Corey Conners finds his game at U.S. Open, but putting woes resurface

Published Jun 19, 2026  •  3 minute read

Corey Conners of Canada plays a shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Friday in Southampton, New York. Photo by Christian Petersen/ /Getty Images

Article content

SOUTHHAMPTON, N.Y. — Corey Conners seems to have found his missing swing through two windy rounds of the U.S. Open at the treacherous Shinnecock Hills.

Article content

Article content

“I think you can throw all the technical stuff out the window here, in these types of moments, and just use your rhythm, use your feel and use your intuition,” the Canadian said. “Just kind of feel your way through the shots and execute the one in front of you.”

Coming off a missed cut at the TBC Canadian Open and a season’s-worst 79-78 weekend at The Memorial a week earlier, Conners has his familiar tee-to-green game back, but, unfortunately, he has paired it with some familiar putting woes on Friday.

After working his way to three-under par and in a tie for second-place halfway through his round, he bogeyed four of the final eight holes to head to the weekend at one-over par.

“There are little slopes, some severe slopes, the wind, and the other thing is they’re a little slower than we’re used to,” Conners said of the challenges on the putting surfaces. “Sometimes you can almost guide the ball to the hole and it’ll keep rolling on faster greens.”

Article content

Article content

Putting troubles in Round 2

Conners is comfortably beating the field in fairways hit and greens in regulation this week but he’s outside the top-100 in putting and was almost dead last in Round 2. Over his last nine holes on Friday, he missed five putts from inside seven feet, including two four-footers.

“There were a couple I’d certainly like over, but it wasn’t like I was giving them no chance,” he said. “All the putts could have really easily fallen in.”

Unsurprisingly, his swing coach Derek Ingram and caddie Danny Sahl were spotted on the practice putting green waiting for their man after the round.

Conners is certainly not the only player struggling with Shinnecock’s severe greens, which have been running slow between 10 and 11 on the stimpmeter to guard against the heavily gusting wind. On a whole, it’s been a positive two rounds for Conners who has been one of the most consistent players on tour over the past few years before this recent blip.

Conners said he enjoys playing in the wind where the purity of his ball-striking can give him a major edge over the competition.

Article content

“The wind was howling yesterday, but it was warm, so you look around and it kind of feels like you could be at The Open Championship,” he said of the exposed, sand-based Shinnecock Hills course. “There are definitely some characteristics that are similar. I think most links courses don’t have quite as crazy green complexes as this place, but it definitely has a little bit of that feel.”

Other Canadians struggling

Canadian rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju — playing in his second career major — finished 36 holes at five-over par, and is projected to miss the cut.

“I kind of knew I had to be prepared to go out there and kind of drain my energy for the entire week,” Yellamarahu said. “It wasn’t going to be easy. You would have to play super well to be in control.”

Nick Taylor and Ben Silverman round out the Canadian contingent, and both had some work to do to make the cut as they played their second rounds Friday afternoon.

Article content