Back-to-back birdies to close out the third round put C.T. Pan two strokes up on the field at the RBC Canadian Open, but that lead is far from safe with a pack of big names and two Canadians in the hunt.

Pan, from Taiwan, shot a 6-under 66 to sit at 14-under overall on Saturday at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in the northwest corner of Toronto. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was in a six-way tie for second as he looks for a third consecutive title at the men’s national golf championship.

“You still have to play aggressive, because this course is a lot of rough, but if you hit it in the fairway you will have a lot of short irons in and you’re going to create a lot of birdie opportunities,” said Pan, adding that he won’t change too much as he tries to fend off the group tied for second that includes McIlroy, Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs, and Andrew Novak, as well as England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone shoots 8-, 9-under, because the PGA Tour guys are really good.”

Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., did just that earlier Saturday, firing a 9-under 63 to set a new course record at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. That round rocketed Taylor up the leaderboard to sit in a tie with England’s Aaron Rai at 11-under, good for eighth.

Taylor surpassed the record of 8-under that England’s Tyrrell Hatton matched in Friday’s second round. Oakdale actually has 27 holes on its property and is using a composite course for the PGA Tour event.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George Knudson, who won on the PGA Tour eight times in the 1960s and ’70s, was a regular at Oakdale and has nine of the holes at the 98-year-old course named after him.

“To have a course record is really cool,” said Taylor. “I don’t think I have one out here on Tour.

“To do it at the RBC Canadian Open is even more special and to be mentioned in the same breath as George Knudson is phenomenal.”

Corey Conners (70) of Listowel, Ont., rounded out the top 10 at 10-under overall. He and Taylor agreed that they’d be happy with either one of them winning the Canadian Open and end a nearly 70-year drought for Canadians at the event.

“I think we’re rooting for each other, but we still want to win,” said Taylor, who regularly practices with Conners ahead of PGA Tour events. “If we don’t win, I think we want another Canadian to win.

“If I look up and I’m second and Corey Conners is first then that’s almost as good as winning.”

Pat Fletcher won at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club in 1954. Although there have been some close calls in the past 20 years, this year’s edition of the tournament holds a great deal of promise as eight Canadians, the most since 2002, made the cut.

“It’s been far too long,” said Conners. “I’m going to be letting it fly, giving it my all tomorrow and I’m sure (Taylor’s) going to be doing the same thing.

“I’ve got some ground to make up, but you never know. We have a chance.”

McIlroy won in 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and again last year at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. The event was canceled in the intervening years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It feels eerily similar to the last two tournaments,” said McIlroy. “I was tied for the lead with (Webb Simpson) at Hamilton in 2019. Then last year with (Tony Finau and Justin Thomas).

“Looks like there could be a lot of guys up around the lead tomorrow. So it’s going to be a really interesting day.”

Chants of “Corrr-ayyyy! Cor-ay! Cor-ay! Cor-ay!” to the tune of the famous “Ole!” soccer song followed Corey Conners up to the 18th green during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open.

The product of Listowel, Ont., responded well to the chants from hundreds of fans. He two-putted on the challenging green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to pull within a shot of the lead at the men’s national golf championship.

“Lots of chants out there, but definitely that one was new,” said Conners with a chuckle. “I’m really embracing the Canadian support.”

Conners shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to sit in a tie for second with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan, England’s Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton at 8-under overall.

China’s Carl Yuan turned in a 5-under round to sit atop the leaderboard one shot ahead of that group.

“Really happy with the start,” said Conners who was tied for the lead after the first round. “It’s been a lot of fun out here this week.

“Fun playing in front of the Canadian fans. Just enjoying the walk out there.”

Yuan said after his round in the morning wave that his goal is always to have fun out on the course.

“That’s my goal coming into the week. That’s my No. 1 goal,” said Yuan of keeping it light. “Not a result goal, just being in the present, hitting shot by shot and, yeah, being out here trying to have the most fun. All of it.”

