Mackenzie Hughes aims to break Canadian drought at RBC Canadian Open

TORONTO, Ont. – Mackenzie Hughes was a golf-obsessed youngster in when he watched Mike Weir win the 2003 Masters, and he thought he could do that one day too.

The following year, Hughes caddied in the RBC Canadian Open pro-am and was drawn into the same group as his hero. He was thrilled.

The only problem that day, he recalls, is that he latched a little too tightly to the green jacket winner.

“I just did a horrendous job caddying that day because I was so intrigued by just being close to Mike and trying to ask him a question here and there and just kind of hearing the stories he was telling,” said Hughes. “Then my player would be over (in) the rough and I’m like, ‘Oh sorry.’ Just nowhere near him.

“But it was a really cool day.”

Eighteen years later, Hughes teed it up alongside Weir – and fellow countryman Adam Hadwin – for the first two rounds of their national open.

“I think that any time you get to play with Mike, it’s an honor,” said Hughes. “He’s basically my biggest golfing hero.

“I know playing with Mike you draw in a few extra people. It was a really fun day.”

Hughes’ opening-round 66 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club had him near the lead through most of the day. He was also the top Canadian through the majority of Thursday.

There are plenty of reasons why this week is important for Hughes – who played in front of dozens of friends and family Thursday, a number that is expected to increase exponentially through the weekend – including the extended face time with Weir, who is once again an assistant captain for this year’s International Presidents Cup team.

Weir said Hughes, who sits 12th on the International Team standings, “had a great day.”

Corey Conners, who shot a 1-over 71, is No. 8 in the standings. Hadwin, who has played in two Presidents Cups, is 16th.

Hadwin shot 1 under while Weir was 2 over.

The group was greeted by a good contingent of Canadians, even at 7 a.m. and in the rain.

“It was fantastic,” said Hughes, “and you felt it all the way around.”

Hughes had as solid a day as he could have asked for Thursday. He birdied his opening hole and then made an eagle on the par-5 11th.

“I felt like I played well enough to maybe get one or two more, which selfishly, you always want a couple more,” said Hughes, who was near the top of the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee on Thursday. “With where I drove it … I drove the ball really nicely today, and that’s not normally a strength of mine, but today it was a strength.

“When I do that, I feel like I give myself a lot of chances. The day feels a little more stress-free.”

Hughes is from Dundas, Ontario, about 40 miles from St. George’s and has continued to embrace teeing it up in front of the hometown crowds.

He made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2012 RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton and earned Low Canadian honors in 2017.

His opening 66 was just two shots off the lowest first-round total by a Canadian in tournament history.

A Canadian hasn’t won the Canadian Open since 1954. The closest a Canadian has come to winning their national open in the last half-century was Weir in 2004, when he lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh.

“Someone said no one’s seen someone so disappointed to win a tournament than Vijay that week,” said RBC Canadian Open defending champion Rory McIlroy, who matched Hughes’ 4-under 66 Thursday, with a laugh.

Hughes was, of course, there in 2004. He had a fun memory from before the tournament began, and a sour one come Sunday night like many of his countrymen.

Now he’s keen to make his own exciting memory at the RBC Canadian Open, in front of a big-time group of enthusiastic supporters – including Weir.

“Obviously every week you go on the PGA TOUR, you want to play well, but playing well in front of the home fans and your friends and family, it's hard to describe how good that feels,” said Hughes. “When you're out there and you're making birdies and having a good round, it just feels that much better.”