Corey Conners leads Canadians into final round at PGA Championship

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Wanamaker Trophy might be out of reach for Corey Conners but there is still plenty to be accomplished on Sunday for the Canadian at the PGA Championship.

Conners had his best round of the week on Saturday, shooting a four-under 67 and will head to the final round at five-under par, leading the Canadian contingent at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

With just a month left until Olympic qualifying closes after the U.S. Open, the question of which two men will represent Canada in Paris looms larger and larger.

“Every day is very important and tomorrow is Sunday of a major championship,” Conner said. “I’m not in contention the way I’d like to be, but a low round will certainly go a long way.”

Olympic qualifying is determined according to the world golf rankings and 28th ranked Nick Taylor currently has a stranglehold on top spot among Canadians. Conners entered the week as the No. 2 Canuck at 49th, but Adam Hadwin (51st) and Taylor Pendrith (54th) are right on his heels.

Pendrith, Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes (63rd in the world) missed the cut.

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Conners said he has had a tough time reading putts this week at Valhalla, and he isn’t the only Canadian frustrated on the greens. A day after saying it was “same old with the putter,” Adam Svensson’s flat-stick let him down again at the season’s second major.

Known as an elite ball-striker since his illustrious junior golf days, the 30-year-old PGA Tour winner has had his tee-to-green game dialled in this week ranking 11th in the field in the category, and second in strokes-gained with his approach shots. But on Saturday, Svensson came away nearly empty-handed shooting a one-under 70 on a soft course primed for scoring.

For those scoreboard watching at home it might have looked as though the Surrey, B.C. native got off to a nice start with two birdies over his first six holes. What the scorecard didn’t show were four missed birdies putts from inside 10 feet, including one miss from four feet.

A frustrated Svensson will head to the final round at four-under for the week, likely wondering what might have been.

Adam Hadwin shot a level-par 71 on Saturday and will begin the final round at two-under.