NAPA, Calif. — Mackenzie Hughes, the 34-year-old Canadian with two PGA Tour wins but none since October 2022, quietly went about his work with a 9-under-par 63 on Thursday to lead after the opening round of the Procore Championship.
The big crowds followed top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and nine other members of the U.S. team for the upcoming Ryder Cup, and they saw mixed results from the Americans.
For the longest time, Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin wasn’t even the low Griffin at Silverado Resort until five birdies on the back nine of the North Course gave him a 64, putting him one shot behind with Matt McCarty. Russell Henley, among the Americans who qualified for the Ryder Cup via points, was at 65 with Lanto Griffin.
Scheffler, who hasn’t finished lower than eighth place since March, lost one streak on a breezy afternoon in wine country when he was wild off the tee at the par-5 18th and had to settle for par and a 70. That ended 21 consecutive rounds in the 60s.
U.S. captain Bradley Keegan isn’t playing in this tournament, the opener to the PGA Tour’s fall schedule that’s typically for golfers fighting for status heading into the next season, but he’s present those 10 Ryder Cup team members (of 12 total) as they compete. They’re trying to stay sharp ahead of the matches against Europe at Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island in two weeks, and that wasn’t lost on them regardless of the scores.