Mackenzie Hughes made one bogey and closed with birdies on five of his final six holes for an 8-under 63 to take a one-shot lead at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
63 marks his lowest round on the PGA Tour since the third round of the 2023 RSM Classic where he shot 60 and finished second.
“I felt like I didn’t quite have my best stuff tee to green, but kind of managed it well. Put the ball in the right spots. I kind of changed up my putting routine a little bit and putted nicely today,” said Hughes.
“Then at the end there I kind of caught fire. I can’t remember the last time I birdied the last four holes, but it’s definitely a nice finish.”
Hughes currently sits at No. 47 in the FedExCup standings, the highest ranking of any player in the field. In twelve starts this season he has had two top-10 finishes (10th/Texas Children’s Houston Open, T3/RBC Heritage).
The Canadian has two PGA Tour wins to his name, the 2016 RSM Classic and the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship.
Ireland’s Seamus Power is tied in second place at 7-under after recording his lowest round of the season with a bogey-free 64 featuring an eagle at the par-4 8th, holing out from 162 yards (9-iron).
Power is No. 98 in the FedExCup standings, he has had four top-25 finishes in eleven starts, highlighted by a T8 finish at the Valspar Championship.
American Will Chandler also carded a bogey-free 64, the lowest round of his rookie season on Tour. He earned membership for the first time via the 2024 PGA Tour Q-School where he finished T4 (top five and ties secure PGA Tour membership). His best finish in thirteen starts this year was T6 at the WM Phoenix Open.
Dane Thorbjørn Olesen shares second place after opening with his own bogey-free 64. He set the tournament course record last year with a final-round 61, his career-low 18-hole score on Tour.
