AUGUSTA, Ga. – Corey Conners has lengthy mentioned he remembers precisely the place he was when Mike Weir received the Masters in 2003. Weir, in the meantime, has lengthy mentioned how a lot he’s hopeful one other Canadian will finally be part of him within the Champions Locker Room at storied Augusta Nationwide.
By two rounds right here in 2025, Conners has given himself an opportunity to do precisely that.
The Canadian, after a 2-under 70 on Friday that might have been even higher, sits at 6 underneath. He’s simply two photographs again of the lead held by Englishman Justin Rose.
We’re off to the races right here in Augusta, and Conners is inside whispering distance – neglect shouting – of the highest of the rostrum, crediting a strong sport plan and following by way of on it.
“It was fairly good in the present day,” Conners mentioned. “It simply felt like I struck the ball a bit of bit higher than I did yesterday. Simply made issues a bit of bit simpler. Wasn’t scrambling fairly as a lot. Would have favored to perhaps be a bit of extra aggressive on some putts, however total proud of the spherical.”
Conners opened with a birdie on the par-5 second earlier than including one other one on No. 8. He made the flip and, regardless of being in the midst of the golf green on the tenth gap, ended up in a tricky spot within the second reduce on the left aspect of the inexperienced as there was a little bit of mud on his ball. The Canadian made bogey there earlier than knocking his strategy on the difficult par-4 eleventh to simply six inches (a lot to the shock-and-awe of fellow Canadian Taylor Pendrith, who was standing on the twelfth tee).
Conners gave it again with a bogey on No. 12, earlier than including one other birdie on No. 13. He held on with pars for his last 5 holes – regardless of having just a few birdie possibilities.
Nonetheless, the strong second-day effort has left him tied for third.
The common 36-hole place of the final 20 Masters champions? 3.6.
And 37 of the final 38 Masters winners have been within the prime 10 by way of two rounds.
“Clearly knew roughly the place I stood (on the leaderboard). However there’s a number of golf left to be performed. Was simply attempting to get the ball within the gap as fast as I may,” Conners mentioned with a smile.
Conners has performed loads of good golf this 12 months. He already has 4 top-10s on the season – matching his whole from 2024 – and three in a row by way of the Florida swing. These latest outcomes have compelled his fellow Canadians to pay even nearer consideration than standard to his sport.
“I’ve seen so much for the previous few months that I am not shocked in any respect by Corey. I believe a number of these holes match his eye. He is been taking part in phenomenal,” Nick Taylor instructed Sportsnet. “He is simply in an awesome head area. He is seeing the photographs, hitting them, and for me, the sharpest half about his sport might be across the greens and on the greens that I’ve ever seen.
“He is at all times pushed it on a string and been an awesome ball striker, however no matter he is discovered across the greens and on them, he is been working laborious, and it is enjoyable to observe.”
Conners has had success right here on the Masters previously, and, contemplating that is his eighth spin round right here (seven as a professional), there’s been a number of realized nuggets. The golf course doesn’t usually giveth, however you higher consider it taketh away.
“I’ve realized so much in my prior finishes right here simply … sort of seeing what it takes,” Conners, who has three Masters top-10s in his profession, mentioned. “I’ll simply have numerous belief in my sport and type of bear in mind the nice issues that I’ve achieved out right here and belief the sport plan.”
Conners is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, performed on the Presidents Cup, and has made the season-ending Tour Championship 4 of the final six seasons. He’s additionally No. 21 within the Official World Golf Rating. In sum, he’s among the best on the earth.
However to be the very best this week, he’ll should beat a number of the best possible.
Rose, the chief, is a significant champ. Then there’s Bryson DeChambeau, a two-time main winner (together with final 12 months’s U.S. Open) who completed within the prime six in three of the 4 majors final 12 months, sitting in second. After which, in fact, there’s his taking part in accomplice for Saturday within the penultimate group – Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy recovered after two double bogeys on Thursday to fireplace a tidy 66 on Friday, the very best spherical of the day. McIlroy is looking for the profession grand slam, once more, this week. World No. 1 and defending champ Scottie Scheffler is only a shot again of Conners.
However, Conners mentioned, he’s embracing all of it – together with the possibility to win this entire factor.
“I’m excited to be within the combine, no matter who’s up there,” Conners mentioned. “Received numerous belief in my sport, so we’ll simply exit and play golf.”
Taylor’s main drought is over
Nick Taylor is the winningest of this Canadian technology on the PGA Tour, however his major-championship document has left so much to be desired.
This week, although, he lastly broke by way of to seek out the weekend at a significant – his first in eight makes an attempt, spanning two full seasons.
Taylor shot a 1-under 71 Friday. He’s even par by way of 36 holes and made the reduce with room to spare.
Taylor has been a winner on the PGA Tour in 2023, 2024, and already in 2025 – having received the Sony Open in Hawaii, the second occasion of the season, to earn a spot within the Masters.
The Canadian obtained off to a strong begin Friday, going 2 underneath by way of his first seven holes after hitting his strategy to simply two ft on the par-4 seventh. He white-knuckled it a bit of by way of the again 9 earlier than making an unlucky bogey on the ultimate gap of the day.
You possibly can’t attempt to contend on the weekend except you make the weekend, Taylor mentioned with a smile, so he had one large field checked by way of 36 holes.
“At the moment coming in I wasn’t attempting to guard essentially, nevertheless it’s simply difficult on the market … You do not wish to have your foot on the gasoline, however you’ve got additionally obtained to be conscious of the place the issues finish, choose your targets, decide to it,” Taylor mentioned. “To have that one bogey there’s fairly good.”
This 12 months marked Taylor’s third time at Augusta Nationwide, however actually simply his second time in a real Masters – for the reason that 2020 match was performed within the fall as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
He mentioned he’s realized a ton over his previous few spins round this course, like easy methods to miss in the fitting spots and keep sharp across the greens.
“You are not going to be good right here; no person might be. It is attempting to scramble in addition to attainable. I believe I stored my wits about that and did a very good job of scrambling effectively,” Taylor mentioned. “That is big round right here.”
Mike Weir, the 2003 Inexperienced Jacket winner, shot a 1-over 73 to finish up at 4 over and missed the reduce. Fellow Canadian Taylor Pendrith, in his Masters debut, shot 75 to complete at 8 over.
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