From boring to birdies, Corey Conners rallies at Open Championship

From boring to birdies, Corey Conners had a much better second round at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. 

The Canadian, who opened with 17 pars and a bogey on Thursday, shot a 3-under 67 heading into the weekend. Conners had it rolling, making four birdies in a row on his back nine, before putting himself in a tough position off the tee on No. 18, leading to a closing bogey. 

But, Conners said, he was pleased to have had a “nice little run” in the second round. 

“Didn’t quite have my best stuff to start the day, but was hanging in there and trying to be patient. Fortunately, started hitting some good ones and making some putts,” Conners told reporters in England. 

Conners made a bogey on his first hole Friday after hitting a poor approach shot, but he got it back with a birdie on the par-4 5th, rolling in a 12-footer. Conners missed a short par saver on No. 11 before nearly making a hole-in-one on the next hole, the par-3 12th. 

His run of birdies went from Nos. 14-17. He hit a tidy chip to just three feet on 14, rolled in a 7-footer on 15, made a lengthy one on 16, and then hit his approach on 17 to just a foot. 

“Played those holes kind of how you’re supposed to play them, I guess,” Conners said.

Conners struggled off the tee on Friday but managed to still give himself chances with some precise iron play. He also gained more than a shot-and-a-half to the field with the putter in his second round. 

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If there’s one thing Conners is hoping to turn around for the weekend, it’s how slow he’s been starting. On both Thursday and Friday, Conners was 1 over through four holes.

“Didn’t get the ball in the fairway early and wasn’t able to control my approach shots. Did a better job of that the last handful of holes,” Conners said. “You’ve got to be on from the get-go. Just think there’s some birdie opportunities at the beginning of the round… So, a little bit better start, maybe get one or two to start the round and get some momentum.”

Heading into The Open, Conners was one of just 22 golfers to make all three cuts at the majors this season, and he will end up being one of just a handful to go 4/4 in finding the weekend in 2026. 

His 3-under 67 helped him to move more than 35 spots on the leaderboard on Friday. He’ll have some work to do over the weekend, as Lucas Herbert carded a 62 to tie the lowest round ever at a major and leads at 8 under.  

Countryman Nick Taylor started his day at 2 under but had an up-and-down Friday. 

He was 2 over through six holes before making birdie on Nos. 7 and 10. He had an unfortunate three-putt on the par-4 13th for a bogey before getting it back with a 12-footer for birdie on No. 17. 

Taylor made bogey on the closing hole of the day after hitting his approach into the greenside bunker and having an awkward stance to blast it out.  

This will, however, mark the first cut that Taylor has made in his career at The Open after three straight early exits. He sits tied for 38th heading into the weekend.