Mackenzie Hughes is a contender at the 2024 Valspar Championship and has a chance to win going into the final round at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course near Tampa, Fla. After winning twice in his career already, Mackenzie Hughes could have another huge breakthrough.
You may know Mackenzie Hughes as the winner of the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship.
Hughes is 33 years old, and he is in the field at Valspar Championship because he is a top-50 finisher on the PGA Tour FedEx Cup last season.
For Hughes, his journey to the PGA Tour is a remarkable story.
Hughes was born in Hamilton, Onatrio, Canada. He played college golf at the Kent State University before making his way into the world of professional golf.
Hughes is hitting his prime
Mackenzie Hughes has won at every level, including as an amateur and after he turned pro in 2013.
Hughes earned his first PGA Tour win in November 2016 at The RSM Classic on Sea Island, Ga. Then he won in the fall of 2022 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Entering this week, Hughes was ranked 71st in FedEx Cup points and ranked 79th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
In his personal life, Hughes is married to wife, Jenna, and they have three children together.
What a win at the Valspar Championship means
With a win today, Hughes would earn the benefits of being a PGA Tour winner, including a five-year PGA Tour exemption. He is already exempt into all four majors, including the US Open for 10 years and the other three for five years. And, according to the 2024 Valspar Championship payout, he would win $1.512 million to top it all off.
