PING Proving GroundsShane and Marty catch up with PING Pro Corey Conners to discuss Corey's background growing up and playing sports in Canada, his consistent performance and the keys to his impressive ball striking. They also reflect on his experience playing in the Olympics and Corey’s goal of returning to Canada to play for the 2024 International Presidents Cup team.
The guys from Ping. They've kind of showed me how much the equipment matters. I just love that I can hit any shot. I kind of want.
We're gonna be able to tell some fun stories about what goes on here to help golfers play better golf.
Welcome back to the Ping Proving Grounds Podcast. I'm Shane Bak and that is Marty Jerts, and we are in the Ping truck. The tour truck. Cory Connors is here by the way, Marty.
Yeah, see him.
Yeah, And you're having a fantastic year, very consistent, and we're excited to deep dive into a few tomics.
Before we get into your golf game. I was told before we got going that you have an amazing golf room. Can we expand a little bit on this golf room? Because I didn't nobody, I didn't get any details. I don't know if there's like a simulator in there, Like, what are we talking about?
Yeah, my wife and I both from a small town list Well, Ontario, Canada, So we built a house there. You know, we've been living at this summer and was able to design the house from scratch and of course tried to fit in ample space to put a nice golf room. So yeah, I've got a simulator Foresight GC Hawk and pretty cool, you know, fun to play games. You know, can practice, you know, familiar with the foresight, you know data and you know it's good to check in on things or good to be able to check in on things while at home. I've also got a put view putting green so projects lines and can set up drills and it's it's a really cool tool that you know, I've I've loved just messing around with and it's as much fun as it is work. But I think you can, you know, learn a lot from it or take a lot from it in just some short practice sessions. So it's it's been pretty fun to have the ability to keep the game sharp. The weather's great in Canada throughout the summer. But I've found myself, you know, getting dirty in the golf room and my almost two year old daughter Reese every morning she's saying, dad balls, Dad ball, She's right in there. Yeah, she's likes teeing up the balls and she's got a little putter knocking them around the putting green, and it's it's pretty fun to share that with her too. But it's it's a cool space and something that you know, I'm happy I fit into the design and it's turned out great.
I need your parntal advice on this because my four year old son just zero interest in golf. He did ask yesterday for his putter. We got him one of the pink putters and he asked, so the red one because my daughter got the yellow one. He says, is this the red one?
Dad?
But no interest? How did this happen?
Yeah, I think just organically. I think, yeah, she really hasn't you know, she's still really really young, but you know, just she's she's Daddy's girl, so she wants to be with dad when whenever we're home, and if dad's putting her chipping her hidden ball, she's she's right in there, doesn't want to miss miss out.
So yeah, it's it's cool.
I mean, I you know, I would love her to play golf, definitely. I think it's an amazing game obviously, But yeah, it just happened organically and she seems into it, so we'll see where that goes.
Corey.
I think, I mean one of the fun things about watching you and the rest of the Canadian contingent this year is just how strong it feels like Canadian golf is. You know, Nick Taylor went in you know that event and the way that he did was unbelievable. Uh, tell us a little bit just about like the culture of growing up playing golf in Canada and what other sports did you play and in things of that nature.
Yeah, it's been really fun to be a Canadian on the PGA Tour right now. That Canadian golf is you know, significantly on the rise, and it's just great to be a part of it. We're all motivating each other, we're all really close friends and all supporting each other. So yeah, watching Nick when the RBC Canadian Open was unbelievable. Been so long since Canadian had won our national championship and you know MATC Hughes had to win this season, Adam Spencer had to win, Adam had been had.
A great year.
You know, a bunch of other Canadians out here and more coming. So it's exciting, you know to be a part of that. But growing up in Canada, I think Canadians are crazy about all sports and golf's no different. So many people play golf. It's a really popular sport. Unfortunately, where I grew up. The golf seasons on about six months.
So.
You know, you can't enjoy it all year round, but for those six months, the people are definitely wearing it out. And yeah, just love getting outside and growing up. You know, I'd play golf six months. I'd get a year's worth of golf in those six months. Definitely. I lived at the golf course, worked there, and you know, basically all my childhood, remember, just just beating up the local Listable golf club. Played pretty much every sport in high school. I was an avid hockey player as well, starting I was like four years old until uh the end of high school, so that it was another big passion of mine and a big hockey fan. Follow the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is pretty pretty standard for people from Ontario, Canada. But throughout high school played badminton, volleyball, really liked those sports. Played on the basketball team for a few years, played some baseball as a kid.
