Mackenzie Hughes is old enough and wise enough to know that in professional golf, the long game is often better than a quick fix. That’s why he’s taken some time away from tournaments this fall, and instead, worked on improvements to his swing on the range, rather than the course.

Some might see that as unusual. If there are tournaments to play, there is money to be won.

There is another reason he might consider playing more of the fall events. Hughes sits 66th on the FedEx Cup points list and a top-60 finish at the end of the year would guarantee him spots in the first two signature events of the 2026 season. Those are the tournaments that have whopping purses, with most not having a 36-hole cut. Good finishes in the remaining three events on this year’s PGA Tour calendar could move him up the points list. He will play this week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and then the final stop at the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga. The latter event is the one where he logged his first PGA Tour victory, back in 2016. His second victory came at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2023.

Overall, however, it’s been a light fall schedule for the veteran golfer.

“There is still lots to play for at this time, but it’s not something that’s going to make or break my year for next year,” said Hughes, from his home in Charlotte, N.C. “I obviously would love to get in the top 60, but that’s not something I’ll lose sleep over.”

Hughes knows a lot about the cut lines of the FedEx Cup. He’s has been a top-50 bubble boy the past two seasons. In 2024, he ended up in 51st spot on the points list. The top 50 gain entry to all the signature tournaments. Hughes thought he was on the outside looking in until Jon Rahm left for LIV, moving him up one spot.

Last season, Hughes was 54th but managed to qualify for six of the eight signature tournaments through a few of the event-by-event entries available for players showing good form.

But for now, the focus is on a swing that will carry him into 2026 and beyond. The need to retool comes after Hughes signed on with a new swing coach. Jeff Hamilton, who teaches a steady stable full of PGA Tour players, began working with the Canadian in mid-September after a tournament in Napa, Calif. Hughes is one of the best putters in the golf but wants to shore up his tee-to-green game. That would allow him to be far more consistent than he’s been throughout his career.

“Obviously, I have great weeks, but I have weeks where it’s not as good as it needs to be,” admitted Hughes. “And a lot of it really is in the backswing and just keeping the club a bit more in front of me.”

It sounds simple. Move the club a bit on the backswing and rip it at the target. If only it were that easy. Making any kind of significant change requires commitment and repetition until the new swing feels like the established swing. The goal is to stand on the tee at the next tour event and not have to think about the changes made. He’ll give it a test run this week in Mexico.

“A lot of the changes are just geared towards making it simpler, making it a little more repeatable,” Hughes stated. “I know the changes and what lies ahead. I feel very confident in what I’m doing. So that’s exciting.”

Starting next year, there is also more pressure on PGA Tour players to play better. The fields will be reduced in size, with a maximum of 144 golfers. Some can be 132 or 120, depending on the time of year and available daylight. The Players Championship, for example, drops from 144 golfers to 120. The signature events will have a cap of 72 golfers.

At the end of this season, only the top 100 golfers on the FedEx Cup point list will retain full privileges. Those outside that number, including some well-known players, will, at best, be relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour with limited status.

So, the improved swing is what Hughes hopes will carry him through not just next season but into the peak of his career where he can realize the goals he’s set. That’s why he’s signed on with a new coach and that’s why he’s not so worried about the remaining stops on the fall circuit.

“The impetus for changing like this and going to see a new coach is that my goals aren’t to finish 50th or 60th in the FedEx Cup,” said Hughes, who turns 35 on Nov. 23. “I only have a few wins, and I’d like to win double-digit tournaments, to win a major and I know in order to do that I need to clean up some things.”

There is another reason for keeping a light schedule in the fall. Hughes and his wife, Jenna, have three kids, Kenton, Cohen and Ellie Mae. Travelling as much as he does during the golf season means he misses a lot of the things that most parents take for granted. Dropping his kids off at school and attending their birthday parties and sporting events is more important than teeing it up at one more golf tournament with a game in mid-transition.

He and Jenna also found time to host the Longview Pro-Am event for the foundation they established. The $300,000 raised on the day will go to help those in need in the Charlotte area – Jenna’s hometown – as well as in the Hamilton, Ont., region, where Mackenzie is from.

Hughes will get a good indication where his game is at this week’s PGA Tour stop. Regardless of how well it turns out, he’ll be back on the range trying to improve with a focus on the 2026 season.

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