Chiba, Japan – Mackenzie Hughes finished strong at the ZOZO Championship with a T4 finish at 3-under 67.

The 30 year old birdied five holes in round 4, finishing each round at six under.

This marked Hughes’ best result in three starts in the 2021-22 Season after finishing T25 at the CJ Cup @ Summit, and T35 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. It was also his first top-10 finish since placing T6 in the 2021 The Open Championship in July.

Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan finished tied for 71st.

Hideki Matsuyama, the reigning Masters champion, won the tournament by five strokes. With the victory, Japan-native Matsuyama becomes the fourth Masters champion since 2011 to win in his home country in the same year.

Click here for the full results.

Chiba Prefecture, Japan – Hamilton, Ont. native Mackenzie Hughes shot one under 69 on Saturday while competing in round 3 of the ZOZO Championship.

Hughes would birdie five shots including the 18th hole to move him five spots up the leaderboard to finish the round T9.

When round 4 kicks off on Sunday at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Hughes will be chasing Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan who holds a one-stroke lead over American Cameron Tringale at minus 10.

Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan moved up 11 spots to finish the round T56.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Las Vegas, NV. – In his second round at the CJ CUP @ SUMMIT, Mackenzie Hughes shot a low round with a bogey-free 62, highlighted by one eagle and eight birdies. He rose 48 spots on the leaderboard finishing the round at T8.

Hughes hit 14 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, and had a great day on the green leaving no misses on putts within 10 feet. Hughes finished his day tied for 8th at 11 under.

After a 317 yard drive on the 377-yard par-4 first, Mackenzie Hughes chipped his second shot to 6 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole. This moved Mackenzie Hughes to 1 under for the round.

On the par-5 third, Hughes’s approach shot set himself up for the eagle on the hole. This moved Hughes to 3 under for the round.

On the 614-yard par-5 sixth hole, Hughes reached the green in 3 and sunk a 27-inch putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 4 under for the round.

On the 491-yard par-4 eighth hole, Hughes reached the green in 2 and sunk a 26-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 5 under for the round.

On the par-4 ninth, Hughes’s 130 yard approach to 6 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved Hughes to 6 under for the round.

After a 324 yard drive on the 360-yard par-4 12th, Hughes chipped his second shot to 6 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.

On the 550-yard par-5 14th hole, Hughes reached the green in 3 and sunk a 23-inch putt for birdie.

At the 182-yard par-3 16th, Hughes hit a tee shot 192 yards at the green, setting himself up for the 9-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 9 under for the round.

On the 580-yard par-5 18th, Hughes had a birdie after hitting the green in 2 and two putting. This moved Hughes to 10 under for the round.

Hughes is the only Canadian competing in the tournament and goes into round three at seven shots back from leader Keith Mitchell.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

The Canadian trio of Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, and Taylor Pendrith were inducted together into the Kent State University Varsity “K” Hall of Fame as members of the 2021 Class on Oct. 9. 

“Kent State has meant the world to my family. I met my wife Jenna there. We named our first son, Kenton, after Kent,” said Hughes in a tweet on Monday. 

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., was the first of the three current PGA TOUR golfers to make the journey to Kent State University in Kent, Ohio to play for the men’s golf team. Hughes played on the team between 2008 and 2012 and was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in his first season and was named to the First Team All-MAC in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. 

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., and Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., joined their fellow Ontario native at Kent State for the 2010-2011 season, and they both played for the Golden Flashes until 2014. 

Both Pendrith and Conners were named to the First Team All-MAC in their corresponding sophomore, junior and senior seasons. And while Conners was named the MAC Golfer of the Year for the 2011-12 season, Pendrith grabbed the MAC Golfer of the Year title for the following season. Conners and Pendrith were named the MAC Golfer of the Year together in their senior season.

Following his time at Kent State, Hughes went to the Mackenzie Tour the following golf season in 2013, where he finished first on the Order of Merit, earning him Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2014 season. Hughes eventually earned PGA TOUR status a few years later, for the 2017 season, where he’d go on to win The RSM Classic in just his fifth event of the season. 

In 2020, Hughes advanced to the TOUR Championship for the first time, finishing on the FedEx Cup standings at No. 14. 

