THE OPEN Canadians in contention after first round at seasons last major
Author of the article:
Jon McCarthyPublishing date:
Jul 15, 2021 • 13 minutes ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Canada's Mackenzie Hughes watches his drive from the ninth tee during his first round of the 149th British Open at Royal St George's. Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN /AFP via Getty Images) Article content Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners are earning a reputation for playing their best golf at their biggest tournaments.
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Article contentA month after playing in the final group at the U.S. Open, Hughes began his Open Championship career with a four-under-par 66 at Royal St. George’s on Thursday, and is right back in contention at a major. The Dundas, Ont. native seemed at home in on the southeast English coast of Sandwich, Kent, getting his first taste of golf’s oldest championship.
“I was really excited for links golf and the challenge this presents to you,†Hughes said after his round. “You have to just hit shots. There is not a lot of driving range-type shots where you just stand out there and hit a normal shot. A lot of, kind of, manipulation and creativity is involved.â€
Hughes got his round of to a quick start by making three consecutive birdies beginning at the fourth hole.
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Article contentThe severely undulated and slower links greens are nothing like the blazing fast putting surfaces players see on the PGA Tour, but that couldn’t stop Hughes from doing his thing and dropping one of his now-trademark birdie bombs from long range. The 30-year-old grabbed a share of the lead with playing partner Brian Harman on the 10th hole by rolling in a 40-foot left-to-right breaking birdie putt to get to four-under.
“I had a playing partner in Brian Harman that got off to a really hot start, and I think that kind of helped me get my mindset in the right place with trying to make some birdies and knowing they were out there if you hit some good shots,†Hughes said.
The greatest strength of Hughes’ game is on and around the greens, but on Thursday he was enjoying the challenge and strategy of links golf, managing to hit 11 of 14 fairways and largely avoid the deep rough waiting to claim errant drives this week at Royal St. George’s.
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Article content“A lot of manipulation and creativity is involved, just in holding the wind, riding the wind,†Hughes said. “I feel like I do belong in this setting, and I’m thrilled to make my debut, and Royal St George’s has been a real treat so far.â€
Conners began his Open Championship nearly four hours after Hughes, just after the lunch in Sandwich, as the coastal winds became increasingly difficult for players to manage. The tougher conditions couldn’t stop Canada’s top-ranked golfer from joining his pal in contention at the season’s final major. Conners, who had top-10 finishes at this year’s Masters and PGA Championship, shot a two-under-par 68 that included five birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.
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“It was pretty windy from the get-go, but definitely was really blowing through the middle of the round,†Conners said after his round. “Made things challenging, but fortunately I was ready for it. The golf course definitely played tougher. The wind was certainly howling. You had to really be in control of your ball or you could get into some trouble.â€
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Article contentRecent rain has made for a softer test of golf than usual at an Open Championship, which is limiting some of the unlucky fairway bounces that Royal St. George’s is known for.
“Being a little bit softer, driving is important,†Conners said. “The ball is still running out pretty good, and I’m sure that’ll continue for the rest of the weekend, but it definitely allows you to hit a lot of fairways. I’m definitely happy about that. I feel like it’s one of my strengths.â€
Adam Hadwin could only muster one birdie to go along with six bogeys en route to a five-over 75. Toronto’s Richard T. Lee, who qualified by coming in fifth at the 2020 Singapore Open, also shot a 75.
Nonetheless, one round into the 149th Open Championship, Canada is well-represented on the leaderboard and that’s something that golf fans have come to expect.
“I saw Mac played a good round early on this morning,†Conners said. “Canadians are playing well, so it’s exciting to see.â€
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