He fired a dazzling 9-under 63, vaulting him into the lead of the tournament! His unbelievable 13-birdie round on just 18 holes was a display of his elite talents and laser-like mental focus. His card would’ve been even better if not for a pair of bogeys that prevented him from going lower. Even so, he is upbeat about his prospects going forward.
The Procore Championship, held in Napa, California, attracted a deep field of a-listers, b-listers, and c-listers. Specifically, Scottie Scheffler was the only player under par at 70, with Russell Henley coming in directly underneath him at 65. Watch out for J.J. Spaun, who shot an impressive 67 today. The tournament continues to generate buzz. Players are battling tooth and nail for spots that will determine where they end up come opening day for next season.
Hughes shared his hopes for the rest of the tournament, saying placing at the top is key to navigating the tournament.
“The goal is to get into that top 60 and set up my beginning to the year,” – Mackenzie Hughes
He is unrelentingly committed to ensuring his city remains competitive. At the same time, he is deeply committed to using his personal time and thrives on success.
“I also won’t play five, six events to try to chase that. I’ve love to just play a few and get some good rest and be home a bunch this fall. That’s the plan right now. But we’ll see what happens.” – Mackenzie Hughes
Hughes in his bravura performance is simply spectacular. On the other side, Ben Griffin and Matt McCarty put on a show themselves—both firing blistering rounds of 64. Yet, even some of the biggest players faltered to ensure competitive high scores. Framed by the mighty cacti, Sam Burns put a bow on the day for us, carding a 71. At the other extreme, Thomas, Young, Cantlay, English, and Morikawa all made bit scores of 72.
With the quarterfinal and semifinal matches still to come, Hughes’ considerable lead has vaulted him into a great position heading into the weekend. He needs to make sure he takes advantage of each birdie opportunity. In parallel, he must address the course requirements to maintain his lead.
The Procore Championship place the spotlight firmly on individuals. Beyond that, it serves an important role for athletes looking to boost their seeding for upcoming championship tournaments. Given that there are multiple rounds still to play, the leaderboard can turn upside down with players on the hunt to catch, or hold off, challengers.
Leave a Reply