Conners was in the mix at the PGA Championship in late May and tied for 12th. He said his cool demeanour paid off there and is also keeping him focused at the Canadian Open, which most Canadian players consider a fifth major.

“I would say this week I’ve been a lot more relaxed than even I was there and I felt like I was quite relaxed at the PGA Championship,” he said. “So I’m feeling good about my game and able to play with freedom and confidence. I’m just having a lot of fun.”

It has been almost 70 years since a Canadian last won the men’s national golf championship. Pat Fletcher won in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

Although Conners is in the best position to end that drought, he’s far from the only Canadian in the hunt as eight of his countrymen made the cut.

Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Rogers Sloan (70) of Merritt, B.C., were tied for 17th at 5 under.

Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, playing in his first-ever Canadian Open and only his second PGA Tour event, rocketed up the leaderboard with a 6-under round. That put Bateman at 4-under overall and tied for 22nd.

“When they bring out the cameras and the little fuzzy little mic you know you’re doing something right,” joked Bateman. “But I just tried to just stay in the moment. I’m just really excited for the weekend.”

After two days of air quality advisories due to forest fires raging in Ontario and Quebec, steady rain cleared the air at Oakdale in Toronto’s northwest corner. Between the lack of sunlight and cold rain, the temperature didn’t go above 17 degrees Celsius.

“I think this is right up my alley,” said Yuan, who was born in Dalian, China. “I went to school in Seattle at the University of Washington.

“That’s exactly what we deal with in the wintertime.”

Conners said that the course’s conditions have been great, although with a 9-under overall score topping the leaderboard it’s clear that Oakdale is proving to be a challenge.

“I feel like the golf course and the greens have sped up and the rough has continued to grow and become thicker from when I saw it a few weeks ago,” said Conners. “Also just tournament conditions, it’s playing a little trickier but there’s definitely some opportunities.

“If the weather stays nice I think that you can shoot some good numbers this weekend.”

TORONTO – It’s been 20 years since Mike Weir won the Masters, and now Canada is seeing the influence that victory had – with more Canadians playing at a high level on the PGA TOUR than ever before.

But one thing that continues to elude the best from Canada – including Weir himself – is a victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The last Canadian to win the country’s national open was Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Through 18 holes, however, Corey Conners is trending towards breaking the long-standing drought.

Conners shot a 5-under 67 to open things at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, and through the first round he sits in a four-way tie for the lead with Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.

The last Canadian to lead the RBC Canadian Open after the first round was Weir in 2008, and the last Canadian to lead the championship after any round was David Hearn, who had the 54-hole lead in 2015.

Conners, who finished sixth at last year’s RBC Canadian Open, was not able to speak to media after his round because he had to deal with an urgent personal matter.

His caddie, Danny Sahl, said that Conners’ success came from being strong all around and especially disciplined off the tee. Conners hasn’t made a bogey at the RBC Canadian Open in 51 holes, dating back to last year.

Conners was first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee after the first round. Sahl said there’s an easy comparison between Oakdale and Oak Hill Country Club, the host of this year’s PGA Championship where Conners played in Sunday’s penultimate pairing.

“It’s the same mentality that he brought over from (Oak Hill), and he knows that’s what it’s going to take to play well,” Sahl said. “Just get it in the fairway and we were aggressive on a couple of holes. He’s seeing his spots and keeping it really simple.”

Weir also had the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open in 2004 and came agonizingly close to winning the event – eventually losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh. He knows as much as anyone what it’s going to take to keep the pedal down over the next three days.

“I think (Conners is) experienced enough to know that we’re so early and that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said. “I know he just wants to, I’m sure, keep doing what he’s doing. I was watching a little on TV this morning and he looked like he was just playing Corey Conners golf. I saw solid play and nice ball striking, and that’s a good recipe around here.

“It’s pretty demanding off the tee. If you miss the fairways you’re in trouble, so if you can keep driving it good, he’ll be in good shape.”

Conners is one of three Canadians to have won on the PGA TOUR this season, with Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson being the others.

Hughes made four birdies on his back nine Thursday to finish at 3 under. Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan also got it to 3 under after the first round.

