Canucks swinging along

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/08/2011 (5399 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a Team Canada party with a heavy dose of Kent State in the final group at the Canadian Men’s Amateur today at Niakwa Country Club.

Dundas, Ont.’s Mackenzie Hughes had a two-shot lead dumped in his lap to end Saturday’s bizarre Round 3. He certainly did his share with a special round of seven-under 64 to get to nine-under-par 204 through 54 holes, but when second-round co-leader Cory Renfrew of Victoria hashed out a triple-bogey seven on the final hole to fall to six-under, it left Hughes and national team teammates Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and defending champion Albin Choi of Toronto atop the leaderboard.

They’re today’s final threesome at Niakwa at 9:31 a.m.

Conners, 19, shot a course record eight-under 63 in front of Hughes, soaring 19 spots to reach seven-under for the week.

The two Kent State Golden Flashes will be joined by Choi, who bogeyed the last hole and shot 70, also giving him a seven-under total and a share of second.

First-round leader T.J. Bordeaux of Tacoma, Wash., (71) Pitt Meadow, B.C.’s Justin Shin (69) and Renfrew (72) all landed at six-under and will make up the second-to-last group today.

National development team member Wilson Bateman, 17, is also in a share of fourth at six-under after a 72.

“I started the day five behind and obviously some of the guys had some trouble on the last couple holes,” said Hughes, 20, who’s headed for his senior year at Kent State. “I’m fortunate to be in the lead but it’s a good spot to be in.”

The struggles of his rivals was an unexpected finish to Saturday’s play, given the spectacular sunshine and light breezes and the generally stellar play seen this week.

Choi and Bordeaux bogeyed the 18th, while Shin made double and Renfrew, as mentioned, went touchdown and convert.

But nobody should be surprised at the leader. Hughes is having a superb season, claiming victories at the Glencoe Invitation in Calgary earlier in the summer and the Mid-America Conference championship in the spring.

He also had an NCAA tournament win last fall in Tennessee.

“Confidence from previous events obviously helps,” Hughes said. “It doesn’t mean anything tomorrow. That’s just one round. I’ll just build on what I’ve done this summer, hopefully play well again, and see what happens.”

His rivals should note that with a one-stroke lead at the Tennessee tournament, he went out the final day and shot 65 to win by seven.

“I still have to do the same thing,” he said about today’s final round here. “I still have to shoot under par. I’m not putting a number in my head but I’ve got to go out and make birdies because the course yields lots of birdies.

“The game plan’s the same — hit greens and make birdies.”

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Saturday, he started off with a pair of them on the first two holes and wound up with seven birdies all together.

Clearly, Niakwa is warming up to his approach.

“Off the tee, I know what to hit every time,” Hughes said.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca