Tag: Corey Conners

Corey Conners riding wave of momentum to seaside Harbour Town and RBC Heritage

Corey Conners is riding a wave of momentum to seaside Harbour Town and this week’s RBC Heritage.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Corey Conners has raised his own expectations.

And why not? The Canadian has delivered on some of the game’s biggest stages of late, finishing third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, seventh in the Players Championship and tying for eighth in last week’s Masters.

Golf fans are getting to know this one-time winner on the PGA Tour a bit more and are becoming accustomed to seeing his name on the first page of leaderboards. The 29-year-old has charted a quick and steady rise from when he won the 2019 Valero Texas Open as the No. 196-ranked player in the world. Now he checks in at No. 42.

Which all adds up to him expecting to play well in this week’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.

“I have a lot of confidence in my game,” Conners said Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve been fine tuning all parts of my game, and everything is rounding nicely into shape. I definitely have high expectations teeing it up week in and week out, and the strong results definitely help that.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the good play. Definitely know that if I play my game, do what I can, play with the confidence I have and the trust that I have in my game, I’m going to give myself a good chance.”

RBC Heritage: Odds and picks | Field by the rankings
More: Conners’ hole-in-one gets ultimate Canadian tribute

He gave himself a big chance last week at Augusta National and got plenty of airtime, especially when he aced the sixth hole in the third round. It was the best iron shot he hit all week of many and only a poor Sunday when he shot 74 kept him out of contention as the shadows of the Georgia Pines started to cover the course late on Sunday afternoon.

“One of my biggest takeaways (from the Masters) is how well the course sets up for me and how much I like the golf course,” Conner said. “I think one of my big strengths is my iron play. It was really valuable around that golf course and makes me avoid the stressful situations or the difficult spots that you can find yourself in on that golf course, striking the ball solidly I think into the greens is really important. I drove it well and ironed it well and took a lot of the stress off my game trying to save pars or whatever.

“As far as Sunday, didn’t quite have the feel on the greens like I had the first few days. Obviously playing for a green jacket, which is a pretty big deal, just wasn’t quite as relaxed on Sunday as I was the first few days. It’s something to be a little more aware of when I get back in the mix there in the future.”

This week, Conners is at another ball-striker’s course – the course is tight and rimmed with trees and the greens are among the smallest on the PGA Tour. Conners missed the cut in his first three trips to Harbour Town but made it to the weekend last year and tied for 21st.

“I feel very comfortable with the course. Solid play last year. Kind of made me like the golf course a little bit more. Got a great feel for things,” he said. “Feeling good about all parts of my game. Been really consistent with the ball-striking, and the putter has been working pretty well the last little while, getting better and better, a little more consistency there.

“But really happy with the way I’m striking the ball, hitting it very solid particularly with the irons, driving it well, also. Feel good, have a lot of confidence in my game right now, and just trying to keep riding that wave of good play.”

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Corey Conners’ hole-in-one at the Masters got the ultimate Canadian tribute — a donut

After Corey Conners’ ace at the Masters, the local club in his hometown sent “runners” to tell the club’s patrons about his hole-in-one.

The 2021 Masters was loaded with tasty storylines, including Canadian Corey Conners draining the sixth hole-in-one on No. 6 in the tournament’s history — marking the first time since 2013 a player aced a hole other than No. 16 during the event at Augusta National.

Conners hails from a small region in rural Ontario, Canada, about two hours from Toronto, and was immortalized as only a Canadian can be — through a Tim Hortons donut.

Robert Rumph owns the Tim Hortons — a famous coffee and donut chain named for a hockey player that stretches across Canada and into some Northern U.S. towns — in Listowel, a small unincorporated area where Conners was raised.

Rumph was watching when Conners buried the ace, a shot that landed short of the hole and rolled in.

Rumph said Conners’ ace sent waves through the nearby Listowel Golf Club, a 27-hole semi-private golf course, designed by Dave Moote, RF Moote & Associates. Although the clubhouse is currently closed, Rumph said “runners” were sent out on the course to tell all the club’s patrons that Conners had just pulled off Masters history.