Weir, in his 30th RBC Canadian Open start, shot an even-par 72.

Hughes, who went to Kent State University with both Pendrith and Conners, said with golf in Canada continuing to increase its momentum, having a Canadian with a chance to win on Sunday would be huge.

“We’ve got a few guys up there, kind of close, and hopefully one of us can keep it going all the way to Sunday,” Hughes said

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy is ready to make history in defence of the RBC Canadian Open title at Oakdale Golf & Country Club.

The world’s number three ranked player will lead a field of 156 of the world’s best players looking to become the first player in history to win three consecutive titles.

“Any time you can come back and defend a title sort of wherever that is in the world, it’s nice to be able to do that, said McIlroy. “Obviously the Sunday last year was, to me, one of the probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had playing on TOUR. Battling it out with JT and Tony down the stretch. Rosie was on course trying to shoot 59. There was a ton of low scores. Battling with those two guys. JT and Tony being two of the best players in the world. Coming out on top. Yeah, it was really nice. Nice to be able to defend a title. I felt like the support I got out there was absolutely amazing and I’m looking forward to playing in that sort of atmosphere again this week.”

Rory is feeling the love in ?? pic.twitter.com/H1pp0amXyk

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 7, 2023

BOGOTA – Myles Creighton, native of Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada, has achieved his first-ever victory on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.

Finishing at 19 under, Creighton emerged victorious by a single stroke in the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship on Sunday.

Austin Hitt of the United States secured second place, finishing at 18 under.

On Monday, Creighton is anticipated to ascend to the top position in the Totalplay Cup standings.

The Latinoamérica Tour still has two more events scheduled for this season.

The golfer who concludes the Totalplay Cup standings in first place earns exempt status on the second-tier of the Korn Ferry Tour.

Players ranking from 2nd to 5th in the third-tier Latinoamérica Tour standings will obtain conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the following season.

Additionally, the top five players in the Totalplay Cup standings receive an exemption into the final stage of the 2023 PGA Tour Q-School.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy along with international stars Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns, Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Sahith Theegala and Justin Rose will be joined by past Major champions, in-year winners and Canadian stars led by Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith at Oakdale Golf and Country Club

20 Canadians set to compete in 112^th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship

RBCxMusic Concert Series to feature Grammy Award-winning artists The Black Eyed Peas (Friday, June 9) and Alanis Morrissette (Saturday, June 10) performing live onsite at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto

Toronto (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to announce the final field vying for the US$9 million purse at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ont.

Two-time defending champion and world no. 3 Rory McIlroy returns to Canada looking to defend his title and make history as no player has even won three straight Canadian Open titles.

Other fan-favourites in the field for the 112^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship include reigning US Open and RBC Heritage champion and world no. 8 Matthew Fitzpatrick and world no. 17 Tyrell Hatton, along with fellow European stars Tommy Fleetwood (world no. 23), Shane Lowry (world no. 26) and Justin Rose (world no. 28). 

The group will compete alongside Team RBC ambassadors Sam Burns (world no. 13), Cameron Young (world no. 16), Sahith Theegala (world no. 27), seven-time PGA TOUR winner Webb Simpson, and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar.

A 20-player Canadian contingent will challenge for the national championship led by PGA TOUR winners Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (world no. 29), Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (world no. 61), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (world no. 66), Nick Taylor of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 69), and Adam Hadwin of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 74) as well as fellow PGA TOUR members Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.

A trio of young rising stars representing three of the top-five players on the World Amateur Golf Ranking will also compete at Oakdale – world no. 1 Ludvig Aberg, world No. 3 Michael Thorbjornsen and world no. 5 Sam Bennett. Aberg, the Texas Tech senior and two-time Ben Hogan Award winner who finished atop the final PGA TOUR University standings to earn a tour card for the rest of the year, will make his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open. Bennett, the 2022 US Amateur winner who was in contention at The Masters earlier this season, made his professional debut this week at The Memorial.   