Just yeah, love love sports, loved you.
Know, competing and hanging out with friends and growing up in a small town. You know a lot of the people I played sports with were you know, the same in every sport. So we had a lot of fun together and we were all really close friends, so that was cool.
When did golf emerge is like, Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna specialize in golf. I mean, you played everything you know, and I'm also curious about, uh, just the transfer of skills from hockey to golf. It seems like so many hockey players turn in or just naturally good golfers.
Yeah.
I think there was a moment when I was fourteen years old where I could have stepped up my level of hockey and sort of decreased the amount of golf, but I, you know, kind of chose golf, saw you know, possible future with that, and so kind of took a step back with the hockey and you know, just went back to my local town to play for a local team instead of traveling as much as I could have possibly, And yeah, just put a little more focus onto my golf game.
Then.
Definitely, as far as the hockey and golf translation, I think, you know, the motion of shooting a hockey pock, the slap shot, there's a lot of mechanics that are pretty similar to the golf swing. The way your body moves, and yeah, it's it's funny. A lot of a lot of hockey players are pretty good golfers and can hit it a long way.
So they all hit those hard hooks too, Yeah, a booming hook.
It's the Yeah, the the hand motions a little bit different because you're kind of flipping your your hands are separated at a hockey stick, and you're kind of flipping your hands over a little bit on some shots using your your right hand a little more than you would want to, uh ideally on a golf swing. But yeah, a lot of the hockey players I've played with really powerful guys, and they smoke it.
Corey, can you give us like your handicap? What you were good and bad at at basketball and also hockey? Like, were you like a two handicap in hockey?
Like?
How good were I was basketball? I wasn't particularly great. I think I just used my athleticism to to hide my weaknesses. Wasn't a particularly great shooter.
I was.
I was a you know, a guard. It would kind of bring the ball up, but not a not a shooter. I yeah, more of a playmaker. It was kind of similar in hockey as well. I, you know, would be just as satisfied getting a nice assist as scoring a goal. So but yeah, basketball, I'm probably a ten handicap, not nothing, nothing.
Special, but could could get by.
But hockey, definitely, I would say I was a scratch and you know, could have definitely couldn't have played in the NHL, but you know, could have moved along in hockey and and been you know, at some higher levels.
But we've talked about the boom of Canadian golf. I'm assuming Mike Queer was a big part of this kind of growing up when you have a short season six months of golf being available, and then obviously you've got to focus on other things or you've got to go inside in practice. How do you convince your parents, how do you convince coaches and your friends this is the sport I'm going to focus on because I mean it almost might be living in a landlocked area and wanting to sail, you know, it's like there's not a whole bunch.
Of availability for it.
Yeah, I think I was lucky throughout the summer having great access to facility.
You know, I was really nice.
I had twenty seven holes the listable golf club and a nice range, and you know, was able to find space on the golf course. You know, wasn't afraid to go play by myself and you know, make games and drop a ball at one hundred yards every hole, and you know, see if I could be three, four or five under par. I think, you know, my parents were really supportive and whatever I wanted to do, and you know, yeah, it was it was basically on me if whatever whatever I wanted, they were going to support. So you know, I put a lot of time into honing my craft on the golf course and I think they saw that, so they were they were definitely really supportive of that. But yeah, I enjoyed playing the other sports as well, and to be honest, throughout the winter time, I really didn't play a whole lot of golf. I think that changed towards the end of high school with the Canadian national development team's been part of the nation. Was part of the national team when I was sixteen years old, and throughout the winter months we would travel to training camps and you know be able to you know, try and stay as sharp as possible. And then yeah, that led into going to college at Kent State and on the golf scholarship, and again parents were supportive and whatever I wanted to do so.
Corey, at Kent State, you studied actuary math. So this is like business risk assessment and things of that nature. Right, So what tell us the story of how why you chose to study math? And then do you use any any of those skills either in looking at your stats or planning tournament schedules or anything in that nature.
Yeah, it certainly doesn't sound like a very exhilarating major to anyone else, but I I think I definitely enjoyed, enjoyed that I actually started in science program. I worked in a pharmacy through high school and had possible aspirations as a backup plan to maybe get into that. So I started in a science program in biochemistry, and the lab time that was required for the biology and chemistry courses was not ideal for practicing.
I was okay with them.
