As they were being serenaded with their national anthem on the second tee at Royal Montreal Golf Club Friday afternoon, Mackenzie Hughes turned to his friend and fellow countryman Corey Conners and wondered just how many times they were going to hear a rendition of “O, Canada.”
It was, literally, music to their ears. And the Canadian duo added some nice harmony on a day when the International team hit all the right notes for once in the Presidents Cup.
One day after being whitewashed by the visiting American team in four-ball competition, the Internationals battled back to even the 15th Presidents Cup with an improbable clean sweep in foursomes.
“O, Canada” sure felt better than “Ow, Canada.”
And while it took a full 10-man effort to pull off the remarkable turnaround, it’s doubtful any duo enjoyed it more than the allies from north of the border, who blitzed Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau, 6 and 5. Each won a match for the first time in the Presidents Cup, Conners after an 0-5 start to his career and Hughes in his debut. It seemed poetic that they should do it together, two friends who were college teammates at Kent State University in Ohio and have played dozens of money matches during practice rounds on the PGA Tour.
“This was a special day,” said Conners, 32, a native of Listowel, Canada. “We wanted to get off to a good start, and we kept our foot on the gas and played some awesome golf. Mac hit some unbelievable shots. It was such a fun day and great to share it with such a good friend.”
“Today is a dream come true playing with Corey,” added Hughes, 33, who hails from Hamilton. “He’s probably the best partner you could have in alternate shot. He’s so reliable, so consistent. I just kind of was along for the ride. It was a blast.”
Their pairing made sense beyond their national and collegiate allegiances. Conners is a terrific ball striker who ranks third on tour in strokes gained/approach. Hughes has become one of the game’s better putters; he is fifth on tour this year in strokes gained/putting and eight in total putting.
So, little surprise that the pair closed out their match on the 213-yard par-3 13th hole when Conners smoked his tee shot five feet from the cup and Hughes knocked it in.
Each has to play his own ball on Saturday in four-ball against Finau and Xander Schauffele, but International captain Mike Weir rightfully has great confidence in his fellow countrymen. “Obviously those guys are great friends,” Weir said of his two wild-card picks. “There’s just great flow and vibe with those guys out there, the camaraderie, and they played great. What we thought was on paper showed up. There was great ball striking. There was great putting, great short games. I mean, what I thought was going to happen. The result, you never think that those scores, but we had a feeling they would play well and gel well.”
Although he sat out the matches on Thursday, Hughes might be the most valuable member of the International team thus far, simply in terms of attitude and enthusiasm. (Don’t want to hear about no Tom Kim.)
On the bus ride through Quebec to Royal Montreal Friday morning, Hughes was among the team members who stood up to say a few words. There are few details of what he actually said, and Hughes downplayed the moment, but for a rookie to take that initiative is telling. “I spoke, but there was a few other guys that spoke as well,” he said. “The main message was just keep your head high, spirits high, and we all believed.”
The day before, Hughes provided the Internationals’ only win. That occurred when he marched out to the first tee before the opening match, getting on one knee and downing a can of beer to get the crowd buzzing. (While maybe getting a little buzzed himself?) A lighthearted moment like that has rarely been seen from the International team, which has struggled repeatedly to find its footing against a seasoned American team that gets trial by fire every year in the Ryder Cup and then floats through the Presidents Cup.
“I wish I had a Molson Canadian but it was a Stella. I wanted to get the energy going,” Hughes said of the unplanned display of chugmanship. “That was kind of my goal yesterday, and today I got to play some shots and play with an amazing partner and friend in Corey.
“This is one of the highlights of my life right here,” he added. “This is one of the funnest days I’ve ever had on the golf course.”
Bet he could find a captain and 11 other guys who would agree with him.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