In addition to world class golf, fans at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will be treated to the two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country with Grammy Award-winning pop group, the Black Eyed Peas performing on Friday, June 9 and Canadian Grammy Award-winning icon Alanis Morissette performing on Saturday, June 10.

“We are very pleased with our field of world-class competitors that are making their way to Canada to join us at Oakdale Golf and Country Club and challenge for the 112^th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Led by our two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy, this year’s championship features a strong mix of stars from all around the world and the deepest field of Canadian talent ever to challenge for our National Men’s Open title. Along with great golf, fans will be treated to an incredible festival environment with terrific on-site activities including The Fare Way featuring The Keg and the RBCxMusic Concert series featuring the Black Eyed Peas (Friday, June 9) and Alanis Morissette (Saturday, June 10).” 

In total, 156 players will compete for the US$9 million purse next week in Toronto when the RBC Canadian Open makes its first ever visit to the storied Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Oakdale, a 27-hole course (Thompson / Homenuik / Knudson) located near the heart of Toronto, will play as 7,264-yard (par 72) composite course, using 9-holes designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Robbie Robinson and an additional nine holes designed by fellow Hall of Famer Stanley Thompson.

Click here for a full field list for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

PGA TOUR Season Winners…

Eight in-year PGA TOUR winners will compete at Oakdale including Mackenize Hughes ((Sanderson Farms), Rory McIlroy (CJ Cup), Adam Svensson (RSM Classic), Sahith Theegala (QBE Shootout), Justin Rose AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), Davis Riley (Zurich Classic of New Orleans), Nico Echavarria (Puerto Rico Open) and Corey Conners (Valero Texas Open).

Major Winners….

Six major winners are represented in the field including four-time major winner Rory McIllroy (2011 US Open, 2012 & 2014 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship) along with Matt Fitzpatrick (2022 US Open), Shane Lowry (2019 Open Championship), Webb Simpson (2012 US Open), Jason Dufner (2013 PGA Championship) and Mike Weir (2003 Masters).

Past Champions…

Four past RBC Canadian Open champions will compete at Oakdale including Chez Reavie (2008), Sean O’Hair (2011), Brandt Snedeker (2013 ) and two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy (2022, 2019).

Twenty Canadians to compete for their National Men’s Open Title…

Current PGA TOUR players Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith, Michael Gligic, and will lead a talented roster of 20 Canadians competing in the RBC Canadian Open. The 2023 event welcomes home a legend as 8-time PGA TOUR winner and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir will make his 30^th start in the RBC Canadian Open. Other Canadians competing on exemption include David Hearn, Aaron Cockerill, Ben Silverman, Wil Bateman, and Roger Sloan, along with Team Canada members Stuart MacDonald, Myles Creighton, and Johnny Travale. Three other Canadians earned exemptions through RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifying including Taylor Durham of North Vancouver, B.C. (BC Regional Qualifier at Ledgeview Golf Club), Daniel Kim of Toronto, Ont. (Ontario Regional Qualifying #1 at Oshawa Golf & Curling Club), and Sebastian Szirmak of Toronto, Ont. (Ontario Regional Qualifying #2 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley). Team Canada pro Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu has also joined the field on a tournament exemption.  

Final Tournament Exemptions to be Named…

The final four tournament exemptions into the field for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Final Qualifier on Sunday, June 4 at Coppinwood Golf Club in Goodwood, Ont. A record number of players attempted to gain entry into the field by competing at five Regional Qualifying sites last month. A total of 124 players including 107 Canadians will compete at Coppinwood. Click here for a field list. 

Golf’s Longest Day – U.S. Open Final Qualifying on Monday June 5….

A total of 29 players including 10 Canadians will compete in the U.S. Open Final Qualifier on Monday, June 5 at Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto. Players competing in Golf’s Longest Day will battle over 36 holes at Lambton for one of the spots in the field for the 123^rd US Open, June 12-18 at LA Country Club. The total number of spots available will be confirmed in the coming days. Click here for pairings.

