Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton. Ontario is still in contention at the 2024 Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida. On Saturday, Hughes shot a third round score of two-under-par 69, and is currently at -8 for the tournament, and two strokes back of the leader, Keith Mitchell of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In round three, Hughes had four birdies and two bogeys. He birdied the fifth, 10th, 11th and 16th holes, and bogeyed the 13th and 18th holes.
The fact that Mitchell is leading is impressive. In his final hole on Saturday, Mitchell had an eagle on a par four as he drained a shot from 151 feet. Mitchell is currently at -10.
Two other golfers are tied with Hughes at -8. They are Ireland’s Seamus Power and American Peter Malnati of New Castle, Indiana. Three more golfers are in contention at -7 and three strokes back. They are Americans Chandler Phillips of Huntsville, Texas, Cameron Young of Briarcliff Manor, New York, and Brendon Todd of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
One Canadian has won the Valspar Championship in the past. That was Adam Hadwin of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, who was victorious in 2017.
Hughes has won two PGA tournaments before. He was victorious at the 2016 RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia, and the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.
