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Mackenzie Hughes: 2021 FedEx Cup Contender or Pretender?

By Tim Letcher

HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Mackenzie Hughes of Canada plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the Vivint Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on November 05, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Mackenzie Hughes of Canada plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the Vivint Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on November 05, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Mackenzie Hughes made a run in the postseason last year. Now in his fifth year on the PGA Tour, can he take the next step and compete for the FedEx Cup?

With the 2020 portion of the PGA Tour schedule in the books, we at Pro Golf Now will be taking a look at the current top 50, and some selected others, in the current FedEx Cup standings and whether they are contenders or pretenders for the 2021 FedEx Cup. Our latest subject is the current No. 34, Mackenzie Hughes.

Best career FedEx Cup finish: Hughes has played four seasons on the PGA Tour. He finished 36th in the FedEx Cup as a rookie before slipping to 160th in 2018. He moved up to 98th in 2019 but his best finish came last season when he made his first trip to East Lake and the Tour Championship. He finished 14th in last year’s FedEx Cup standings.

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So far this season: For the 2020-21 season, when Hughes has been good, he’s been really good. When he hasn’t, the results have gone in the other direction.

He opened his season at the U.S. Open, where he shot 72-76 and missed the cut. Not an ideal start to the new year.

However, the following week was much better for the Canadian. He was among the leaders all week long at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. But he shot a 70 on Sunday, letting a chance for a second career win slip away. He finished in solo third.

Hughes did not play well at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek. He had three rounds in the 70s and ultimately finished in a tie for 65th place.

The following week, at the Zozo Championship, he was slightly better. Still, he finished in a tie for 41st place.

Heading to the Houston Open, it seemed that Hughes was trending in the wrong direction.

Hughes did enough to make the cut but didn’t really seem to be in contention through three rounds. However, he fired a 63 on Sunday to vault up the leader board. He finished in a tie for seventh, his second Top 10 of the season.

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But he couldn’t keep the momentum two weeks later. At the RSM Classic, the site of his only tour win, Hughes shot 73-69 to miss the cut.

The verdict: Hughes is a very solid player. He needs to get in the win column more often to have a chance at taking home the PGA Tour’s big prize. He’s a pretender at this point.

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