RBC Hall of Fame Day Returns on Tuesday, June 6…

Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to welcome the return of RBC Hall of Fame Day as an official kickoff event for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. RBC Hall of Fame Day will include the induction ceremony for former PGA TOUR player Jim Rutledge as well as the late legendary golf writer, Robert Stanley Weir as the 84^th and 85^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Joining the celebration will be a several honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. The event gets underway at 11:00am ET on Tuesday, June 6 at the SiriusXM stage located in The Fare Way featuring The Keg onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Experience the RBC Canadian Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on your iOS or Android device. Essential features include a live map, leaderboard & pairings, tickets, breaking news, and special events. Plus, use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance your experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches against friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country in Toronto.

(May 25, 2023) – A trio of PGA TOUR stars and fan-favourites will compete at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto as 11-time PGA TOUR winner Justin Rose, world no. 18 Tyrrell Hatton and 3-time PGA TOUR winner Cameron Champ have joined the field for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

Rose, who will make his fifth start in the RBC Canadian Open, is currently ranked No. 22 on the FedEx Cup and no. 29 in the world. A European stalwart with the Ryder Cup and DP World Tour, Rose is a former US Open winner, past FedEx Cup champion, and gold medalist at the 2016 Olympics. He has four PGA TOUR top-10s this season including a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, T6 at The Players and T9 at the PGA Championship.

Fellow Englishman Hatton, who will make his second start in Canada, is a past winner on the PGA TOUR who sits no. 19 on the FedEx Cup and no. 18 in the world. The two-time Ryder Cup member and DP World Tour standout has five top-10s this season including a T6 at the WM Phoenix Open, T4 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, solo second at The Players Championship, T3 at the Wells Fargo Championship, and T5 at the Byron Nelson Championship.  

One of the longest hitters on the PGA TOUR, Champ makes his third start in the RBC Canadian Open. A three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Champ has a pair of top-10s on the season including solo eight at the Zozo Championship and T8 at the Mexico Open.  

Rose, Hatton, and Champ join a growing field headlined by two-time defending champion and world no. 3 Rory McIlroy who will be looking to become the first player to win three consecutive RBC Canadian Open titles. Others previously committed include reigning US Open and RBC Heritage champion Matthew Fitzpatrick (world no. 9) along with fellow European stars Tommy Fleetwood (world no. 23) and Shane Lowry (world no. 26).  

The group will compete alongside Team RBC ambassadors Sam Burns (world no. 14), Cameron Young (world no. 16), Sahith Theegala (world no. 27), seven-time PGA TOUR winner Webb Simpson, and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar.

A full Canadian contingent will also challenge for the national championship led by PGA TOUR winners Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (world no. 28), Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (world no. 58), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (world no. 62), Nick Taylor of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 66), and Adam Hadwin of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 71) as well as fellow PGA TOUR members Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.

In addition to world class golf, fans at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will be treated to the two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country with Grammy Award-winning pop group, the Black Eyed Peas performing on Friday, June 9 and Canadian Grammy Award-winning icon Alanis Morissette performing on Saturday, June 10.

Tickets for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Brooks Koepka had a 4-under 66 – the low round at Oak Hill for the second straight day – and leads the 2023 PGA Championship by one shot over Viktor Hovland and Canada’s Corey Conners heading into the final round.

But Koepka won’t have it easy.

Conners played Oak Hill like a U.S. Open – that’s what this PGA Championship feels like – by opening with two birdies and 13 pars that kept him in front for so much of the wet, gruelling day. And then one swing changed everything.

He was in a bunker right of the 16th fairway when he hit the ball so thin that it disappeared into the lip of the soggy turf. It was plugged deep in the sod, and Conners had to drop it in gnarly rough on top of a mound framing the bunker. He did well to advance that toward the green into more thick grass and took double bogey.

Conners, in control for so long, had to settle for a 70.

Hovland overcame mistakes early with three birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn. But then the Norwegian failed to take advantage of the scoring stretch – Nos. 13, 14 and 15 – and took bogey from the bunker on the 18th hole for a 70.

