Advertisement

Golfer Mackenzie Hughes preps for wedding day with solid PGA Tour introduction

Imagine competing in your first official event as a full-time member of the PGA Tour - a week before you’re set to marry your long-time partner. Talk about nerves. Mackenzie Hughes took it all in stride last week at the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.

“There was lots of anticipation leading up to the event, but they were good nerves,” Hughes said via email. “I was excited to get started by Thursday afternoon, but had to keep myself in the moment. It’s still golf, but playing for $6 million is a bit of a different feeling. I just reminded myself to breathe and have fun. The latter part of that was particularly important when I played the weekend with Phil [Mickelson].”

Hughes’ strategy worked. The Dundas, Ont., native was the only Canadian to make the cut, and finished tied for 13th place after four rounds of under 70 (69,69,69,68). His solid play was rewarded with a cheque for $120,000 (all figures U.S.), the second-largest payday of a professional career that began three years ago (Hughes won $121,500 earlier this year when he won the Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Web.com Tour).

 

Phil Mickelson, Chez Reavie and Mackenzie Hughes talk before teeing off on the second hole during the final round of the Safeway Open at the North Course of the Silverado Resort and Spa on October 16, 2016 in Napa, California.  (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson, Chez Reavie and Mackenzie Hughes talk before teeing off on the second hole during the final round of the Safeway Open at the North Course of the Silverado Resort and Spa on October 16, 2016 in Napa, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Did the hefty six-figure payday change his upcoming honeymoon plans?

“Not really,” Hughes said. “We already booked a really nice honeymoon to Thailand so this just maybe allows us to do a few more activities once we get there. I did tell my fiancé that my next top 10 we could buy a new TV for our room, so even though I didn’t quite finish top 10 we’re still going to look for a new TV for our room.”

The biggest difference Hughes noticed between the Web.Com and PGA tours was “the sheer size and scale,” he said. “Massive grandstands and pavilions all over the golf course, cameras everywhere, and thousands of people every day of the week.”

The 25-year-old said he prepared just like any other event. “I actually took a few days off from playing golf the week before, and did some light maintenance just to stay sharp. I like feeling fully rested going into a tournament.”

Hughes credits his coaching team for his recent success. Canadian national coach Derek Ingram has been a tremendous help in getting the golfer to where he is today. “He is one of the hardest working people I know, but he is also part of a team that helps me be ready each week,” Hughes said. “Each person that helps me knows that we only have to keep getting a little bit better each year; we're not looking for magic ways to start lowering my scores. The pieces are there and we are just trying to refine them.”

Hughes’ long-time coach Scott Cowx also has had an integral role. “He’s someone I’ve worked with since I was 15, and he knows my game extremely well. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood is my mental coach and I'd be nowhere without her. I also have Greg Redman, whose specialty is physiotherapy, making sure I’m physically ready to play each week.

“My parents have always been there for me, and I wouldn’t even be playing if it weren’t for them,” Hughes added. “My fiancée (Jenna Shaw) has been by my side every step of the way, and I have a big support from the rest of my family and friends. These people have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today.”

 

After the wedding and honeymoon, Hughes is set to play four fall tournaments in a row starting Oct. 27 with The Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss.

For now, though, one highlight from the weekend stands out: “Playing with Phil [Mickelson] on Saturday and Sunday. The crowds were huge and very loud, but it was such a great atmosphere to play golf in. Phil was a really nice guy too, which made it that much better. As far as a particular golf highlight goes, I’d probably say when I birdied the first hole playing with Phil on Saturday. That really settled me in and sort of set me up for a great weekend.”