A week after Bryson DeChambeau of Modesto, California won the 2020 U.S. Open by six strokes in New York, the PGA Tour is in a different country this week as Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is the host venue. After 36 holes at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ontario is in contention.
Hughes is currently at -9 and three strokes back of the leader, Hudson Swafford of the United States. Swafford is currently at -12. Hughes is tied for fifth place alongside Adam Long of New Orleans, Louisiana, Xinjun Zhang of China, and Sepp Straka of Austria.
Four Americans hold the top four spots on the leaderboard. After Swafford, there is a three-way tie for second place at -10. There you will find Luke List of Seattle, Washington, Justin Suh of San Jose, California, and Sean O’Hair of Lubbock, Texas. O’Hair is a former champion of the Canadian Open as he beat Kris Blanks of Warner Robins, Georgia in a playoff in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2011.
Over the first 36 holes to date in the Dominican Republic, Hughes shot a four-under-par 68 in round one, and a five-under-par 67 in round two. On Thursday, Hughes birdied the eighth, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes, and bogeyed the second hole. On Friday, Hughes birdied the first, sixth, seventh, 12th, 14th and 15th holes, and once again bogeyed the second hole.