He will be in the final group of a major for the second time. Hovland was tied with Rory McIlroy at St. Andrews last summer and closed with a 74.

Missing from all this activity was Scottie Scheffler, the No. 2 player in the world, who started with two straight bogeys and didn’t make a birdie _ his only one of the round – until the 14th hole. He shot a 73, but is still very much in the mix.

So is Bryson DeChambeau, who played with Koepka and took double bogey on the sixth hole for the second straight day. He ground out a 70 and was three shots behind.

McIlroy was about like the weather – promising and then bleak – during a wild round that ended with a par save for a 69. He was among only seven players under still under par, but still five shots behind the four-time major champion Koepka.

Oak Hill in pleasant weather has been a brute. Rain came down at the start of play and never really let up except for a brief burst of sunshine and shadows, and then the showers returned. Fairways were framed by umbrellas. The rough was thick and wet. McIlroy was among players who wore their caps backward to keep rain from dripping off the bill.

Fellow Canadians Adam Svensson and Taylor Pendrith are sitting tied for 20th at +3, 9-shots back of leader Koepka.

Conners following his round

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, it was a really solid day. I managed my game well in the difficult conditions, and yeah, happy with the round. It was a fun battle out there and very difficult.

Q. On 16, it went from a flawless round to a bizarre situation. Did you know right away the ball was buried, or did you think it maybe skipped off, or what do you think in the moment?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I didn’t make great contact there. I saw everybody looking up in the air. I did that as well. I thought it maybe skipped up. But you know, didn’t see anything land and was pretty certain it was embedded there. The ball was below my feet and didn’t quite adjust for that. Wish I could have that one back.

Q. Was there anything you did or talked over with Danny afterwards to try to clear your head going to the next hole?

COREY CONNERS: We had a laugh about it, really. It was an unfortunate situation and a poor shot. Didn’t really affect the last few holes. Just tried to give myself a couple looks on 17 and 18.

Q. Are you happier with your score or maybe how you mentally handled everything today, including the weather?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, equally both, I would say. I managed my calmness and freedom out there pretty well despite the challenges through the weather. I’m happy with how I handled myself, and also pretty happy with the score.

Q. You’re only one shot back heading into the last round of a major championship. Just in terms of your approach to tomorrow, how are you feeling going into the final round?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I played solid the last few days, so just trying to do more of the same and have some fun out there and play with freedom.

Q. Looking back on it, what happened at 16, do you find that as a pretty significant break that it actually did embed, versus what could have happened?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, if it wasn’t embedded, it was a pretty steep bank. I don’t think it would have stayed on there, but yeah, was able to get a free drop, and yeah, maybe got a break.

Q. Were you comfortable with how it worked out, where you would have to drop, so forth and so on?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, if I could have dropped it on the side closest to the fairway, I might have had a better stance there, but it was pretty clear once we took a look that it was going to be closer to the hole and had to drop no closer to the hole. I put myself in a difficult spot there, but you know, just got to follow the rules.

Q. What was your approach to the 6th hole, and how do you think you did on the front nine? Did you do as well as you hoped to do?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I got off to a great start. Was really steady on the front nine. The sixth hole had a 5-iron and was basically trying to mid the middle of the green. Just pulled it a little bit but got it on the green which is a big plus.

Q. If someone had said to you at the start of this week, you are one shot back going into the final round of a major, what would your response have been?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, sounds pretty sweet to me.

Q. What would winning a major mean to you and Canadian sport?

COREY CONNERS: Yeah, watching Mike Weir win the Masters in 2003 was huge, and it would mean a lot to me and I’m sure a lot to people across Canada. I will be playing hard tomorrow, but I’m trying to have some fun out there.

Q. How much has he inspired your career?

COREY CONNERS: Incredibly. He was 11 years old when he won the Masters, just getting into competitive golf. I think he really definitely inspired me to want to make it as a pro.

Nick Taylor believes he’s playing the best golf of his career. His results this season back that up.

