Mackenzie Hughes displayed a steady resiliency (along with a sporty short game) to win the Sanderson Farms Championship in playoff over Sepp Straka, taking the title with a birdie on the second extra hole after a fabulous iron shot from 164 yards at the Country Club of Jackson.
Despite the overtime heroics, it was Hughes’ short game that was the difference-maker. Consider that he was ranked 81st for the week in driving accuracy, 40th in distance and 45th in greens in regulation—not exactly the kind of performance that wins on the PGA Tour. Hughes, however, picked up nearly four shots on the field on the greens and another four in strokes gained/around-the-green. In fact, of his four birdies during a Sunday 69, none of them were from outside 10 feet.
It was from just off the green, however, where Hughes excelled, getting up and down a remarkable 22 of 24 times for a 91.67 percentage, easily the best in the field.
Hughes carries a trio of Ping Glide 2.0 wedges including two with a dark finish, while the 60-degree wedge has a chrome finish. Each of his wedges have True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts and Golf Pride’s multicompound black/blue 60R grips with three extra wraps of tape under the right hand and two extra wraps of tape under the left hand to achieve the feel he likes in his grip.
Hughes’ other win also came in overtime at the 2016 RSM Classic where Hughes emerged from a five-way playoff. This time around the competition wasn’t as crowded but the win was just as rewarding.
WHAT IT DOES: Ping’s design philosophy since its founding six decades ago has been all about managing mis-hits, and this large, perimeter-weighted driver maintains some of the highest stability on off-center hits in the industry. However, drivers that pursue large dimensions and maximum stability fight a center of gravity that drifts higher as it moves toward the back. That can cause shots to spin too much and lose distance. The G425 models use ultra-thin, web-like ribs on the underside of the crown to reduce thickness (barely three bills thick) to save weight that keeps the CG low.
WHY WE LIKE IT: Besides their size, these models offer the most adjustable weight in company history. The 26 grams in the extreme perimeter on the Max (63 percent more than the previous model) is twice the movable weight than most other drivers have. The three models offer functional and intuitive solutions for specific problems: inconsistency (the ultra-stable Max), the slice (the lighter, heel-weighted SFT) and excessive spin (the compact, flatter trajectory LST). Each offers overall forgiveness.
WHICH ONE'S FOR ME?
G425 MAX: Ultra-thin, web-like ribs on the underside of the crown aim to offset inconsistent impact by reducing thickness, which saves weight and keeps the CG low. There's an eight-way adjustable hosel that tweaks loft by plus/minus 1.5 degrees.
G425 SFT: There's extra weight slightly on the heel side (23 grams) to help square up the face and launch it higher. The weight on this model is fixed, but the club does include the same eight-way adjustable hosel. It features a lighter D1 swingweight to provide additional help controlling the face.
G425 LST: The more compact of the three models (445 cc) features more weight forward for lower spin, approximately 500-700 rpm less than the Max, according to the company. It's ideal for players who hit down on the ball with a lot of speed. Generally will produce a lower-launching, flatter trajectory. It features the same eight-way adjustable hosel, and the adjustable perimeter weight is 17 grams.Read more >>
What Mackenzie Hughes had in the bag at the 2022 Sanderson Farms Championship
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: Ping G425 LST (Graphite Design DI 7X), 9 degrees
5-wood: Ping G425 Max, 17.5 degrees
7-wood: Ping G425 Max, 20.5 degrees
Irons (4-6): Ping i210; (7-PW): Ping S55
Wedges: Ping Glide 2.0 (52, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Ping Scottsdale TR Piper C
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