Following his time playing for the Golden Flashes, Conners joined the Mackenzie Tour in 2015, and then the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2016. He earned status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2017, and after just one season, Conners quickly moved up the ranks to join his Kent State teammate, Hughes, on the top tour. In April 2019, Conners entered the Monday Qualifier to get into the Valero Texas Open field, and then went on to earn his first career PGA TOUR win at the event. He’d later advance to the TOUR Championship that same season, and again in 2021.

Joining his Kent State teammates on the PGA TOUR for the first time this season is Pendrith, who earned his status after finishing No. 7 on the Korn Ferry Tour’s point list for the combined 2020-21 season. Like Conners, Pendrith first joined the Mackenzie Tour in 2015. He’d go on to bounce between the Canadian tour and the Korn Ferry Tour over the course of five years before breaking through to the PGA TOUR in 2021. 

All three teammates previously played together at both the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Open’s, while Hughes and Conners were also named in June as the two men’s golfers to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.

Other notable members of the Kent State University Varsity “K” Hall of Fame under men’s golf are Canadians David Moreland IV (2002) and Herb Page (1985). 

LAS VEGAS, NV. – Adam Hadwin finished the Shriners Children’s Open sitting T6 on the leaderboard. Hadwin hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his final round finishing at 18 under for the tournament.

On the 197-yard par-3 fifth, Hadwin’s tee shot went 164 yards to the left side of the fairway and his chip went 16 yards to the green where he rolled a two-putt for bogey. This moved him to 1 over for the round.

On the 563-yard par-5 ninth hole, Hadwin reached the green in 3 and sunk a sub 1-foot putt for birdie.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 448-yard par-4 11th hole, Hadwin had a 139 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Hadwin to 1 under for the round.

On the par-4 12th, Hadwin’s 141 yard approach to 11 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole.

On the par-5 13th, Hadwin’s approach shot set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This was his 3rd under-par hole in a row and moved Hadwin to 3 under for the round.

On the 341-yard par-4 15th Hadwin hit his tee shot 299 yards to the green. He ended up two putting for a birdie. This moved Hadwin to 4 under for the round.

Additional Canadians to place in the tournament included Corey Conners (T40), Taylor Pendrith (T47), and Nick Taylor (T47).

LAS VEGAS, NV – In his third round at the Shriners Children’s Open, Adam Hadwin hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, finishing at 14 under for the tournament. Hadwin finished his day tied for 7th at 14 under.

Adam Schenk and Matthew Wolff both took a while to get started Saturday in the Shriners Children’s Open. It’s how they finished that put them into the final group with a chance to win.

Both figured that’s how it will unfold Sunday at the suddenly windy TPC Summerlin.

Schenk let the wind do the work for a driver onto the green at the par-4 15th, setting up three birdies over his last four holes for a 5-under 66 and a one-shot lead, the second time in his last five starts he has held the 54-hole lead.

The daunting presence behind him was Wolff, who drove the 15th green with a 3-wood and then blistered a drive so far down the par-5 16th hole that he had a pitching wedge for his second shot for eagle and carried him to a 65.

“The back nine, there’s two par 5s and a drivable par 4,” Wolff said. “I knew that making the turn at 1 under, I definitely would be in a good spot to make a run on the back nine.”

Sam Burns, another imposing figure coming off a victory last week in Mississippi, got it backward. He went out in 32 and was in the lead until he played the par 5s in 1 over and failed to convert on the short 15th. He had to settle for a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Andrew Putnam (66) and Chad Ramey (69).

“I feel like game’s in a good spot, so go out there tomorrow and see what happens,” Burns said. He answered the last three questions with four words: No, no and not really.

He was frustrated, knowing the scoring is all about the closing stretch at Summerlin, and that’s where Schenk and Wolff made their moves.

Schenk was helped even when the wind was against him. Knowing he couldn’t reach the bunkers right of the 18th fairway, he pounded driver, setting up a gap wedge to 7 feet for a final birdie and the lead.

Schenk, a 29-year-old from Indiana, was just getting started when he bumped into Lanto Griffin, who had just finished the low round of the day at 64. They didn’t talk golf, but just seeing the score made Schenk realized what was out there.

“I just knew I needed to come back and make some birdies, hopefully on the end of the front nine and then on the back nine during that stretch where it’s pretty gettable,” Schenk said.

