Hughes enjoys successful Canadian Open, but says he's 'coming back for more'

OAKVILLE, Ontario - Mackenzie Hughes walked away with some hardware Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club, claiming low Canadian honors, but it wasn't the trophy he was seeking when the week began.

"Consolation prize, I would say," Hughes told reporters after his round. "I wasn't really thinking about it today. I just wanted to climb up there as far as I could. You know, it's a nice honor for sure. I'm beating a lot of good players that came out of Canada this week. But I think if you asked Graham (DeLaet) or I, or David (Hearn), I think we all wanted to win. So being low Canadian is great, but next year I'm coming back for more."

The Dundas, Ontario, native was happy with his tee-to-green game the entire week at the 108th Canadian Open, but was let down by his usual strength.

"I just didn't putt very well," he told theScore. "Normally, I am a great putter, and this week I was very average. If I'm a great putter this week. ... I have a chance. I'm playing a little later on Sunday."

For Hughes and 16 other Canadians who teed it up in the event, the off-course demands and expectations made it a taxing week. However, the 26-year-old believes the experience will only help him down the road in pursuit of ending the long drought of a Canadian winning the Open.

"The more Canadian Opens you go through, that you handle ... I think I handled it fairly well this week," added Hughes. "I mean, if I play a decent round on Saturday, it looks like a (much) nicer week. But, I think I did a pretty good job. Again, if you play in more and more of these, you just get better and better at dealing with (that) kind of stuff, it can only help you."

On Saturday, Golf Canada announced that the tournament will return to Glen Abbey Golf Club for the 30th time. The reigning RSM Classic champion, like many other players on tour, was pleased to hear the Jack Nicklaus-designed course will once again stage the event.

"I think guys like Toronto," said Hughes. "They like this part of the country. So, I'm excited for it. I'm getting more and more comfortable at Glen Abbey. So, I'm excited to come back next year, and we'll see where it goes in the future."

Hughes will now head into a hectic part of the PGA Tour season, with a World Golf Championship, a major, and FedEx Cup playoffs all occurring over the next seven weeks. However, the enormity of the tournaments ahead doesn't change his approach or mindset.

"I don't try to make Akron or the PGA anything more than a tournament. You prepare the same way, and you just go out there and do the same thing. I feel like I'm getting better at that, and each big tournament I play in, I get more and more comfortable."

As for his goals for the remainder of the season, Hughes has two in mind.

"Goal No. 1 is make East Lake (site of the Tour Championship), and try and get myself in contention for another win."