Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes wins the Sanderson Farms Championship for a second PGA win

JACKSON, Ms. – Whether it was sheer confidence or remarkable resilience, Mackenzie Hughes never doubted he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship. He just never could have imagined how it would play out on Sunday night.

Hughes of Hamilton, Ontario had to make six vital putts – four of them for par – on the last seven holes to pass Vienna, Austria’s Sepp Straka on the second playoff hole and earn his second PGA Tour win.

“The second felt a lot harder than the first, that’s for sure,” said Hughes.

The 31-year-old Canadian, known for his putter, eventually birdied for a third time playing the 18th hole at the Country Club of Jackson and poured in an 8-foot course to victory.

But pars were also at stake here – the 15-foot putt on the 14th par-5, the 7-foot putt on the 16th after failing to reach the green from a fairway bunker, and two hard Par saves on the 18th hole typically 100 feet from the green and from a bunker on the first playoff hole.

“I’ve been telling myself all week that I’m going to do this. That was the only thing I saw in my head,” Hughes said. “Those par saves on the course, I was just trying to put the ball in the hole.”

The first par save on the 18th gave him a 3-under 69 to force a playoff against Straka, who played two groups ahead of Hughes and shot 67 at the post at 17-under 271.

On the second playoff hole, Straka missed from 18 feet on the rim before Hughes made the winning putt. It was the second time in his last four tournaments that Straka lost in a playoff. The other was against Will Zatoris early in the PGA Tour postseason.

“I played good golf on a tough Sunday,” said Straka, who clinched his maiden PGA Tour title at the Honda Classic earlier this year. “Giving yourself chances to win here is key. The more you can do that, the more comfortable you will feel.”

It had been six years for Hughes since his only win – also in a playoff – at Sea Island.

“I fought like hell to stay in it,” Hughes said. “While finishing second is still great, it hurts when you’re so close. I just didn’t want to accept that today.”

The win comes a week after the Presidents Cup, and Hughes was disappointed not to be included in the international team at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives. He wanted to use that as motivation, and it certainly worked that way.

Garrick Higgo of South Africa had a 68 and finished third.

Straka took the lead by pacing the par-5 and achievable par-15 for the birdie, back and forth. He had to settle for pars for the rest of the day.

Hughes still had those scoring holes to play and he almost blew the opportunity. On the 14th he was out of position off the tee, his wedge over a tree back to the fairway came up short in a bunker, he had to hang up and got away with a 15 foot par putt.

He was left wide off the tee on the final hole and hit the stands under a tree and across the green. After free relief, he used the putter from 100 feet from the green at perfect pace to 3 feet.

On the first playoff hole on the 18th, Hughes came up short in a bunker with only about 15 feet from the edge of the bunker to the pin. He blasted to 5 feet and made par.

That sent them back for the 18th for the third time, and Hughes shut him out.

Mark Hubbard, who went into the finals with a one-shot lead, managed just two birdies in his round of 74 to finish tied for fifth.

There were five players in the finals who eventually had at least part of the lead. They included Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, whose round on the par-5 14 was wiped out when he hit a triple bogey without a penalty.

Higgo was never part of the lead, though he lingered all day and missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th that ultimately kept him out of the playoffs.