Dundas, Ont. golfer Mackenzie Hughes finishes 15th at U.S. Open

KITCHENER -

A golfer from Dundas, Ont., who was in the hunt at the U.S Open on Sunday, is still looking to make Canadian golf history.

Mackenzie Hughes went into the final round tied for the lead at five under par. Through ten holes, he was in a two-way tie for second.

However, once one of his tee shots got stuck in a tree, his chances of winning slipped further away.

Hughes ended up finishing tied for 15^th in the tournament, which still shattered expectations since he came into the open as a heavy underdog.

"He had missed the last five cuts heading into the tournament, so no one was really expecting much from Mackenzie Hughes," said TSN golf analyst Adam Scully. "Expectations should now be sky high for him going ahead in 2021."

Hughes was looking to become the first male Canadian golfer to win a major since Mike Weir won The Masters in 2003.

At last April's Masters, Weir played a practice round with Hughes and Listowel's Corey Connors and told both of them they were good enough to win a major.

Hughes will have plenty of support going forward, including from his hometown of Dundas, who were eagerly cheering him on during Sunday's tournament.

"I was actually just talking to Mackenzie's Mom and I can't believe how he just looks so mentally strong and not nervous at all," said John Kirkwood, the head golf professional at Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club. "The whole community here, the little town of Dundas, we've all in the same boat cheering him on."