THE 149TH OPEN

July 18, 2021

Mackenzie Hughes

Mixed Zone

Q. We are joined by Mackenzie Hughes. Nice finish. Just wondering your first Open Championship completed. How would you sum up the week?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I mean, hard to be disappointed with it. I got off to a great start Thursday and I really didn't have my best stuff the last few days, but kind of speaks to the way I feel about the Open Championship, and how I felt coming in was that I felt like I was kind of born to play links golf.

It makes you really think, and that's something I'm very good at, which can help and hurt me. I feel like over here the solid play and hitting the different golf shots, it's all just kind of feel and, yeah, just manufacturing shots.

So I really loved it. Obviously I would've loved to play a little better the last couple days, but all in all I was pretty pleased with the efforts.

Another good major experience.

Q. Quick follow up. How did you manage to get over the early bogeys and realise, Hey, you got a lot of golf left to play here still?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, the start was definitely disappointing. Yeah, I mean, you couldn't have too much of a worse start. Kind of tried to tell myself that everyone in the field today was going to make some bogeys, and kind of helped early on when I saw a few guys not get off to the best starts either. Few guys were 2-over through four, five holes.

So I knew there were other guys that were having troubles, too, so that kind of helped. I just tried to stick to the game plan, and I knew I would get my share if I stayed patient.

Luckily I got a few coming in. To shoot under par today when I really didn't have my stuff at all, you know, felt pretty good.

Q. How did you feel today compared to the other three days? Any difference going into the final round? Anything you noticed about yourself or your game?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I would be lying if I didn't say I felt a bit more nerves today than yesterday. When I played with Brooks I felt quite comfortable most of the day. I would say maybe a little bit later in the round I got a bit nervous, but nothing crazy.

Then I felt today just starting out there were some nerves, but the golf course is just playing hard, too. It wasn't like it was easy. Making a few early bogeys kind of wasn't great, but I tried to draw on the experience from Torrey Pines and I knew that if I stayed patient I could have a nice comeback.

Luckily I did.

Q. And quick follow. What's the plan to recharge and get ready for Tokyo?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I'll go home this week and be a full time dad for a few days, and then I'll get a few days of prep in before I head to Tokyo. Try and get as much sleep as I can the next two or three days and try and catch up on some sleep and get ahead. Yeah, start thinking about Tokyo soon, get myself ready for that, and in the right frame of mind to go win a medal.

Q. Nice finish out there. After the past two majors you're more or less the same golfer. What sort belief is being built, and how might it elevate your game?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, when you have high finishes like that and play with the best players in the world and hang in there and stay with them, does a lot for you.

Going forward I know I have things to work on and get better at, but that's the exciting part. There is tons of room for improvement still. But I'm getting better. I'm learning.

I made some pretty big progress in the majors this year. I mean, coming into this year I really didn't have much success in the majors, and then I started to make a few cuts, and then got in contention the last two.

Been building towards some of the better finishes and some big time trophies, so that's going to do wonders for my confidence going forward. Yeah, just try and learn from to the past couple experiences and keep growing.

Q. One quick follow up. On the Olympics, with you and Corey, obviously both in good form and Brooke and Alena on the women's side, how would you rank Canada's medal chances?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I mean, I like our chances. Four great golfers going over there. Yeah, you know, you never know over four days of golf and what kind of game you're going to bring over there, but I like our chances. I think we're all in a pretty good place as far as our games go.

Like I said, we'll just prepare and do the best we can going into it. Leave it all out on the golf course in Tokyo. I'm excited. I feel like just thinking about myself, I do think I have a strong chance, and I'll go over there believing that I have a chance to win.