Canadian Mackenzie Hughes wins on the PGA Tour
A clutch up-and-down, chip and putt in a playoff has made rookie Mackenzie Hughes Canada’s latest winner on the PGA Tour.
The 25-year-old from Dundas, Ont. finished off a five-man playoff on Monday morning, rolling in a 18-foot par putt to win the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga.
The two-time Canadian Amateur champion continued his rise in the golf world and with a win gets a three-year exemption on the world’s most lucrative professional tour as well as an invitation to the 2017 Masters.
The 72-hole tournament ended in a five-man tie late Sunday afternoon and two playoff holes were contested before darkness fell. With four players remaining, each missed the green on the Par 3 17th as play resumed at 8 a.m. on Monday.
But Hughes, chipping from behind the green, left his approach on the fringe before draining his third shot with a putter. Moments later, after Blayne Barber, Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander each missed, Hughes was a winner.
Celebrating with a fist pump on the chilly morning air, Hughes collected $1 million US for the win as he became the 13th Canadian to claim a victory on the PGA Tour
Hughes, who fired a 61 in Thursday’s opening round, will turn 26 on Wednesday and was playing in just his 9th Tour event and fifth of the wraparound 2017 season.