Taylor is the highest ranked Canadian on the FedEx Cup standings, a position that’s earned him a berth in this week’s PGA Championship. He qualified for the second major of the men’s golf season based on his 22nd overall ranking in the PGA Tour’s points list.

The 35-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., hasn’t played in the PGA Championship for three years and has only appeared in one major – the 2022 U.S. Open – since 2020.

But given how Taylor’s been playing this season, he’s hoping for more.

“I’ve got a lot to accomplish this year. I’d really like to make the Tour Championship, that’s a big goal of mine,” said Taylor while travelling to Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y., for the PGA Championship. “We have three majors left, this week being one, and playing those and hopefully being in contention at some point.”

Taylor’s consistency this season has put him in five top 10s and made him a runner-up twice after 18 events. He most recently finished second with partner Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on April 23.

Other highlights from this season include tying for sixth at the Fortinet Championship on Sept. 18, a tie for seventh at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Jan. 15, a runner-up finish at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 12, and a tie for 10th at the Valspar Championship on March 19.

“When I went to Hawaii, I felt like I was committed to what I was doing and I wasn’t going to be searching anymore,” said Taylor, who has been working with short-game coach Gareth Raflewski. “I think anybody can go down that rabbit hole and it never ends up working out.

“So being committed to that and knowing that everything that we were looking for (in my game) was good and sticking to it.”

A total of 13 cuts made has Taylor up to US$4.05 million in winnings near the midway point of the season, more than doubling his income from the 2019-2020 season, his most lucrative season until now.

“Keep putting myself in good spots,” said Taylor of his mindset. “I think this year, more than past years, I’m just sticking to process goals and doing the things that the results are reflective of, instead of focusing on the results and going backwards.”

Taylor and Hadwin – “Team Abbotsford” at the Zurich Classic – will be joined by another four Canadians at the PGA Championship. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., are also in the field.

The six Canadians at this year’s PGA Championship matches last year’s U.S. Open for most ever at a men’s major, according to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Taylor said that “it’s awesome” to have so many Canadians earning their way into majors as they are a pretty close group off the course.

“I think that drives us,” said Taylor. “It feels like we can go out and you can see a Canadian flag toward the top of the leaderboard every week.

“We’re going to keep getting better. I think a lot of us have the Presidents Cup circled on our calendar next year that’s in Canada. Mike Weir being the captain, that’s a big motivation for a lot of us.”

Oshawa, ON. – Daniel Kim of Toronto, Ont. shot a 5-under 66 Monday at the first Ontario Regional Qualifier hosted at Oshawa Golf and Curling Club in Oshawa, ON to earn a direct exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Kim got off to a flying start with a birdie on the opening hole and an eagle on the fourth hole to sit at 3-under through four. Kim finished the day with six birdies and an eagle to earn medalist honours and finish two shots clear of amateur Luc Warnock of McGregor, Ont. (-3) and Charles Huntzinger of Greensboro, Georgia (-3).

Kim, 32, came out on top from a field of 136 professional and amateur golfers at Oshawa Golf and Curling Club to earn his spot in Canada’s National Open Championship. It’s quite the turnaround for Kim after he decided to quit playing golf professionally last year due to injury and personal reasons.

“If you were to ask me six months ago, would I be playing the Canadian Open, I would have said you’re crazy. I’ve been working full time and I keep telling people it’s a hobby now, it’s not my job, it’s a hobby now and its pretty crazy how things come around, said Kim. “This was the last little competitive thing I was actually going to do, before digging in and start working. So, this is a blessing in disguise, and I feel so thankful and grateful.”

Oshawa Golf and Curling Club, played to Par 71 at 6,596 yards and provided a strong test for the field with only 12 players shooting under par. Along with Kim’s exemption, an additional 24 golfers (remaining top 15% of the field) from Oshawa have advanced to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at Coppinwood Golf Club in Goodwood, Ont.

RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier Results:

There are three RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers remaining on the schedule. The next qualifier is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. Additional qualifiers will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que. and on Monday, May 29 at Pinebrook Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alb.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Results from the B.C. Regional Qualifier can be found here.