Hughes hopes to feel right at home at Quail Hollow

Charlotte, N.C. – It wasn’t hard to spot a Canadian golfer at the PGA Championship on Tuesday. All five were gathered in consecutive groups led by a twosome, and then a threesome, as they tried to figure out a sopping wet Quail Hollow golf course that will host the year’s second major.

“They wouldn’t let us play as a fivesome,” quipped Adam Hadwin, the elder statesman of the group.

Hadwin played in the lead duo along with Mackenzie Hughes, while Corey Conners, Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith followed. All five players finished up just ahead of a hard-hitting storm that suspended play for the second day.

Monday’s round was a washout due to storms, while the sun eventually returned after Tuesday’s downpour.

The Canadians are almost always together on Tuesdays. Most weeks, it’s a foursome with east versus west. Hughes, Pendrith and Conners are from Ontario, while Hadwin and Taylor are B.C. boys. They call it the Tuesday game and there’s often a friendly wager on the outcome. And at this time of year, hockey dominates the talk in between shots.

All three Ontarians are diehard Maple Leaf fans and will be tuned in on Wednesday night to watch the fifth game of the series against the Florida Panthers.

Hadwin and Taylor, who root for the Canucks, have moved on in their sporting seasons and are more focused on the Blue Jays right now. Both are ardent Jays fans who have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch.

All the sport watching comes after their day jobs as professional athletes. They are here to try and capture the year’s second major championship, which won’t be easy based on present conditions. The precipitation has been heavy and a course that plays at just over 7,600 yards on the scorecard which be stretched out even more with the very soft conditions.

The five Canadians arrive at the PGA having different seasons so far that range from Hughes’s playoff loss last week to an inconsistent Hadwin, still looking for his game.

“There have been a few times this year when I’ve been lost, when I have no idea what I’m doing on the golf course,” admitted Hadwin, who gained notoriety for smashing a sprinkler head at the Valspar Championship after a particularly bad hole. “I’ll hit good shots and have no idea why. I’ll hit bad shots and feel good.”

He has just a single top-10 finish so far this year along with four missed cuts but sees some positive signs in recent play.

“I feel like things are getting better and moving in the right direction,” he said.

Hughes has played solid golf of late with three top 10s in his past four starts.

Included in that is Sunday’s finish at the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic where he bogeyed the 72nd hole and then missed a 10-foot putt on the first playoff hole to allow Ryan Fox to earn his first PGA Tour win.

“Heartbreak,” said Hughes of the loss. “After the sting goes away a little bit you can only think about the positives, and my game is going in the right direction.”

If any of the Canadians should feel comfortable at Quail Hollow, it’s Hughes, who is a member at the club and makes his home nearby. He and his wife, Jenna, were hosting the Canadian contingent for dinner on Tuesday night.

“I’m not really sure what’s on the menu,” he said. “My wife’s handling that but I know the boys are going to be well fed.”

Conners has been the most consistent Canadian on tour this year having risen to a career-best 21st on the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s been inside the top 11 in five of his past seven tournaments, including a tie for eighth at the Masters. He’s also been in the hunt to win a major in recent times, including the 2023 PGA Championship and this year’s Masters where he was in the final groups on Sunday.

“I definitely felt a little bit different on some of those days,” he admitted. “It’s tricky, you have a lot on your mind. But I feel like I’m learning what it’s going to take to get it done.”

First, he added, he needs to play three solid rounds to set up another Sunday opportunity, something very much within his capabilities.

Of the five Canadians, Taylor Pendrith would be best suited to handle a long, wet golf course such as Quail Hollow will be this week. He sits third in the Total Driving statistic, averaging 307.9 yards off the tee. However, it’s at the other end of his game where he has struggled this year, missing more putts than he usually does. That, he says, is changing and there have been signs that his putter is returning to form.

“I feel pretty good,” stated the Richmond Hill, Ont., native. “I feel my results don’t reflect the way I feel about my game. It’s been a little frustrating the last month, results-wise. Last couple of weeks I feel really good about things but just have poor results.”

Nick Taylor is the winningest of the Canadian group, with five victories over his career but his play in majors has not been stellar.

He finished tied for 40th at the Masters last month, ending a streak of eight missed cuts at majors including three PGA Championships. He’s hoping his experience playing Quail Hollow, where he’s had some solid finishes, will help him this week although the soft conditions will make that difficult.

“This is a beast of a golf course,” said Taylor. “It’s soaking wet. It’s a challenging golf course. I’ve played here a lot and it’s going to be difficult.”

All five Canadians are ready for the challenge and hoping to be near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday afternoon. If one happens to be there, expect the rest to be close by cheering him on.