Conners, Weir make Canadians cheer
Three Canucks survive, Woods and McIlroy let chances slip away
AUGUSTA, GA.— As one Canadian made history at Augusta National Saturday, another made the cut for the first time in six years.
Corey Conners, a 28-year-old Listowel, Ont. native started his Saturday with a 7-under 65, the lowest round ever by a Canadian at the tournament, to finish his second round. His record breaking round included eight birdies. He would follow it up with a 1-under 71 in his third round.
Conners ended the day tied for 15th place at 6 under par, 10 strokes behind leader Dustin
Johnson. He hopes to improve on his 2019 result, where he finished tied for 46th place.
Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, made the cut with a 1-under 71of his own in the third round despite five bogeys on the day. It was the first time the Brights Grove, Ont. native made the cut since 2014.
The 50-year-old was the previous record holder of the lowest round by a Canadian — 4under 68. He heads into the final round in an eight-way tie for 36th place. Weir is making his 21st appearance at the Masters.
Athird Canadian made the cut for Sunday’s final round. Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., carded a 3-under 69 to end the day tied in 29th place. Taylor previously shot 72 in both the first and second round.
Adam Hadwin missed the cut after rounds of 74 and 71.
Defending champion Tiger Woods will stick around Sunday to present the green jacket, but he’ll have to leave his at Augusta National.
Woods was 4 under through10 holes to start the tournament, but picked up only one shot over the next 44 holes. He finished off a 71 in the second round, had a 72 in the third round and was 11 shots behind. It likely didn’t help the 44-yearold Woods, with a history of back injuries, to go 26 holes on the soft turf of a hilly course.
“It’s just part of the deal,” he said. “If you have long days like this, I’m going to get a little bit sore, which I definitely am.”
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, has seen every part of the 13th hole at Augusta National — except for the middle of the fairway. On Saturday, he turned a ninefoot birdie chance into a threeputt bogey and cost himself any chance at a Masters victory that would complete his career Grand Slam.
“I have zero thoughts about winning this golf tournament right now,” he said after shooting a 5-under 67 to finish the day at 8-under. “I think I’ve left myself too far back after the bad first day. But I’ll go and give it a good effort tomorrow and see where that leaves me.”
Following an opening 75 with a 66 on Friday, McIlroy was on his way back to contention after chipping in from the greenside bunker on No. 12 for his fifth birdie in a bogey-free round. But the 13th, where he took a drop on Thursday and got blocked by a tree trunk on Friday, stymied him again in the third round.
Instead of improving to 6 under, he was back to 4 under. He made birdie on No. 16.
“Eleven under for the last two days, I think that sort of speaks for itself,” he said. “The good golf was in there, I just didn’t allow myself to play that way on the first 18 holes. This course can do that. This course can make you a little bit careful and a little bit tentative at times.”