ST ANDREWS, Scotland — Corey Conners might have saved his best for last at St Andrews, but he wanted more at the season’s final major.
Following three straight rounds of one-under-par 71, the Canadian shot a final round five-under 67 on Sunday to move up 20 spots and finish in a tie for 28th at eight-under par. Following his round, though, his thoughts weren’t on his strong final day.
“It’s what could have been,” he said about his tournament. “Over the past few days, I certainly left a lot of shots out there.”
After another strong performance at the Masters in April, where he tied for sixth, Conners missed the cut at majors in Tulsa at Southern Hills and outside Boston at The Country Club in Brookline.
“I really wanted a good week because I left a lot to be desired with my performances at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open,” he said. “I played really well at the Masters which was awesome but I was certainly disappointed to not play well at the next two. I was really hoping to have a good week here. I fell a bit behind but had a good finish.”
Coming off a two-under 34 on the front nine on Sunday, Conners eagled the par-4 14th and birdied the 15th to make a brief appearance on the first page of the leaderboard as the leaders were warming up.
“The highlight of the day was the eagle on 14,” he said. “I finally hit a solid shot in there. I wasn’t trying to force it close to the pin. I was just trying to strike a solid 5-iron from the fairway, and I hit it great. That was awesome to make that one.”
Two trips to the 17th hole Road Hole bunker over four days made for tough finishes at the Old Course, but that’s links golf sometimes, which is something the Listowel, Ont. native says he learned plenty about at St Andrews.
“This was certainly links golf at its finest, really firm and fast,” he said. “Don’t get that too often playing on the PGA Tour. So it was definitely a good test, good learning experience for me. I’ll definitely try to build off it when I get back.”
It was the 30-year-old’s first trip to the Home of Golf, and, like most golfers, he left thoroughly impressed. He didn’t have much free time but did snap a family photo on the Swilcan bridge with wife Malory and his young daughter Reis. On Monday, it’s back to Canada for Conners who plans to visit friends and family in Listowel, Ont. before heading home to Florida for a break before the playing the Wyndham Championship the first week of August.
The only other Canadian in the field was Mackenzie Hughes and he missed the cut.
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