“It was amazing,” said Rumph, who has plenty of connections with the family, including knowing Conners’ dad Mike from his time as a local hockey coach. “Corey has made everyone in this area so proud. And when he’s home, he usually stops around and has a donut, so we made this special donut for him.”

The donut is covered in green icing and has a small while “golf ball” of icing on top. It’s not the first time Rumph has created something for Conners, when the 2010 Ontario Amateur champ first qualified for the Masters, the store had a similar donut, minus the golf ball.

“This time we had to add a little something extra,” Rumph said.

Conners should be able to foot the bill for plenty of patrons in the town of 7,500 — he finished T-8 at the Masters and has 11 top-25 finishes in 17 starts on the PGA Tour this season, amassing $2,785,045. He currently sits 42nd in the Official World Golf Ranking and 29th on the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

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Watch: Corey Conners aces No. 6 at Masters in Saturday’s third round

Corey Conners made the sixth hole-in-one on No. 6 in Masters history Saturday.

Corey Conners made the sixth hole-in-one on No. 6 in Masters history Saturday.

After birdies on holes 2 and 3 and a bogey on No. 5, Conners aced the par-3 sixth hole during Saturday’s third round to go to 5-under.

This downhill par-3 named Juniper usually requires no more than a medium iron to the large, undulating green. Put the ball on the wrong part of the green, however, and a three-putt is likely.

Conners’ shot landed short of the hole and rolled in for an ace, playing at 182-yards Saturday. It was the first in the Masters since 2013 on a hole other than No. 16.

Masters: Leaderboard | Photos | TV, streaming info | Tee times

He has four previous Masters appearances, with his best result being a fourth-place tie in 2020.

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Corey Conners loves the 16th hole at Bay Hill, leads API

Corey Conners backed up his opening-round 66 with a 69 on Friday and made another eagle at Bay Hill’s 16.

[jwplayer 7NBaZ2A0-vgFm21H3]

Corey Conners is making mincemeat of the 16th hole at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

The 29-year-old Canadian stuffed his second shot at the par 5 to five feet on Thursday and made eagle. On Friday, his putter had to do a little more work as he canned a 24-footer, but it was an eagle all the same. Six strokes at 16 through two rounds will go along way on the scorecard and it has helped vault Conners to the top of the leaderboard early in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Conners backed up his opening 66 with a workman-like 3-under 69 on Friday morning to open up a two-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland.

“It was really solid today,” Conners said. “I didn’t hit as many shots close to the hole as I did yesterday, to give myself as many birdie chances, but I was really happy with how I grinded out a bunch of pars today. I was in some tricky spots and, yeah, overall really solid day and nice to finish off with a strong back nine.”

Conners took off like a rocket ship on Thursday, bolting to 6 under through his first seven holes, but he never started thinking about shooting a 59.

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Leaderboard | Photos

“I know this golf course can sneak up on you if you get a little too relaxed,” he said.

But it did bring up a good story about the time he threatened golf’s magic number while playing at his home course in Florida, Dye Preserve.

“I left a putt right on the front lip and ended up shooting 60,” he said.

Conners came back to Earth on Thursday, posting 66 en route to sharing the overnight lead with Rory McIlroy. Conners is playing at Arnie’s Place for just the third time and had missed the cut in his previous two starts, but it didn’t diminish his affection for Bay Hill.

“When I was a junior golfer I actually came and watched a few times,” he said. “I always loved the place, such great condition, visually like the golf course a lot off the tee. You got to be really precise with your shots.”

He’s put on his usual ballstriking clinic through two rounds, ranking first this week in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. It’s no surprise that he’s at 9-under 135 through 36 holes given that he’s also third in SG: Scrambling and sixth in SG: Putting (118th for the season). Conners started his second round with a bogey at the second hole, but got back to even for the day by sinking a nine-foot birdie putt at 7. He wedged to eight feet at the par-5 12th hole for another birdie before the eagle landed again at 16.

Conners, who is expected to finally get to defend his lone PGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open next month, had made nine cuts in a row and been a model of consistency with seven top-25 finishes until he missed the cut at his previous start. Asked what’s been the difference for Conners so far this week at Bay Hill, he said, “I think I just had a little more rest leading up to the event this year and had a week at home last week, so feeling fresher coming in here and, yeah, definitely excited to have a good start and excited for the rest of the week.”

