When Canadian Corey Conners won the Valero Texas Open in 2019, he received a pair of cowboy boots rather than a trophy.
Sometimes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he wore them in his Florida home.
Conners will now have a few options to wear after winning the tournament for the second time in five years on Sunday, earning a second career PGA Tour title.
“I had a brown pair for winning the second time around so at least I don’t have two black pairs,” Conners said with a laugh. Maybe I’ll diversify by wearing the brown pair. »
Conners turned in a 68 (minus-4) to edge Sam Stevens (66) by one stroke.
Conners finished the tournament with a cumulative score of minus-15 on the course at TPC San Antoino. The Canadian earned his ticket to the Masters Tournament, where he finished sixth last year for a second straight top-10 finish at Augusta National.
Conners mentioned that his two victories in San Antonio turned out very differently in his eyes.
“Today I was definitely more in control. I feel like I made a few mistakes in 2019, Conners noted. I also had several good ones on this rollercoaster round in 2019. I was a bit more consistent today. Part of my plan was to be as consistent as possible. Being in play and giving myself chances. »
Conners joined Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson as the only Canadians to triumph at a PGA Tour event this season.
Conners is expected to climb to 18th in the FedEx Cup standings when it’s updated on Monday.
Conners, Hughes and Svensson will be at the Masters Tournament along with their compatriot Mike Weir, making it the first time in history that four Canadians will take part in this prestigious event.
“It’s very exciting,” said Conners, who represented Canada at the Tokyo Olympics with Hughes. I’m excited to be in this practice round with “Mack” and the other guys on Tuesday. »
Trailing by a stroke behind Patrick Rodgers when the round began, Conners built a three-stroke lead after birdying on the 15th hole.
Stevens scored an eagle on the 17th flag, but missed a nine-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th hole, which would have tied the game. Conners closed the books by going par on the last hole.
Sam Ryder (66) and Matt Kuchar (68) tied for third at 13 under.
Rodgers slipped to fifth with a final round of 73 for a minus-11 overall. He missed an opportunity for a first career PGA win and a Masters Tournament berth.
Conners’ best result since winning in 2019 was a third-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year.
Conners led in Texas after posting a first-round 64. He struggled more in the second round, returning with a 72.