SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

January 5, 2023

Mackenzie Hughes

Plantation Course at Kapalua

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice way to knock off some rust. 9-under par round. You said you weren't playing a lot of golf, so what was working so well out there for you?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: I just kind of kept it in front of me. I drove it pretty nice. Obviously it's somewhat forgiving out here. A couple of the tee shots I didn't like that I missed were not in bad spots.

So, yeah, I just felt like I -- and then I hit it close and just really managed the game nicely. But I was hitting it solid. Again, like the conditions are ripe. I know that there's going to be guys that come in with 8- or 9-under par and this is a kind of day to get after it.

Q. I know it's been a few years since you've been back. Do you remember, like that year, do you remember a day where it was blowing this little?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I was here two years ago, in 2021, and I can't recall it being like this. No, it's unusual. But then again with the exception of yesterday, Monday, Tuesday were kind of like this. Wednesday was kind of an anomaly of a day. And then today's been kind of the same. It's weird.

But they forecasted it to blow a little bit today and it just hasn't done it. So I don't know. Honestly, it does make it a fair bit easier standing on some of those tees when it's not pumping off one side or the other and it's not big crosswinds. So guys are obviously going to take advantage of those conditions.

Q. If you haven't been playing a lot of golf at home, what have you been doing at home?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Diapers. Changing diapers. Chasing my kids around. We have three kids now. We just had one four weeks ago, and so we're just kind of adjusting to the new routine, which we're outnumbered now, so it's challenging.

Q. Zone defense?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, exactly.

So yeah, I've been able to practice a little bit here and there, but not the way I would like to. But that's just kind of, it will be a little bit of the new norm. And that's kind of a thing that you run into as you start building a family, which I, it's been the greatest thing ever. But you have to be a little smart with your time and get your work in when you can.

Q. What did you attribute the good ball striking round to?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: I've been working on a few small technique things for me. Like, my tendency is to kind of get ball too far back, aimed right, and then I'm trying to play catchup from there. I'm kind of compensating, if you will.

So my real keys right now are just to kind of feel like I'm set up a little open, ball's forward. From there, I just feel like my misses are a ton better. I'm not working as hard to -- if I make a bad swing, I'm not working as hard to keep it in play. Sometimes if your alignment's off, ball position's off, and you make a bad swing, it could be out of play.

So I feel like I'm a little tighter with some of those basic fundamentals, which is somewhat easy to do, but you can obviously get off. You play in the wind or you play in wet conditions, you keep putting the ball back further and further.

So that's kind of some of the stuff I'm working on, and I feel like it's allowed me to be a little bit more consistent tee to green.

Q. Looking at your hat, are you a Hawaiian shirt type of guy?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: Not a Hawaiian shirt type of guy, but this, I don't even know if this would be classified as Hawaiian or not. But the hat, Ping does a nice job and when in Rome. So I wouldn't be wearing this every day of the year.

Q. At the Canadian Open?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: At the Canadian Open, but here it's appropriate.

Q. What's your diaper-changing handicap?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: This is kid number three, so I'm a PGA TOUR-level diaper changer. A plus 5. Yeah. I can do it quick. I mean 20, 30 seconds we're done. I've seen it all. Now actually with a girl, a girl is far easier because, you know, a boy, diaper off, peeing everywhere. I don't have that problem anymore. The pee's a little more in the zone right here.

Q. Are you solo here?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: My family is here. All three.

Q. How was that flight?

MACKENZIE HUGHES: How would you think that flight went? Like that. (Laughing.) IPads. Grandma was with us, so that helped. But it was a long journey. But we are here. Waking up at 5 every day, but so is dad, so...