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2020 Workday Charity Open odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Workday Charity Open, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The 2020 Workday Charity Open begins Thursday, replacing the John Deere Classic on the 2019-20 PGA Tour schedule, and takes place before next week’s Memorial Tournament as the first of back-to-back events at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Below, we look at the tournament betting odds at BetMGM and make our picks to win the 2020 Workday Charity Open.

Jon Rahm, who enters the week at No. 2 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings highlights another strong 156-man field. Bryson DeChambeau is taking the week off after winning last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit and rising to No. 6 in the Golfweek rankings.

2020 Workday Charity Open Betting Picks – Tier 1

Jun 19, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Justin Rose lines up a putt at RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, July 6 at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Justin Rose (+2500)

Only three golfers in the field have played more career rounds than Rose’s 46 at Muirfield Village. He ranks third among all golfers in attendance with an average of 2.39 strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf.

Rose leads my stat model at Fantasy National with field ranks of third in both Strokes Gained: Approach and Birdies or Better Gained over his last 50 rounds played on courses longer than 7,400 yards. The course has been lengthened to 7,456 yards for this week’s event.

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Matt Kuchar (+4000)

Kuchar matches Rose’s experience at Muirfield Village and has gained 2.75 strokes per round on the field. The 2013 Memorial Tournament champion missed the cut last year in an uncharacteristically poor performance from tee-to-green and on approach. He has taken the last two weeks off following a T-41 showing at the RBC Heritage.

2020 Workday Charity Open Betting Picks – Tier 2

Jun 20, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Matthew Fitzpatrick on the 18th hole during the third round of the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Matthew Fitzpatrick (+5000)

Fitzpatrick tied for 68th at last year’s Memorial Tournament while losing 1.56 strokes per round on the field putting. The star of the European Tour will play his fourth of five events since the PGA Tour returned to play after skipping out on the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He’s linking up with veteran caddie Jim “Bones” MacKay this week and should be able to gain a better feel for the Bentgrass/Poa Annua greens.

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Corey Conners (+8000)

Conners tied for 65th here in 2019. He finished at plus-four in his debut at Muirfield Village. He’s coming off a missed cut at the Travelers Championship and a week off, but had previously tied for 19th at the Charles Schwab Challenge and 21st at the RBC Heritage in strong fields. He has plenty of distance for this venue and is an expert ball-striker.

2020 Workday Charity Open Betting Picks – Long shots

Jun 20, 2020; Hilton Head, S.C.; Ian Poulter on the 10th fairway during the third round of the RBC Heritage. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)

Ian Poulter (+10000)

Poulter ranks sixth in my stat model and leads the field in Proximity from 175-200 Yards. He’s also fifth in Par 4 Efficiency: 450-500 Yards and ninth in SG: Approach on courses longer than 7,400 yards. The veteran Englishman has averaged 0.89 strokes gained per round across 17 career trips around Muirfield Village.

Keith Mitchell (+25000)

Mitchell’s lone career victory came at the Nicklaus redesigned-PGA National Resort and Spa last March. The strong field this week results in him being buried in the odds, as he missed the cut at both the RBC Heritage and Travelers Championship following a T-64 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge in his return to play.

He ranks fifth in this field in Birdies or Better Gained and 10th in SG: Tee-to-Green on long courses, and he’s one of the longest hitters on Tour.

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One year later, Conners looks back fondly on Valero win

Conners looks back fondly on Valero win

The latest defending champion of a PGA Tour event is spending the week replaying his victory at the TPC San Antonio in his mind.

Corey Conners of Canada won the Valero Texas Open at this time last year, shooting 66 in the final round to rally from one shot behind Si Woo Kim.

His first victory also was significant in two other ways: he became the first Monday qualifier to win since Arjun Atwal in 2010, and it got him into the Masters the following week, where he tied for 46th.

“I’m disappointed to not be back, but I have a lot of great memories of last year,” he said during a teleconference on Wednesday. “I remember the good stuff I did in getting the first win, the satisfaction of winning and proving to myself that I was able to get it done. I’m looking forward to getting into that position in the future.”

