PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — On a day when ball-striking can be in excessive demand at TPC Sawgrass, it was no actual shock to see that one of many PGA Tour’s greatest hitters, Canadian Corey Conners, made an early zip up the leaderboard.
Conners, who teed off at 9:35 a.m. and was in a position to play via the calmest a part of the day — as gusty winds started to wreak havoc on the sector via the afternoon — fired a 6-under 66 at The Players Championship, tied for the low spherical of the day because the leaders simply teed off within the third spherical.
It was as spectacular a statistical effort as any thus far this week at TPC Sawgrass, and Conners gained greater than two photographs on the sector off the tee and virtually 3.5 photographs with the putter.
That is Conners’ seventh Players Championship and his 66 tied his lowest-career spherical at TPC Sawgrass. He shot that very same rating within the ultimate spherical in 2021, en path to a T7 end.
“I did a variety of issues rather well right now,” Conners instructed Sportsnet. “I stayed affected person all through the spherical and was actually dedicated to the photographs that caddie Danny (Sahl) and I believed up. Simply did a very good job staying within the second and trusting what we felt the wind was going to do to the golf ball.”
Conners, who was tied with Danny Walker for the low spherical of Saturday, opened with birdies on three of his first six holes. He bogeyed the lengthy par-3 eighth after his tee shot left him short-sided in a greenside bunker and he couldn’t convert a 16-foot par saver.
The Canadian bounced again with a birdie on the following gap, after hitting a nifty operating chip from behind the inexperienced to only 4 ft. He added three extra birdies on the again 9, together with a closing circle on the par-4 18th after a 341-yard drive and a wedge to only seven ft with the wind completely pumping.
“There’s a variety of bizarre emotions you get with the wind swirling round a bit, however having belief and dedication on a day like right now is essential,” Conners stated.
Conners stated he was in a position to take some inspiration from Justin Thomas via Saturday after Thomas, a previous Players Champion, made an unimaginable 11 birdies on Friday en path to matching the course file at TPC Sawgrass — a 10-under 62. Thomas stated he had a reasonably fundamental gameplan Friday, with an overarching technique of simply attempting to offer himself probabilities to make birdies after which transfer on to the following gap and check out once more.
Conners ended up simply three photographs again of the lead when he completed his spherical, with 36-hole co-leaders Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee strolling to the primary tee.
Conners stated he hopes the situations are tough once more Sunday — rain is anticipated to hit northeast Florida for the finale — the place one other good spherical would go a good distance as he goals to win for the primary time on the PGA Tour since 2023.
The difficult wind made for a mentally taxing day however Conners (who added a “Go Leafs Go” at the tip of his dialog with Sportsnet for good measure) couldn’t assist however really feel satisfied along with his third-round effort.
“A whole lot of positives from the spherical, however mentally it’s powerful on a day like right now as a result of you’ll be able to’t lose your focus for any shot on the market,” Conners stated. “It’s very demanding, however I used to be having enjoyable which made it somewhat nicer.
“Simply tried to maintain my foot on the gasoline pedal.”
The opposite Canadian to make the lower, Taylor Pendrith, was paired with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the third spherical and teed off at 1:10 p.m. ET.
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