Hughes chronicles his chase for 59: 'The hole starts looking pretty big'

Mackenzie Hughes had a rare opportunity Thursday at the Travelers Championship: the chance to become only the 11th player on the PGA Tour to card a sub-60 round.

Surprisingly, the chance didn't arise from a blistering start. He was only 1-under through four holes in what felt like a pretty standard day at TPC River Highlands. But he knew low scores were out there.

"I saw that guys were playing well early," Hughes told theScore. "I saw 4-, 5-, and 6-unders early on, so I knew that the golf course was there for the taking."

Armed with that knowledge - and the confidence built from a solo second-place finish at the Honda Classic before the PGA Tour's shutdown - Hughes began pouring in birdies.

Starting on No. 15 - his fifth hole of the day - Hughes dropped putts from 14, 13, and 12 feet to quickly gather momentum.

"It's pretty fun. The hole starts looking pretty big. You're just thinking about making birdies," Hughes said of his early run.

Two more putts, including one from 31 feet, fell for the Canadian before the turn, helping him notch a sub-30 number for his opening-nine total - an important step on the path to breaking 60.

Despite sitting at 6-under midway through his round, carding a 59 didn't cross his mind until he drained another birdie on No. 2. At that point, Hughes wasn't experiencing the haze some athletes mention after performing at a high level. Rather, he was completely cognizant of the remarkable round he was putting together.

"I was fully aware the whole time of what was happening, where I was at, and what I needed to do on the last five or six holes," Hughes said. "I was certainly in the zone but by no means was I unaware of what was going on."

After his birdie on No. 2, he needed to play the final seven holes at 3-under. The task, though feasible, became increasingly difficult when he found himself still at 7-under with just four holes remaining.

But after a birdie on the par-5 6th and another on No. 7, Hughes sank his second 30-footer of the day. He was now 10-under with one hole left to play.

As he stood on the 9th tee, it's unlikely the 29-year-old wasn't thinking about joining a list of players that includes Justin Thomas, fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin, and Jim Furyk, who's broken 60 twice and holds the course record at TPC River Highlands with 58. Hughes knew he was one birdie from an 18-hole score that only elite golfers can ever hope to card.

"That one shot means a lot more than 61 to 60 (compared to) 60 to 59," he admitted. "That's a big leap."

But wasn't meant to be. Hughes' drive found the left rough off the tee, and though he had a good angle into the green, his ball was buried. The best he could do was muscle it out to leave himself a 40-footer for 59. He wound up leaving it short.

"I was really trying to make sure I just gave it a chance and rolled it past the hole, and I don't know, just didn't hit it, and the line was perfect," he said. "Still super excited about shooting 60, and it's a round that I'll remember for a long time."

It wasn't the first time Hughes flirted with 59. He had a chance at the 2017 RSM Classic, where he shot an opening-round 61 en route to his first PGA Tour title. More recently, he faced a putt for 59 at his home course in Charlotte during the Tour's three-month hiatus.

But what Hughes didn't have in either of those instances was the satisfaction of following up a career-best performance with another low score, one that has him sitting atop the leaderboard. And he'll desperately need to build on it in Round 2. Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy all sit three shots off the pace.

"I'll try to take the good vibes from today (into tomorrow) but, to an extent, you kind of have to forget about it."

On Friday, Hughes will find out if forgetting an unforgettable round is easier said than done.