Corey Conners was at home when he woke up in the morning to temperatures of the mid-20s. He hit his first tee-shot before the temperature rose into the 40s.
The Canadian native’s home is no longer the place he has lived for the last eight years.
Conners shot a three-under 67 on Thursday in the opening round of PGA Championship. The tournament is taking place about a four hour drive west of Toronto, where he grew. The start of the PGA Championship was delayed by about two hours due to frost. The first round will begin early on Friday.
Conners made an acknowledgement, despite his claims that Oak Hill Country Club has “a little Canadian feel”.
He said, “I would still like it to warm up.”
Since 2016, he has made Palm Beach County in Florida his home. He moved to Palm Beach Gardens originally, but recently settled in Jupiter.
Jupiter is home to a professional golfer. Shocking!
Conners is not as well-known as his famous neighbors, such Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. This 31-year old is well-known in the world of golf.
Conners won two PGA Tour events in his career, including the Texas Opens of 2019 and 2023. He also had three top-10 finishes consecutively at the Masters, before missing out on the cut last week. Conners is now among the leaders of the PGA Championship.
Conners stated, “I believe that if I perform well I can be in the mix any week of this year.” “I feel that I am playing well, so I hope I can continue to play free and be among the top contenders on Sunday.”
Conners was originally a hockey fan. His yardage book features a Toronto Maple Leafs team logo. Golf became Conners’ passion when he turned 15 years old. Two years later, he was selected to Golf Canada’s national junior team. The next year, he was named to the men’s national team.
His grandfather and father were both members of the Listowel club. His father was once the president of his club.
Conners enjoyed a successful career while at Kent State. He finished as runner-up in the U.S. He was an amateur in 2014, and went pro in 2015. He has also earned a degree in Actuarial Mathematics.
When asked to describe his major, he replied “Risk Assessment”. “That’s a good way to describe it.”
Conners now takes risks on the course. He pulls out a 5-iron at No. The 6-iron was hit 214 yards and within four inches. He made his second of six birdies by tapping in.
He said, “I tried to be aggressive and make a good shot.”
Conners acknowledged that carding six birdies came as a surprise.
He said, “I’d say that the two things that really worked were I hit some great approach shots where I could be aggressive. I also hit a lot smart shots and I was able roll in some puts.” “It was great to see some putts fall.”
