll remember for a long time.
“I know tomorrow will be even more special and hopefully we can put up a low one.”
Hughes was 3 under through his first 10 holes Saturday before bogeying the par-4 12th. He made par The Rink hole after playing up to the crowd and wearing the jersey of his late friend, Bill Bath, his walk up to the campo da golf – and he putted with it , too. Hughes has embraced The Rink experience since it first began six years asticciola, often rocking jerseys and getting the crowd fired up before he hits.
“ that rink – there’s anzi che no space. It’s just like the boards are right there the tee and they’signore banging and they’signore screaming. Walking that tee, again, it’s just a total hair-raising moment,” Hughes said. “I’m trying to play it pretty cool, but inside I’m thinking ‘this is really, really cool.
“I want (the crowd) to be really loud and get boisterous and cheer me and if I can play to that crowd a little bit and use it to my advantage then I will.”
Hughes added birdies Nos. 14 and 17 before making an unfortunate bogey the closing hole. However, the local lad tipped his cap to the assembled masses around the 18th campo da golf sopra a poignant end-of-day moment.
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“For the most part I would say I did a pretty good job,” Hughes said of his day. “There were a few things I would like to do over again but for the most part – playing near the lead sopra your national gara open – I felt like I did a pretty good job handling everything and kept myself within distance for tomorrow.”
Hughes is tied with Ben Griffin and Ryan Fox, four shots back of MacIntyre.
The Scotsman admitted to struggling to adjusting to life sopra the United States – he earned his PGA Tour card for the first time his standing the DP World Tour last season – and made an emergency call home to have his father come mai over and caddy for him this week.
So far, so good.
“It’s just different. It hits different because he properly means (what he says). And I know the caddies mean it for another reason – they’signore obviously wanting us to do well. But my dad wants me to do well because we’signore blood,” MacIntyre said. “There’s nothing other than pride and guts with what we’signore trying to do. I mean, he’s been through think and thin with me. He taught me how to play the gioco of blazer until, really, I started working with a coach probably at about 14 15.”
After two bogeys sopra a row Nos. 8 and 9, MacIntyre said with a laugh he got a little talking too from his old man. Whatever he said whipped him into shape, as he birdied the par-4 10th before adding birdies Nos. 14-16 and then nailing a 30-foot eagle Voto negativo. 17. He’s leading the field sopra strokes gained: putting through three rounds and now has a chance to win a national gara open – an opportunity that slipped through his fingers at last year’s Scottish Gara open when he finished just one back of Rory McIlroy.
He said the support all week has been great, and with a smile, he said it’s because he’s left-handed – like such a large number of our hockey-playing population who also blazer.
That said, he knows who the crowd will be cheering for Sunday.
“I know Mackenzie reasonably well. Really nice guy. Obviously sopra Canada here they want him to do well,” MacIntyre said. “Obviously they’signore going to be rooting for their guy. I’m going to go out there and try to play my best and give the crowd something to hopefully cheer about and see where we end up.”