My coach was like, we gotta stop, we gotta stop the missing every practice every afternoon, I'm sitting in a science So that was my first year and a half, I think, and at that point I was like, well, I'm open to switching.
What you know.
I want to, you know, make sure I can still focus on golf as much as possible, So what what are my other options? And you know, I was passionate about mathematics as well, and and finance and actuarial math kind of fit the bill and didn't really have to, you know, change too much about the direction I was going, So you know, I was taking a lot of the prerequisites for for both regardless, and yeah, it was it was fun. There was a small class. I think there was like ten or twelve of us pretty much had all the classes together the junior and senior years, and you know, we became close friends and we'd study together, and yeah, it was good times. Missing class is difficult, think the golfers miss a lot of class as we travel for you know, three four five days for tournaments and you're you're at a class those days. So classmates and and professors were quite supportive and helping me, uh, you know, make up work and you know, answering answering questions or helping me get through it.
One of the great compliments that a professional golfer could get is being called a flusher. Now you're a guy that is being called the flusher basically since you started to hit golf balls. What does it mean when other pros say, this guy's a flusher, and who are some people that you feel like you look at and go, my goodness, you should see this guy hit a golf ball.
Yeah, it's it's obviously a huge compliment. And you know something that I feel like I was kind of blessed with and sort of always hit the ball. Well, I've got some good guidance from a young age, And yeah, it feels pretty cool when you know other pros recognize that skill as obviously there's a ton of world class players out here and and world class talent. I love watching Rory hit a ball that's just yeah, majestic. And I didn't really see myself in the same category necessarily of flushers as a guy like him. But yeah, like playing with with Colin Morrikawa as well, really really solid.
It's it's kind of cool.
Or he predominantly hits fades and I predominantly hit draws, so we kind of are both curving it back to the target different ways and both both do hit it hit it pretty nice.
So when you say you're not in the same class as a Rory or a call and when you kind of think about that in your brain, do you force yourself to look at stats, to look at where you landed on a page at the end of the tournament, to actually go kind of against maybe what you think is you're watching a Rory mclroy up close, going on, my goodness, I can't do what he does. Then you look at the stats sheet and it says you.
Can do what he does. Yeah, yeah, I do a little bit.
You know.
It's definitely gratifying to see some of the stats. I think more so kind of at the end of the year, on a week to week basis, I kind of realize, you know, if I if I hit it well, or what I was doing well, or what I was doing poorly for that matter, But kind of at the end of the year, you know, and kind of get the cumulative work, you know, tallied up and can can see, you know, how how my skills were. Yeah, it's pretty cool being near the top of the ball striking categories.
Core.
You work with Derek Ingram as one of our ping ambassadors. What type of things? How long have you worked with him, and what type of things do you work on, Like if you're if you're iron play driving gets a little bit off, what are your tendencies? What do you what do you guys work on.
Yeah, I've worked with Derek Ingram for a long time and you know, owe him a lot of credit to my success. He's an unbelievable guy, unbelievable coach and incredibly knowledgeable in the game of golf and many other areas. But work together since I was on the national team probably fifteen years now, and remembering back some of the years when I was still part of the national development program, I think he and I spent more days together, you know, on the road, you know, working on my game.
Then he spent at home with his wife.
So I you know, his wife a lot of credit too for putting up with him. But he's just an awesome guy. And what we've been working on really hasn't changed much over the years. A lot of it just stems from, you know, my my setup position. There's a few little keys that I like to feel on the takeaway of my swing and kind of just get the good rhythm started going in the right direction, and you know, continuing to work on using my body more. You know, as I start playing more tournaments in a row, I feel like, you know, my my hands take over a little bit and become a little less consistent, so just really try and simplify things as much as possible. But the biggest key for me just stems from from the setup. You know, my setup position, you know alignment, which is you know, quite basic, but it's it's something that's very important. If I'm set up well, there's a pretty good chance I'm going to hit it well.
You've played some really consistent major championship golf over the last few years. You've played well at Augusta, You've played well at the PGA Championship a couple of times last three years, had a good finish at the Open a couple of years ago. What has to go into a good week at a major championship? And as you kind of look at the way you've played in those majors, what's that next step or what's that next thing that you need to do to go from the top ten and the top eight finish to top two, top three Relli in contention on a Sunday.
