PGA Tour pro divulges ambulance ride to hospital amid Travelers Championship withdrawal

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

MacKenzie Hughes, the 10-year PGA Tour pro, had to withdraw prior to the Travelers Championship and provided the painful details why.

MacKenzie Hughes, the 10-year PGA Tour professional, was forced to withdraw from the Travelers Championship following an opening round 6-over 76. Initially, few details were revealed, but Hughes provided a detailed and painful account on social media Thursday night.

Hughes stated that upon flying out of Los Angeles after last week’s U.S. Open, he experienced incredible pain in his lower back. He was throwing up on the plane but did not understand what was wrong.

Upon landing, he took an ambulance to the hospital where a large kidney stone was found.

“After a CT scan it turned out that I had kidney stones, which explains the intense pain I was feeling. I had a 4mm stone which the doctor said I would likely pass, so it was just pain meds and rest… Unfortunately I have not passed it yet and I am still experiencing discomfort,” Hughes noted.

“I hate to WD from one of my favorite tournaments of the year, but I look forward to getting healthy and getting back soon.”

Kidney stones are rarely talked about but universally recognized as excruciating.

Considering how well most of the field is playing at the Travelers Championship, it was unlikely Hughes was going to make the cut anyway. So, this was probably a wise decision to focus on rest and recovery.

MacKenzie Hughes, the Canadian, has two career PGA Tour wins. He previously captured the RSM Classic in 2016-2017 and the Sanderson Farms Championship this past October.