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Minutes after battling TPC Sawgrass in gusty winds and rain, Mackenzie Hughes stared begrudgingly at the calm sky and sun that broke through as he finished his opening round.<\/p>\n
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If golf can drive a sane person to the edge, Pete Dye\u2019s diabolical Florida masterpiece will give you one last shove.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of forgiveness off the tee,\u201d Hughes said after shooting a two-over par 74 despite hitting just five fairways. \u201cOnce you\u2019re out of position you\u2019re just really trying hard to find a way to make par. Birdie seems like it\u2019s out of the question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow Canadian Pendrith agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard. If you\u2019re out of position you\u2019re likely going to make bogey,\u201d he said 30 minutes later after matching Hughes\u2019 score of 74. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to get it on the fairways.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Monday Morning Golf<\/p>\n
Jon McCarthy has something for every golfer, with a notably Canadian slant.<\/p>\n
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Tough conditions<\/p>\n
The two Canadians got to their two-over tally in very different ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I drove it very nicely. I had one drive that cost me probably three shots,\u201d Pendrith said.<\/p>\n
After opening with two birdies in his first three holes, Pendrith hit one errant tee shot at the 15th hole (his sixth hole of the day) made a triple bogey and spent the rest of the day trying to make up for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI contemplated taking an unplayable (penalty) but would have had nothing really, and I thought I could get it out of the bush,\u201d he said. \u201cI hit it and I didn\u2019t see where it went. It was stuck in the bush and then fell into the bunker and plugged. I compounded that hole with a three putt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other than the 15th hole, Pendrith played the other 17 in a tidy one-under par. Unfortunately, all 18 count.<\/p>\n
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For Hughes the entire day was a battle with both the conditions and with his tee shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the nature of this golf course where if you\u2019re a little off it will show that, and I definitely was,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cAnd given the conditions and how I felt, two-over par was an OK result.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the round, Hughes\u2019 glance<\/a> frequently returned to the sky as the sun threatened to break through the storm clouds.<\/p>\nMorning wave hit hard<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone who played in the morning can tell you how hard it played, and to see the way it is right now is a little disheartening,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
After a decade on tour, and with a short game that often gets him out of the trouble, Hughes is always prepared to get his hands dirty.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just the way I\u2019m wired,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been a grinder and fighter and I feel like when you have those days I\u2019m pretty equipped to handle them. I was in some pretty tough spots today, but my whole life I\u2019ve been battling like that. Obviously I like to have more days when I\u2019m in control, but when you\u2019re not in control you fight like crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
From a pot bunker in the sky somewhere, Pete Dye is smiling.<\/p>\n
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Taylor Pendrith of Canada plays a shot on the tenth hole during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Photo by Kevin C. Cox \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n