When he needed to deliver at the BMW Championship, Corey Conners found another gear with his golf game, making birdies on three of his last four holes to earn his spot in the field at next week’s Tour Championship.
Conners’ roller-coaster round added up to a two-under 69, leaving him in a tie for fifth spot. He’ll head to the season finale ranked 24th out of the 30 entrants.
“It’s always a goal at the start of the year,” said Conners, who will make his third appearance at the Tour Championship. “I feel like I’ve had a solid season. Still trying to get in the winner’s circle again, but a lot of really solid play, giving myself some chances, and really excited to be going back to East Lake.”
The Listowel, Ont., native had a bumpy start, making bogeys on the first two holes of his round. He clawed those back with birdies on the fourth and fifth holes before stumbling again at the 13th, when he missed the green on the par 3, and 14th, when he three-putted on the par 5. Those two bogeys had him at 30th on the moving FedEx Cup points list and in danger of missing the final event on the tour’s calendar.
But he rallied with three birdies over the next four holes, draining a 14-foot putt on the 15th and then hitting silky wedge shots on 16 and 18 to less than a foot.
Being among the final 30 comes with some healthy rewards, not the least of which is a big payday. The winner takes home $18 million while finishing in 30th spot is still worth $500,000.
As well, it gets Conners into three of the four majors, World Golf Championship events and invitationals.
There was another reward that came Conners’ way at the end of play – a spot on the International Team for the Presidents Cup. The top eight players on the points list at the conclusion of the BMW Championship were named to the team. Four more will be selected next Monday by captain Trevor Immelman.
Conners will become the fourth Canadian to play in the competition, joining Graham DeLaet, Adam Hadwin and Mike Weir, who will be a captain’s assistant this year.
“Again, another huge goal of mine after missing out last time,” said Conners, who was under consideration for the 2019 team. “Beyond excited. I think Trevor has been great trying to get the guys together, and he’s a great captain. Easy guy to get behind and really motivating.”
Immelman has been vocal in his support of Conners and has talked to him regularly throughout the season. He’s also counting on the Canadian to be a presence in the team room despite this being his first time in the event.
“I’m pretty quiet, I guess,” admitted Conners. “I’ll be a rookie, but I’ll try and be one of the leaders on the team, lead more by example, and hopefully play some good golf and let that take care of things.”
The Presidents Cup will be held Sept. 22-25, at Quail Hollow Golf Course in Charlotte, N.C.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
