Hughes shoots lowest Round 1 score in Travelers Championship history

FROM TRAVELERSCHAMPIONSHIP.COM——

The first round of the 2020 Travelers Championship welcomed 156 players to TPC River Highlands on Thursday, June 25, with a familiar name owning the lead – and a tournament record – after 18 holes.

Mackenzie Hughes made history by shooting a 10-under-par 60, the lowest first-round score ever at the Travelers Championship. The previous low first-round score was 61, by Kenny Perry in 2009 and Charley Hoffman in 2013. Now the record belongs to Hughes, a 29-year-old Canadian who was tied for the first-round lead at the 2019 Travelers Championship. One year later, with 10 birdies and no bogeys at TPC River Highlands, Hughes built a three-shot lead over a pair of top-10 players – No. 1 Rory McIlroy and No. 10 Xander Schauffele – along with young star Viktor Hovland.

Hughes had a chance to shoot 59, but his birdie putt on the ninth hole (his 18th of the day) missed. The 60 marks the lowest score in Hughes’ PGA Tour career, which features a victory at the 2017 RSM Classic. It also continues a first-round trend at the Travelers Championship for Hughes: In four tournament appearances, Hughes has shot 67, 67, 64 and now 60 in the first round. His best tournament finish was a tie for 17th in 2017.

Newly-turned 50-year-old Phil Mickelson shot a bogey-free 64 and was part of a six-player group four shots back at six under. Defending champion Chez Reavie opened with an even-par 70, while Bubba Watson, looking to join Billy Casper as the only four-time winners of the tournament, shot 69.

The second round of play will take place Friday, after which the 36-hole cut will be made at the low 65 players and ties. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament is a TV-only event with no fans permitted on the usually overflowing grounds at TPC River Highlands. Second-round coverage will be on the Golf Channel from 3-6 p.m. EDT.