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TSN Senior Reporter

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The first question in almost any interview with Taylor Pendrith is usually, "How are you feeling?"

On this day, the answer came back emphatically: "Good, really good."

The uber-talented 29-year-old has battled through a litany of injuries that have stymied what many believe to be a career destined for great things. To hear the Korn Ferry Tour golfer say that he’s feeling fine, usually translates to good things on the golf course. Right now is no exception.

Pendrith’s last three starts were a tie for third, a second and a tie for second. At each event, he had the opportunity to win and he compiled a three-week total of 54 under par. His fine play has moved him up more than 100 spots on the Official World Golf Ranking to 195th position, the fifth best for a Canadian player.

"This is the best I’ve been physically for some time," he stated. "Every year it seems as if I had some injury, but I’m feeling good. My golf game is good, and my head is in a good spot."

Pendrith was one of the few players on any tour to welcome the pandemic pause. His shoulder had been hurting since late into last season and when the three-month halt came, he put away the golf clubs and instead worked on rehabbing his body. That paid off as his return has showed.

It’s been a slow climb up for the Richmond Hill, Ont., product. After a strong amateur career, he attended Kent State where he roomed with Corey Conners. The two remain close friends, with Pendrith sometimes bunking into the basement of Conners’ Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., home.

Last week, with both of them taking a break from their respective tours, they went on a fishing excursion that netted them three barracudas.

After turning pro, Pendrith played the Mackenzie Tour in 2015. In his first year, he lost in three playoffs. That was good enough for a promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour where, playing with some aches and pains, he missed the cut in 14 of 20 starts.

Since then, he’s worked through some strange injuries, including one in the palm of his hand. Last year, playing the Mackenzie Tour again, he was able to show some of that talent. In 12 starts, he won twice and posted six top-10 finishes, earning him another promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour.

Pendrith had a well-earned reputation as a bomber, hitting prodigious tee shots that amaze even fellow pros. At the 2014 RBC Canadian Open he was paired with Adam Hadwin who described Pendrith’s tee shots as "disturbing."

This year, the nagging shoulder injury forced Pendrith to surrender some distance with the payoff being more accuracy – something he doesn’t mind as he builds a more complete game.

"I’m finding a lot more fairways and hitting a lot more greens," he stated. "And my putting is coming around really well. I have a lot of confidence right now with the flatstick."

In a normal year, Pendrith’s run of fine play would have him looking ahead to graduating to the PGA Tour. He currently sits third on the Korn Ferry Tour points list with the top 25 guaranteed spots for the following season. But with the pandemic shutdown, there will be only a very limited movement between the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour. The top players will get some starts in opposite field events and in tournaments that have openings.

"It is what it is," said Pendrith, a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro team. "We knew when we came back what was happening. I’m looking at it as another year to prepare myself."

There are some benefits, however. The United States Golf Association will award spots in the U.S. Open to the top five players on the points list at the end of the regular season.

"It’s definitely been in the back of my mind," admitted Pendrith, who sits third heading into the final two weeks. "I’ve never played a major before, so that would be nice. I think one good finish and that might do it. But right now, I want to try and win tournaments."

If he wants another dose of perspective, he only needs to look to his fiancé, Meg Beirnes. She is a nurse at the Hamilton General Hospital, working in the haematology department and on the front lines of the battle against Covid-19. The couple is set to wed in October 2021.

For now, Pendrith is enjoying his success and also being a part of what is arguably the best crop of Canadian golfers to grace professional tours.

"It’s a super exciting time," he stated. "You’ve got the guys on the PGA tour and then Ben [Silverman], Stu [Macdonald], Svenny [Adam Svensson] playing Korn Ferry and all really close. There’s another bunch behind us too. I would love to just keep moving up. Canadian golf is in a great place."