Conners wins second PGA Tour title in Texas

What looked as though it might be an easy walk up 18 turned into a nervy finish, but no matter how it happened, Corey Conners is a PGA Tour winner again.

Conners posted a bogey-free 68 to earn a one-shot victory at the Valero Texas Open. It’s his second PGA Tour win, with the first coming at the same event in 2019.

“It was definitely a battle out there today,” said Conners, “but I trusted my ability and thought about a lot of good shots I had hit previously in the week with certain conditions.”

Conners appeared set to take a comfortable lead down the home stretch, leading by three after 15 holes. But one group ahead, Sam Stevens drove the 17th hole and made eagle to close to within one. He had a chance to tie Conners but missed a seven-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Conners appeared comfortable on the final hole. But after a perfect drive, he hit his second shot  into a back bunker and then chunked his ball onto the green leaving him a slick downhill putt from 25 feet. He rolled that to three feet and then knocked it in for his win.

“I was trying to be fairly aggressive throughout the round. The conditions were tough, it was tough to be attacking every pin location,” he said. “But I think the fact I just didn't really make many mistakes today was a real key. I knew some birdies were going to happen, I was going to give myself enough chances.”

The win for Conners ended a bumpy spell he’d been enduring from the start of the season. Prior to the San Antonio event, he had yet to post a top-10 finish, unusual for a player who has been so strong for the last several seasons.

His ball-striking, normally the strength of his game, was off and he had trouble finding fairways and greens at his regular rate. Some hard work after a missed cut at the Players Championship seemed to turn the ship around and this week, he finished first in Greens in Regulation and third in Driving Accuracy.

“I really think everything just came together,” he said. “I've been fighting some iron shots this year. I'm just not quite on and I felt like the week off after the Players Championship – the weekend off and the week off -- after the Players Championship, I took a few days and really got to work. I played some rounds and just found a good groove and took a lot of confidence from last week.”

Conners also returned to a left-hand low putting grip which served him well last year and changed up his putter. Both those alterations helped him on the greens where he had nothing other than one- or two-putts all week with the exception of an ugly four-putt on Saturday.

Conners now heads to Augusta where he’s posted top-10 finishes in each of the last three years. He’ll do so with a full dose of confidence in his game.

“It’s a really special place.,” he said. “I'm really excited to get there. Played well there the last few years and you know, I couldn't feel much better about my game heading into next week.”

Three players have won the Masters after winning their previous start. The last to accomplish it was Phil Mickelson in 2006.

Conners becomes the eighth Canadian to record multiple wins on the PGA Tour joining a group that includes his friend and college teammate Mackenzie Hughes, who won his second in the fall. Along with Adam Svensson, who won in November, it’s the first time three different Canadians have won on the PGA Tour in the same season. All three will join Mike Weir at the Masters with an all-Canadian group set to play a practice round on Tuesday.