Hughes hoping lost clubs turn up

Mackenzie Hughes arrived in Detroit on Monday for this week’s PGA Tour stop, the Rocket Mortgage Classic. His golf clubs, however, did not.

As proof that professional golfers get no special privileges when it comes to air travel, Hughes is one of many who is trying to find his luggage after traveling by plane. Of the eight bags he and his family took with them to the Open Championship, just one has been returned to them – and that just by the luck of a stranger.

“As I’m sure lots of people know, it’s really frustrating,” said Hughes.

While his clothes and other personal items are one thing, losing his clubs – the tools of his trade – is another. His club company, PING, put together a replacement set for him, which he’ll use this week. But it’s just not quite the same.

“The clubs are one thing,” he said, “but I have a lot of things in my bag that I’d like to have back.”

That includes his trusty putter, which he’s had for the last 10 years. It’s one that’s allowed him to be one of the best putters in the world. Getting another of the same model and make just wouldn’t have the right feeling. 

Hughes’ troubles started after the Open when his family decided to spend four days in Dublin. They checked in for their departure flight in Edinburgh where the scene was chaotic, with lots of folks leaving after time at the year’s fourth major. Images on social media showed hundreds of golf bags piled up with no place to go.

When he arrived in Dublin, none of his bags were on the luggage carousel. Luckily, the family packed some spare clothing in the carry-on bags for just such a situation.

After putting his frustration out on social media with pictures of the lost luggage, Hughes was contacted by another passenger who saw one of the missing suitcases at the airport.

“It was really lucky,” Hughes said. “This stranger who was on our flight just happened to see it and reached out to me to see if that was one of ours.”

None of the other seven suitcases, which includes two car seats for his young boys, have been seen since.

During his four-day vacation in Dublin, Hughes made two trips back to the airport in hopes of finding the gear, but nothing turned up.

“Some people I’ve talked to have said I’ll probably never get those clubs or the bags back,” Hughes said. “I honestly don’t know what to think.”

He’s reached out to Aer Lingus on social media and heard nothing. Same thing on the telephone, where all calls are directed to a recording.

As Hughes knows only too well, missing luggage is a massive problem these days with bags not making connecting flights or simply disappearing altogether. Air travel has become somewhat of a lottery when checked luggage is involved.

The Dundas, Ont., product said he had enough logoed shirts to wear this week and for now, he’ll use the replacement set and hope it works as well as his originals. And like everyone who has lost a bag, he’ll keep hoping that everything shows up.