Schenk was at 18-under 195, the second time he has held a 54-hole lead. The other was at the Barracuda Championship in August, when he had the equivalent of an even-par 71 on the final day of modified Stableford and finished fourth.

Six players were separated by three shots going into the final round at TPC Summerlin.

Schenk recorded his 10th consecutive round in the 60s at the TPC Summerlin, and this started out as one of the tougher days. Rain on Friday was shooed aside by wind that stuck around, and it was blustery enough early in the round to become a problem.

Schenk had two bogeys on his opening five holes and was in danger of falling behind, except that he knew the course _ even a windy Summerlin _ would offer chances. He seized them at the end of the front nine, running off three straight birdies, including a 6-iron to 5 feet on the 213-yard eighth hole.

Wolff loves it here, too. He has never shot worse than 69 in his 11 rounds in Las Vegas, dating to his rookie season. Wolff lost in a three-man playoff at the Shriners last year, and he had a hunch he was in for a good week.

He loves the course, yes, but he also could feel his game was getting more athletic, more powerful, and he was in a good position to score.

It just took him a little time on Saturday to prove it. He didn’t make birdie until the par-5 ninth hole, and then he made up for the slow start with the scoring holes on the back nine.

He hit 3-wood off the tee and 7-iron from 251 with the wind at his back on the par-5 13th, setting up a tough up-and-down from behind the green. He drove the 15th green with a 3-wood and crushed his drive on the 16th so far that he had a stock pitching wedge for his second.

The former Oklahoma State star looked confident as ever, a big change from earlier this year when he stepped away from golf to clear his head, to keep from letting scores dictate what makes him happy. He has family with him this week from California, and he has another shot to win in Las Vegas.

Additional Canadians competing in round four tomorrow include Corey Connors (T48), Nick Taylor (T54), and Taylor Pendrith (T63).

Click here for the full leaderboard.

LAS VEGAS, NV. – In his second round at the Shriners Children’s Open, Adam Hadwin hit 8 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, and had a great day on the green leaving no misses on putts within 10 feet. Hadwin finished his day tied for 6th at 11 under; Chad Ramey and Sungjae Im are tied for 1st at 14 under; Sam Burns and Adam Schenk are tied for 3rd at 13 under; and Aaron Wise is in 5th at 12 under.

On the par-4 second, Adam Hadwin’s 163 yard approach to 15 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved Adam Hadwin to 1 under for the round.

On the 430-yard par-4 sixth hole, Hadwin reached the green in 2 and sunk a 21-foot putt for birdie.

After a 310 yard drive on the 563-yard par-5 ninth, Hadwin chipped his third shot to 4 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 420-yard par-4 10th hole, Hadwin had a 136 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie.

On the par-4 11th, Hadwin’s 176 yard approach to 14 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This was his 3rd under-par hole in a row.

Hadwin got a bogey on the 442-yard par-4 12th, getting on the green in 3 and two putting, moving Hadwin to 4 under for the round.

After a drive to right side of the fairway on the par-5 16th, Hadwin hit his 229 yard approach to 11 feet, setting himself up for a eagle.

At the 196-yard par-3 17th, Hadwin hit a tee shot 197 yards at the green, setting himself up for the 5-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hadwin to 7 under for the round.

Additional Canadians in the field include Nick Taylor (T17), Taylor Pendrith (T30), and Corey Conners (T42) who will be competing in round 3 tomorrow.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Las Vegas, N.V. – After the first round at the Shriners Children’s Open, Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith sit tied for tenth at 6 under.

Nick Taylor hit 12 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, and finished the day without a bogey.

At the 408-yard par-4 first, Taylor reached the green in 2 and rolled a 53-foot putt for birdie.

On the par-4 sixth, Taylor’s 123 yard approach to 5 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 382-yard par-4 seventh hole, Taylor had a 129 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This was his 3rd under-par hole in a row and moved Taylor to 4 under for the round.

On the 606-yard par-5 13th hole, Taylor reached the green in 3 and sunk a 5-foot putt for birdie.

After a 278 yard drive on the 560-yard par-5 16th, Taylor chipped his third shot to 3 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.

