Great day for Corey Connors, family, team and Canadian golf.. final results

 PGA Tour : Valero Texas Open.. final results here.

On Tuesday morning Mac Hughes (Sanderson Farms) Adam Svensson (RSM Classic) Mike Weir (2003 Masters) and now Corey Connors (Valero Texas Open) will have a very special reunion on the first tee at Augusta National.

" I'm excited to get a game with Mac and the other guys on Tuesday and you know we've all been playing great, you know there are a bunch of Canadians who aren't in the field  who have been playing great as well, so it's a fun time to part of Canadian golf"

Numbers

1st,  64 72 69 68 -15,  500 Fed Ex Cup points,  $1,602,000,  SG: Approach to Green 1,  SG: Tee to Green 1,  SG Total 1, GIR 1,  Driving accuracy 77.8% 3,  Career wins 2,  FedEx Cup 18th,  owgr #28,  Events played 153,  Cuts made 106/153,  Top 10 finishes 19,  Career earnings $15,723,978

Masters finishes : 2015 (A) 80 69 m/c 2019 T46 E, 2020 T10 -9,  2021 T18 -4 , 2022 T6 -3

The numbers don't tell it all. Getting over the finish line when you win any tournament at this level is such a relief for the winner, you hear it in every greenside interview and this win by Corey Connors went right down to the wire again, especially after young Sam Stevens made the shot of the week driving the 300 yd17th to inside 10 feet to get to -14, then just missed a 7' birdie putt on 18 that would have tied Corey at -15.

Keys to the win:

Obviously his opening 64 -8 was one key, 2 birdies on his back 9 on Friday to rescue his round of 72 was another, 5 back nine birdies on Moving Day after a shaky start for --4 68 was another.

However the way he drove the ball on Sunday " he could drive the ball through a hole in a donut "(Azinger) was the clincher, it set everything else up in his bogey free round 68, and of course the winner always makes the key putts, like his birdie from the fringe above the hole on #9 

His friends say Corey can sleep better than anyone they know. His calm demeanor is evident to all who watch him play, quietly confident now, and modest "coming from a little town like Listowel just making it to the PGA Tour was beyond my wildest dreams"

He summed his big day up. "The conditions were really challenging, I thought I played really really well, was in control of my game, my emotions. My caddy Danny and I did a great job of staying in the moment, and I'm taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, I'm beyond thrilled to do it for a second time here in San Antonio, its amazing"

Masters :

I don't know their exact plans but am sure they will arrive at Augusta at some time on Monday and after Malory and Corey get baby Reis to bed, there are bound to be a few Canadian beverages Monday night for parents Mike and Janet, twin sister Nicole and younger sister Sarah, along with caddy Danny Sahl and all of the rest of his team and sponsors.

Celebrations after a win are few and far between on the PGA Tour and well deserved.

On Tuesday the 4 Canadians in the field, will share their good fortune, and turn their attention to the task at hand at Augusta National, but this time all but Weirsy have the game to win it all.

That celebration would be monumental, just ask Weirsy, he is still celebrating it 20 years later !!

Bryan Angus