Canada's Mackenzie Hughes pars 18 to qualify for Tour Championship

Jackie Spiegel

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Canada's Mackenzie Hughes pars 18 to qualify for Tour Championship image

There was a lot riding on Mackenzie Hughes' par putt on 18.

A top-10 finish in the BMW Championship. A top-30 spot in the FedEx Cup standings. Entry into the PGA Tour Championship next week. Tee times at majors and the WGC. 

No pressure, right?

Well, the Hamilton, Ont., native lined it up just right and sank the knee-knocker. His reaction said it all.

"It was just the greasiest longest putt you'd ever want to have," he said with a sigh to NBC about the five-footer. 

Hughes entered the week at No. 36 in the FedEx Cup standings and needed that putt to move into the top 30. Only 30 golfers will get to play at East Lake in Atlanta from Sept. 4-7.

"I think coming off 17, I made a mess of that hole and I knew that probably was all my wiggle room gone," he said during the NBC interview of his bogey on 17. "So, I knew coming down 18 I probably needed to make a par and that's the last hole you want to make a par on.

"Step 1 done, hit a great drive and then totally messed up the second shot and misjudged the wind (hit it into the greenside bunker) and I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, you've got to be kidding me.' And somehow (I) got it done."

Hughes finished the tournament 2 over par after shooting a 69 in Rounds 1 and 3, a 73 in Round 2 and a 71 on the final day. 

The first player in Tour history to win on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada (PGA Tour-era), Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour, Hughes won The RSM Classic  in November 2016. He finished second at The Honda Classic in March and tied for third at the Travelers Championship in June.

He also got some big congrats on Twitter, including a tweet from the GM of his favorite hockey team.

Jackie Spiegel