Corey Conners delivered an impressive 5-under 66 on Saturday morning at Royal Portrush, climbing 41 spots to break into the top 10 of the Open Championship leaderboard. The Canadian, who narrowly made the cut, demonstrated determination and skill as much of the field was still yet to tee off, positioning himself at four under par overall.
Adjusting to challenging greens and sharpening his putting
Conners, the only Canadian to reach the weekend at this year’s Open Championship, had struggled with the speed of the greens during the first two rounds. At about 11 on the stimpmeter, they were notably slower than the firmer conditions he experienced previously at places like Oakmont Country Club, where speeds can approach 15. After missing several short putts on Thursday and Friday, Conners adapted his technique on Saturday, resulting in excellent putting that gained him significant strokes and ranked him 14th in putting for the day.
Consistency off the tee and overall ball striking fuel performance
Alongside his putting improvement, Conners returned to his steady, reliable game from tee to green, underpinning his success. He led the field in strokes gained: total, combining solid ball striking and excellent putting to record the early low round of the day, just two shots shy of Scottie Scheffler’s low round of 64 set on Friday.
Detailed third-round highlights: steady birdies and a long closing putt
Conners started strongly with a birdie on the opening hole, then followed with consecutive birdies on the seventh and eighth holes. He encountered a minor setback with a bogey on the ninth after missing a short, four-foot par-saving putt, but quickly rebounded with a birdie on the tenth. The Canadian also capitalized on the par-5 twelfth hole before thrilling spectators with a 42-foot putt on the final green to complete his round.
Despite the strong round, there were opportunities missed as Conners failed to convert three birdie attempts inside 10 feet, including a 15-foot chance on the fifteenth hole. These missed chances suggest potential for an even lower score as he heads into the final day.
Conners’ major championship consistency and injury recovery
Canada’s top-ranked male golfer, Corey Conners has built a reputation for steady performances on major championship leaderboards through 2025. Among an elite group, he is one of only 18 golfers who made the cut in all four majors this year and achieved a top-10 finish at the Masters. Conners had been on track for another strong showing at the U.S. Open before withdrawing due to a wrist injury.
Before this Open Championship, Conners expressed optimism about the return to normalcy with his wrist. He acknowledged on Friday that he was “striking the ball well” despite past challenges adapting to links course firmness, indicating growing comfort with the conditions.
Outlook for a strong bid in the final round
With renewed confidence in both his putting and ball striking, Conners is positioned to make a serious push on the closing day of the Open Championship. His ability to adjust and perform under pressure illustrates the promise of an impactful finish, potentially lifting him further up the leaderboard as he looks to build on Saturday’s momentum.
“striking the ball well”
— Corey Conners, Golfer
“back to normal”
— Corey Conners, Golfer
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Corey Conners good?
A. In his last ten outings, Conners placed in the top 10 five times. His best result was at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, where he came in third with a score of 9-under. Over his past five tournaments, he has averaged 0.695 Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee.
Q. How good are Corey Conners?
A. At 33 years old, Conners from Ontario is having a strong and steady season on the Tour. He hasn’t won any events, but he’s ranked 10th in the FedEx Cup standings due to five top 10 finishes. These include tying for eighth at the Masters and finishing third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.