Conners rode a roller-coaster to victory that rivaled anything at a theme park. He birdied four of his first five holes, then bogeyed the last four on the front nine.

He then birdied six of his first eight holes on the back. Conners shot a pair of 66s on the weekend and finished 20-under 268 to beat Charley Hoffman by two shots.

Corey Conners went from Monday qualifier to champion at the 2019 Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio Oaks in April. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Conners went on to record four other top-10s last season and advance to the Tour Championship. A tie for seventh the week before in the BMW Championship, with four rounds in the 60s, ensured he’d reach East Lake as one of the top-30 in points, qualifying him for this year’s Masters.

“That was huge,” he said. “I played really solid all season and was in a good position, then had two great weeks in the playoffs. I worked hard all year and it was a really nice bonus to play well enough to get there.

“It was nice to be able to check that off and I look forward to getting back.”

The Players Championship odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Players Championship, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The top names in golf are in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., this week for the 2020 Players Championship. Below, we break down the 2020 Players Championship outright odds to win, with betting picks, tips and best bets.

Tiger Woods is one of just four players from the top 50 of the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings not part of the 144-man field. He’ll finalize his preparations for his Masters defense next month, while world No. 1 Rory McIlroy attempts to hold off the strongest field in golf for the second straight year at TPC Sawgrass.

The key stats for the 7,189-yard, par-72 TPC Sawgrass:

  • Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
  • Strokes Gained: Around the Green
  • Opportunities Gained
  • Greens in Regulation Gained
  • Proximity from 120-150 Yards

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses shorter than 7,200 yards.

The Players Championship Betting Picks – Tier 1

(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

Dustin Johnson (+2500)

One of many former world No. 1’s in the field, Johnson enters the week ranked ninth by the Golfweek rankings, but he shares the sixth-best odds at BetMGM. He tied for fifth last year, following a T-17 in 2018 and a T-12 in 2017.

Johnson leads the field in Opportunities Gained while ranking fourth in SG: Ball Striking and eighth in Greens in Regulation Gained. He won at least twice internationally in each of the last four years and won’t often carry these lofty odds.

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Adam Scott (+3300)

Scott hasn’t finished worse than T-12 in any of the last four years at TPC Sawgrass. His 1.95 strokes gained per round across 66 career rounds on the Stadium Course ranks third in the field, according to Data Golf. He has two worldwide wins since late December after not winning since 2016.

The Players Championship Betting Picks – Tier 2

(Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Jason Day (+6000)

Day withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week due to a back injury, but he remains in the field for an event he has won and dominated in recent years. The 2016 Players champ tied for fifth in 2018 and tied for eighth last year.

He’s one of the best in the field/world around the greens and his odds are inflated solely by last week’s injury. If he’s healthy, he’s an incredible bargain.

Scottie Scheffler (+9000)

Scheffler has climbed all the way to No. 27 early in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He finished T-15 in a strong field at the API last week and has shown he can be a regular contender. He ranks 18th in the field in Opportunities Gained and has the ability to score low on these shorter courses.

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The Players Championship Betting Picks – Longshots

(Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Corey Conners (+15000)

Conners tied for 41st last year ahead of his breakout win at the Valero Texas Open. He missed the cut in three of his last four events and each of his past two, but he’s an expert ball striker and low scorer. He gained 7.8 strokes tee-to-green and 4.4 strokes on approach here last year and just needs a decent putting week.

Jim Furyk (+15000)

Furyk will be eligible for the PGA Tour Champions circuit in May, but will give it another go at TPC Sawgrass following his runner-up finish last year. It was his second second-place result since 2014, losing both times by just a single stroke. He entered in better form last year, but he’s well-versed on a course designed by Pete Dye to level the playing field.

Get some action on this tournament by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Sentry Tournament of Champions odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The 2020 portion of the 2019-20 PGA Tour schedule kicks off this week with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. A field of thirty-four features five of the top 10 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The key stats best suited to the 7,518-yard, par-73 venue are:

  • Strokes Gained: Approach
  • Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking
  • Bogey Avoidance
  • Sand Saves Gained
  • Good Drives Gained
  • Proximity 175-200 Yards

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds played on courses with Bermuda greens.

