HAMILTON – When Mackenzie Hughes plays every other event on 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 Open, and now has a chance to give this country back-to-back winners of its national open for the first time since 1914.
“Being here at home, you feel like they’re really pulling you across the line,” Hughes said. “I made a putt on 10 and it was just like, it was just chills. The putt went in, 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 on The Rink hole after playing up to the crowd and wearing the jersey of his late friend, Bill Bath, on his walk up to the green – and he putted with it on, too. Hughes has embraced The Rink experience since it first began six years ago, often rocking jerseys and getting the crowd fired up before he hits.
“On that rink – there’s no space. It’s just like the boards are right there on the tee and they’re banging and they’re screaming. Walking on 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 on and if I can play to that crowd a little bit and use it to my advantage then I will.”
Hughes added birdies on Nos. 14 and 17 before making an unfortunate bogey on the closing hole. However, the local lad tipped his cap to the assembled masses around the 18th green in a poignant end-of-day moment.
“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 in your national 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 in the United States – he earned his PGA Tour card for the first time via his standing on the DP World Tour last season – and made an emergency call home to have his father come 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’re obviously wanting us to do well. But my dad wants me to do well because we’re blood,” MacIntyre said. “There’s nothing other than pride and guts with what we’re trying to do. I mean, he’s been through think and thin with me. He taught me how to play the game of golf until, really, I started working with a coach probably at about 14 or 15.”
After two bogeys in a row on 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 on Nos. 14-16 and then nailing a 30-foot eagle on No. 17. He’s leading the field in strokes gained: putting through three rounds and now has a chance to win a national open – an opportunity that slipped through his fingers at last year’s Scottish 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 golf.
That said, he knows who the crowd will be cheering for on Sunday.
“I know Mackenzie reasonably well. Really nice guy. Obviously in Canada here they want him to do well,” MacIntyre said. “Obviously they’re 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.”