Tying his fellow Canadian on the leaderboard, Taylor Pendrith hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation during his first round and also finished the round bogey free.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 450-yard par-4 fourth hole, Taylor Pendrith had a 97 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Taylor Pendrith to 1 under for the round.

On the par-4 sixth, Pendrith’s 115 yard approach to 10 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole.

On the 563-yard par-5 ninth hole, Pendrith reached the green in 3 and sunk a 11-foot putt for birdie.

On the 341-yard par-4 15th hole, Pendrith reached the green in 2 and sunk a 8-foot putt for birdie.

On the 560-yard par-5 16th, Pendrith had a birdie after hitting the green in 2 and two putting. This moved Pendrith to 5 under for the round.

Corey Conners finished T17 with a 66, Adam Hadwin finished T31, and Adam Svensson and Roger Sloan are tied for the 111th spot on the leaderboard.

Sung Kang is in setting the pace at 10 under as round 2 gets underway tomorrow. Chad Ramey, Charley Hoffman, and Sungjae Im are tied for 2nd at 8 under, and Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, Adam Schenk, Chesson Hadley, and Matthew Wolff are tied for 5th at 7 under.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Four others earn 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status;
those in positions 6-10 earn one tournament start each in 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. – Even though he got a late start on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season, Callum Davison made up for lost time by playing consistent, sometimes dominant, golf in his five Tour starts. Including his ninth-place finish at the season finale, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Davis finished with 1,244.19 points to outdistance No. 2 Blair Bursey by 193.19 points to capture the Points List title and Player of the Year honors. Bursey began the week outside the top five, at No. 6, and mathematically couldn’t catch Davison, but he left little doubt about his status with his one-shot victory Sunday.

Davison will be exempt for every tournament on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour. In addition, as the Player of the Year, he received an invitation to play in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, an offer also extended to Forme Tour Player of the Year Trevor Werbylo.

After Davison and Bursey, the third-, fourth- and fifth-place Points List finishers were, respectively, amateur Noah Steele, Brendan Leonard and Michael Blair. All five players earned ceremonial hockey jerseys along with their 2022 Mackenzie Tour membership cards following the end of play Sunday at Uplands Golf Club. They will all be exempt on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour for part of the season and possess the ability to maintain status based on their early season performance.

Davison, of Duncan, British Columbia, began the season playing on the U.S.-based Forme Tour after he was the medalist at that Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in suburban Tacoma, Washington. Toward the end of that campaign, in what was a disappointing season, Davison
elected to return to Canada to play the Mackenzie Tour. He immediately put his stamp on the Tour, winning the Brudenell River Classic on Prince Edward Island in his debut. He added a second win, last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, capturing the GolfBC Championship. Davison didn’t miss a cut in his five starts, and his worst finish was a tie for 19th at the Elk Ridge Open.

“It’s huge. Coming off a pretty bad season, turning it around by going back to Canada and playing how I think I can play and what I’ve worked for has paid off a little,” said Davison, who hits full shots cross-handed. “I can’t wait for the next season.”

“We had a great year, and we saw our Points List battle come down to the final day. Callum was so impressive despite missing the first three tournaments,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “The minute he arrived on the Tour, Callum proved his game with his victory in Prince Edward Island. The fact he backed up that win with another title, last week in Kelowna, proved that he had separated himself as the Tour’s best player this year. We congratulate Callum on what he’s been able to accomplish, and we very much look forward to watching his game progress on the Mackenzie Tour in 2022.”

The players who finished in the sixth-through-10th positions on the final Points List will each receive one playing opportunity via sponsor’s exemptions on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. The five Mackenzie Tour players receiving those benefits are Andrew Harrison (No. 6), Sebastian Szirmak (No. 7), Raoul Menard (No. 8), Yi Cao (No. 9) and Jared du Toit (No. 10).

Pritchard anticipates the 2022 Mackenzie Tour season will begin in late-May, early June, the full schedule of tournaments still to be announced.

The Mackenzie Tour began in 2013, with the Tour providing players a path to the Korn Ferry Tour. In 2020, the global pandemic forced the Tour to cancel its season, and issues at the Canada-U.S. border, again caused by COVID-19, turned this year’s Mackenzie Tour into a Tour for players already living in Canada.