Sentry Tournament of Champions – Tier 1

Photo Credit: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:20 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+1400)

Cantlay is the fourth-best golfer in attendance by the OWGR measure. His only 2019 win came at the Memorial Tournament, but he preceded it by back-to-back T-3 results and followed it up late in the year with runner-up finishes at the BMW Championship and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He has the most appealing odds of the top golfers in the elite field with a $10 bet returning a profit of $140.

Collin Morikawa (+2200)

Morikawa offers a better return than Cantlay. A rookie in 2019, his first career win came at the Barracuda Championship. He enters the week ranked 65th by the OWGR and most recently finished T-5 at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix. He has a great approach game and excels from our key proximity distance this week.

Sentry Tournament of Champions – Tier 2

Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports

Corey Conners (+2800)

Conners won’t get the full advantage of his driver this week at a venue with wide, rolling fairways allowing all in attendance to bomb it off the tee, but he will get something of a reprieve from his usual struggles on the greens. Each of the last five TOC champions finished at or below 21-under par, and Conners certainly has the ability to go that low.

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Matt Kuchar (+2800)

Much of Kuchar’s career success has come early in the calendar year. The 24th-ranked golfer in the world won twice last season, at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the Sony Open in Hawaii. He was also the runner-up at both the RBC Heritage and WGC-Match Play. He ranks second to Conners by my stat model.

Sentry Tournament of Champions – Longshots

Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo – USA TODAY Sports

Joaquin Niemann (+3000)

Niemann is coming off a Presidents Cup loss as a member of the International team. He gained entry to this event with his first career victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier to kick off the 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign, and has been one of the most active golfers early in the season. His strong approach game gives him an advantage on the expansive greens.

Keith Mitchell (+4000)

Mitchell is our longest dart throw at a tournament without a lot of betting value due to the small field of elites. He also earned his first career victory in 2019 at The Honda Classic in early March. He held off World No. 1 Brooks Koepka on Sunday, and showed he can compete in strong fields.

Get some action on this tournament by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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QBE Shootout odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the 2019 QBE Shootout and which teams of golfers are the best options for the event. Who will win at Tiburon Golf Club?

Twelve two-man teams will compete in the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., this weekend. The 54-hole event runs three days, from Friday through Sunday.

The first round is played under scramble rules, whereby both members of each team will play every shot with the better ball being taken each time. Round 2 consists of greensomes, where both players tee off on each hole and the alternate shot is played from the spot of the better ball.

The final round is played under standard four-ball rules with each golfer playing the hole on their own and the best score being taken.

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The 7,288-yard venue plays as a par 72. The teams compete for a $3.5 million purse, but it is not an official money event and no FedExCup points are awarded.

QBE Shootout – Odds, picks and best bets

Matthew Wolff. (Photo Credit: Rob Kinnan – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.

Viktor Hovland-Matthew Wolff (+600)

The two combine for just 42 years of age, making them younger than several of the individual golfers in this event. Hovland is expected to be a top contender for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, while Wolff came up just short of the award last year.

Hovland, 22, placed solo fourth at last season’s Wyndham Championship for the best result of his young career. He’s ranked 96th by the Official World Golf Ranking, while Wolff, who got his first career win at the 3M Open last summer, is 117th in the world. Their odds are lower as fan favorites, but the youngsters have the length and putting, and the motivation for the early-career win in an uninspired field.

Charles Howell III-Bubba Watson (+800)

Watson, ranked 44th by the OWGR, is coming off a last-place finish at last week’s Hero World Challenge. Howell, ranked 54th in the world, missed the cut at the RSM Classic as his last event. The two combined for four victories in 2018.

Howell finished tied for third here last year with partner Luke List. Watson was sixth with Harold Varner III.

Charley Hoffman-Kevin Kisner (+1200)

Hoffman also finished T-3 a year ago (with partner Gary Woodland), while Kisner finished last with playing partner Cameron Champ. Kisner tied for seventh at last week’s Hero World Challenge exhibition. The two have plenty of length off the tee, and Kisner, who’s the defending match-play champion, can get hot and carry the team with his putter.

Get some action on this tournament by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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