WATCH: Mackenzie Hughes starts off the Presidents Cup with a drinking party on course
Mackenzie Hughes, a Canadian golfer, has officially started the Presidents Cup, which is being hosted in Canada this year. The International team has a total of three Canadian golfers, and its captain, Mike Weir, hails from the country as well. To start things off, Hughes chugged a drink on the course to the applause of everyone watching.
The Canadian dropped to a knee to drink the beverage to raucous cheers from fans in the stands. They clapped and cheered as Hughes made quick work of the drink, even chanting "chug" at the star golfer.
It took him about eight seconds to make it through the entire can, pouring the final drops onto the course and standing back up. He began walking around and hyping up the local fans, and they loved every minute of it.
The fans loved every second of it, and Hughes was able to successfully get them excited for the coming competition. Hughes' International side has won the Presidents Cup just once in the entire history of the tournament, but they're looking to turn things around this year and reverse the long history of losing in the event.
Hughes said via TSN that he believes in his team's chances. They've not had any success, but he thinks they could break through this year. The Canadian said that, on paper, this is a close matchup that could swing either way. They have good golfers and will need to play well, but this tournament could go either way.
The Americans are made up of Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Sahith Theegala, Sam Burns, Max Homa, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, and others. They're captained by Jim Furyk.
Mackenzie Hughes reflects on making Presidents Cup
Since he did not automatically qualify, Mackenzie Hughes had to wait anxiously for a call from captain Mike Weir. The call would determine whether or not he was chosen for the squad. Ultimately, he was picked despite a lower point total before selection.
Mackenzie Hughes said via TSN that the whole thing was a "bit of a fairy tale":
"I've had this one in my mind for quite a while, a long time with Mike [Weir] being a captain, playing in Canada. There was a huge emphasis on being here. Obviously, I had to rely on a pick, and to get that call. Even when the phone rings, you're not sure what it's going to be. To kind of sit on eggshells those few days, was really tough. Then to get the news was just pure elation."
He joins Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, and others on the roster. Conners and Pendrith are the other Canadians on the team alongside Hughes.