Apr 7, 2019
Canadian Conners wins Texas Open, earns Masters invite
On Monday, chances of advancing through the qualifying and getting into the Valero Texas Open seemed slim for Corey Conners. Seven days later, he was holding the trophy after winning his first PGA Tour event, Bob Weeks writes.
By Bob Weeks
On Monday, Corey Conners started his round by making par on a reachable par 5 and then made a double bogey on the second hole. Chances of advancing through the qualifying and getting into the Valero Texas Open seemed slim.
Seven days later, he was holding the trophy after winning his first PGA Tour event completing a remarkable final round that left him two shots ahead of Charley Hoffman.
“It feels amazing,” gushed Conners after making 10 birdies to become the 15th Canadian to win on the PGA Tour. “I feel like I handled myself really well out there, stayed relaxed and stuck to the process and look forward to doing this a few more times.”
In addition to this win, Conners also became the last player to qualify for the Masters. He’ll make his second appearance in the year’s first major this week.
It all came after a wild ride over the TCP San Antonio course. Starting Sunday a shot back of Si Woo Kim, Conners rolled off four birdies in his first five holes and surged to a four-shot lead. But he followed that by making four consecutive bogeys. It appeared he might fall short again.
However, on the back nine, he reconnected his silky smooth swing, making six birdies and easing to the 18th hole where he made a par – one of only four in his round – to close out the victory.
“Those holes were playing a little trickier and back into the wind,” stated Conners of his bogey run. “I missed some iron shots and was able to regroup going from nine to 10 and just told myself to stay patient, trust my game.”
Those final 18 holes were almost a microcosm of the 28-year-old’s career. It’s been a case of steady progress, learning from failure and continually advancing up the ranks. His professional career has seen him play the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latino America, and the Web.com Tour before finally reaching the PGA Tour. At every level, he’s gained experience and banked knowledge of how to play in situations that would test his game under stress.
In 2018, in his rookie year, Conners played his way into the final group of the Valspar tournament only to have the wheels fall off and shoot 77. Just a week later, he found himself in the final group again in the Dominican Republic and posted a 76.
Earlier this season he again found his way into the final pairing at the Sanderson Farms Championship. While he didn’t win, he didn’t lose as he had the previous two occasions. This time, his final-round 68 was good for second place behind a stellar Cameron Champ.
“I’ve been close many times or a few times over the last year and a little bit,” said Conners. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot in those situations and that really helped me today.”
In each of those cases, Conners analyzed what happened in the round, why he played the way he did and banked the knowledge. The losses were hard to take being so close to victory, but each one helped pave the way for his first win.
Conners became just the fifth player since 1980 to advance from a Monday qualifier to the winners’ circle. And it gives the Listowel, Ont., native a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the PGA Championship and next year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. He also collected a cheque for $1.35 million (US).
It also changes his plans for next week. He thought he was going to be at home resting but instead will be playing in the Masters.