Final 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Points List Top 10

2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Members Via Top-Five Points List Finish

Callum Davison this Season
In his first Mackenzie Tour start, Davison shot rounds of 68-64-69 to win the 54-hole Brudenell River Classic. That 8-under 64 represented his low round of the season. He also shot a 64 Sunday at the season-ending Reliance Properties DCBank Open, a 6-under score. That ninth-place performance was his fourth top-10 of the season, to go with his tie for 10th at the ATB Financial Classic and his win at the Golf BC Championship, a tournament where Davison shot three 68s and a second-round 66 to hold on to win by two strokes.

Blair Bursey this Season
He seemingly finished in the top 10 every week and finally broke through with that elusive win at the final tournament of the season, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open in Victoria. In his seven tournament appearances, Bursey made every cut, finished in the top 10 in his first four events—three of those finishing in the top five—and broke through with the victory.

Noah Steele this Season
In six tournaments, Steele established himself as not merely the best amateur—which he clearly was—but also one of the best players. The Sam Houston State alum won the second tournament of the campaign, the Osprey Valley Open, with opening and closing 66s at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. He was the picture of consistency all season, with a runner-up showing at the Brudenell River Classic and top-15 showings at the ATB Financial Classic, the GolfBC Championship and the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist to go with his win.

Brendan Leonard this Season
He won the season-opening tournament, the Mackenzie Investments Open outside Montreal, and picked up two more top-10 finishes in a solid, consistent season that saw him miss only one cut. Leonard did enough in the final week to remain securely inside the top five, thanks to additional top-10s—at the Elk Ridge Open (tied for seventh) and the Golf BC Championship (third) and a tie for 13th at the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Michael Blair this Season
He got off to a bit of a slow start, tying for 20th and tying for 47th in his first two starts—at the Mackenzie Investments Open and the Osprey Valley Open, respectively. He broke through, winning the Prince Edward Island Open on the strength of a blistering start that saw him get to 9-under with 18 holes to play. Despite an even-par showing in his final two rounds, Blair finished regulation tied with Maxwell Sear then defeated Sear in a sudden-death playoff. In total, Blair made the cut in all six of his 2021 tournament appearances.

About the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. In 2021, because of
restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is for players based in Canada. The Mackenzie Tour’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits

JACKSON, Miss. – In his first weekend contention on the PGA Tour, California rookie Sahith Theegala is handling the pressure and his golf just fine in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Theegala began the back nine Saturday at Country Club of Jackson with three straight birdies, had an eagle chip spin 360 degrees around the cup and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Cameron Tringale had a pair of eagles from long range with his putter and his wedge and matched his career best on the PGA Tour with a 62. He was one shot behind, along with Sam Burns and Denny McCarthy, who each shot 65.

Theegala was at 18-under 198.

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure,” Theegala said. “But I think people have said before pressure is a privilege, and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage.”

Will Zalatoris, the rookie of the year last season while playing on unlimited sponsor exemptions, was tied for the lead with Theegala and Nick Watney. Zalatoris didn’t make a birdie over the final 12 holes. He shot 72 and fell five shots behind in a tie for 16th.

Watney took a late double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 71, leaving him four back.

Canadian Roger Sloan hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and finished the round bogey free. Sloan finished his day tied for 8th at 15 under.

Corey Conners hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the finishing at 14 under for the tournament. Conners finished his day tied for 10th at 14 under.

Additional Canadians in the field include Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, and Taylor Pendrith.

The list of challengers includes Burns, who already won this year at the Valspar Championship and was in the final conversation to be a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

Tringale is still looking for his first win in his 311st start on the PGA Tour. The 62 matched his low from the RSM Classic at Sea Island last November.

He wasn’t about to read too much into this one. He kept the ball in position and the greens are pure. Plus, Tringale holed a 55-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth hole, and then holed a bunker shot from 100 feet away on the par-5 14th.

He had four birdie putts from the 12- to 15-foot range.

“This was a combination of hitting a lot of good shots and having good breaks just on the same day,” Tringale said. “I did give myself a lot of chances. I was never out of position. I was putting uphill most of the time. And a (55-footer) and a hole-out, you know, if I three-putt that one and don’t get up-and-down, that’s four shots difference right there.”

But he has a chance in what figures to be a shootout.

Fifteen players were separated by four shots, and nine of those players have yet to win on the PGA Tour.