A tremendous start from Corey Conners on Friday meant he could play freely the rest of the day at The Players Championship, and through 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass, he’s got a solid chance to win the PGA Tour’s crown jewel event.
Conners made five birdies in his first six holes and ended up with a 5-under 67. He’s 8 under through two days and at the mid-point of the afternoon was just two shots back of the lead held by Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg, who was 7 under through nine holes.
“Obviously I did a lot of things well early in the round, and really my focus was just trying to continue to do what I was doing: Get it in play off the tee and give myself birdie looks. Helps when you get off to a start like that,” Conners said. “And felt like I could play free and try to keep playing free and keep giving myself as many chances as I could.”
The Canadian, who finished tied for sixth at The Players last season, ended up dunking his approach on the par-5 9th from just over 100 yards for an eagle and a front-nine 6-under 30. He made three bogeys on his back nine, including a tough-pill-to-swallow one on No. 18.
“A few mistakes out there ultimately, but it was a good day,” Conners said.
It was a tremendous turnaround for Conners with the putter as compared to Thursday, which was the ultimate difference maker in the second round.
Conners missed seven putts that were 15 feet or less on Thursday — including six for birdies — and lost almost a stroke-and-a-half to the field on the greens. Friday was a different story. He gained almost a stroke-and-a-half in the second round with the putter and was first in strokes gained: approach the green and sixth in strokes gained: tee to green.
“It started off as a full ball-hitting clinic. He never missed a shot for the first seven or eight holes,” Conners’ coach Derek Ingram told Sportsnet.ca via text. “And he’s feeling great with the putter.”
Conners’ ball striking has been dialled right in through 36 holes — having missed just six fairways in two days — and Friday he was able to convert his birdie chances, making putts of 21 feet, six feet, two feet, and 14 feet in his first four holes.
Statistically, Conners had his best-ever putting year in 2025 but has struggled so far in 2026 in the category.
Alas, Conners is a self-professed “momentum” putter, and seeing a long one drop on the first hole Friday — his opening 21-footer is just two feet shorter than the longest putt he’s made all season (23 feet at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am) — was “big,” he said.
“Kind of got me on a good run where I was able to have some freedom and knock in a bunch of chances I gave myself, especially early in the round,” Conners explained.
Schauffele shot a 7-under 65 Friday, the low round of the week so far.
Cameron Young sits at 9 under and in third alone, while Conners is in fourth.
Canadians Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju — a rookie on the PGA Tour and making his debut at The Players this week — are set to make the cut, while A.J. Ewart and Mackenzie Hughes are likely headed for early exits.
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