Canadian golfer Corey Conners certainly did with a stellar first round four-under-par 68 at the storied Masters Tournament. The Canadian golfer certainly made an entrance on Thursday. He emblazoned his initials on Augusta National, so steady in his stride that he was catching eyes even as a virtual unknown a week out from the tournament. What an impression he left with his incredible skills on the course. It left him firmly in the mix for a top result in this season’s opening major.
Conners came into Augusta in peak form. Throughout all of this, he recorded top-10 finishes in four of his nine PGA Tour events this season. Before the tournament, all anyone wanted to talk about was defending champ Scottie Scheffler and his pal Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 golfer. Conners really made the best move here and stole the show with a remarkable late-run on his first round.
Impressive Late Surge
Entering the last few holes, Conners had rattled off three birdies in his last four holes to surge up the leaderboard. This included a spectacular 24-footer at the 17th hole and a 13-footer at the last that caught the left edge of the cup, showcasing his skill and composure under pressure. He ended on a high note, further demonstrating why he’s a once in a generation talent. It also tested his mental toughness to play at the highest level.
“To see that go in, that was great. I was trying hard to get it up-and-down the second time, and it went in,” – Corey Conners
It wasn’t easy going for Conners early in his round, as he found himself standing on the tee at the par-four seventh hole at even par. After struggling to escape a greenside bunker with his third shot, he managed to chip in for par, demonstrating resilience in difficult situations.
Comfortable on the Course
During his round, it looked like Conners was in his living room as he cruised around the legendary layout. He expressed his affinity for Augusta, noting, “It’s a golf course that I love coming to. I don’t know how you couldn’t love coming here. It’s a spectacular event, a spectacular golf course.” His previous experience on the course arguably helped him pull off his thrilling win.
The Canadian golfer mentioned how well the course suited his strengths: “Yeah, I feel like the course does suit my eye really well and plays into some of my strengths.” This personal connection with the course certainly helped him have such a strong opening!
Confidence on Display
Conners’ confidence was contagious all afternoon as he looked comfortable and steady in rhythm the entire day. He remarked, “They’re obviously very fast. You don’t need to work too hard to get the ball to the hole. I feel like just the rhythm I have is good.” He needs to be in control of the pace of the greens. Keeping his cool in the hothouse atmosphere of Radford will be important as he goes further in the tournament.
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