Yeah, it's the majors, I would say, I'm getting more comfortable and definitely they've all kind of been a little bit of a learning experience for me. And you know, a week in, a week out on the PGA Tour, we're playing at the same courses, and you know, apart from the Masters, the you know, other major championship venues changed, so there's a bit of a learning curve to try and figure out those venues. This past spring at the PGA Championship, I had played at o'kill before, you know, didn't remember it great, but like had some familiarity which I think helped, you know, got off to a really good start there and kind of got myself in the mix, you know, going into the final round. But the uh, yeah, the other majors that they're so fun to be at a major championship. It's just got a special feeling to it, and you know, it requires everything to be clicking, you know, to get yourself near the top of the leader board. There's so many talented players, and you know, the venues are all really challenging and you know, different ways, but yeah, it's everything's got to be clicking. And you know, I've tried to kind of build my schedule to where I you know, feel like I'm going to be you know as much rested, but also you know, playing playing well.
What does that look like for you specifically, because everybody likes to change their schedule differently. I mean, you know, Phil used to play the week before, Tiger always take it off. What's kind of the best recipe for Corey Connor's going into major weeks?
Yeah, I think, you know, I think playing the week before is helpful because you can definitely see where your game's at. But I just don't want to play a major championship that's you know, my sort of fourth week in a row, because you know physically mentally you're going to be a little bit burnt out. So there's been a few major championships where you know, I've had the week off before. I enjoy playing the Scottish Open before the Open Championship. I've had some good says that the Valero Texas Open before Augusta. So probably, uh, probably.
Continue continue doing doing that. I think.
Yeah, some of the some of the US Open venues, you know, it's fallen right after the RBC Canadian Open the last few years, which is another you know major right in my mind, must play. So you know, the US Open venues I think are very challenging. And you know, I hadn't really hadn't played any of the venues that I've played a US Open up before, so again trying to learn the golf course and and figure out what it's going to take, you know, to be successful. I think things important, but those those weeks can can get, can get along with the preparation the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
Yeah, a lot of energy management. Sounds like, Corey, you won the Valerio Texas Open in nineteen and twenty three. What is it kind of to juxtapose that a little bit one course that you think has suited your game? Well, you know, the conditions, the turf, the wind, the breeze, the bermuda. I mean, what is it that has really syncd up with your game?
Yeah?
I think ever since the first time I played there, I really loved the golf course. I think the week overall is awesome. The hotels right on site, the JW. Marriott, so the you know, logistically the week is really easy. Yeah, the great facilities there. And I think the golf course is really demanding off the tee and into the greens, which you know, plays into some strengths of my game hitting it well off the tee and hitting good iron shots. I think a lot of the t shots set up pretty nicely for a draw some of the trickier t shots. So I'm pretty comfortable turning the ball right to left off the tee and it's definitely you know, important there and kind of yeah, it fits into my game nicely. And around the greens is pretty treacherous there as well, but you know, if you're able to hit solid iron shots to the right parts of the green, you can give yourself some good looks. So it's just a place I felt really comfortable on and you know, winning again this year, I definitely drew on my experience in nineteen, you know, coming down the stretch and made me feel a lot more comfortable. So just a place I feel comfortable, and I'm hoping to add more places I feel comfortable like that in the future.
Corey, you mentioned the Marriotts close. I mean, these are little things. I don't know if like golf fans realize, like the benefits of being close to a golf course, or like in the hotel, or like in a restaurant close to the like look close to a facility. Golf's four or five hours. You practice for an hour or two maybe on the front of the back end, and you have a lot of downtime what's a Cory Connor's week in terms of downtime when you're playing in a tournament.
Yeah, I've been fortunate my wife and daughter, Reese have traveled with me quite a lot, so it's really fun having them there. And you know, the first few, you know days of the week. Usually take it pretty easy. On Monday, I'll play nine or eighteen on Tuesday, with a good practice session. Tuesdays usually you know, one of my fuller days, I guess or at the at the course most of the day checking out the golf course, you know, trying to fine tune all the skills.
And pro am.
Wednesday, get in a little practice, usually play the pro ams in the morning, so a little practice, uh, you know, have some lunch and then goes spend some time with the girls in the afternoon. It's it's really fun having my daughter and wife on the road, just I don't know, a little normalcy.
H Do you notice when they're not on the road, if you have a bad round or if you don't play well, do you notice that frustration like lingering versus when they are on the road, they can go out and go I gotta go see the family, Like they don't care really what I shot.
Yeah, my daughter definitely doesn't care what I shot. She's she's pumped.
Out the same dad every every every time.
So but yeah, I think I'm definitely when I'm by myself, definitely more consumed by golf and just thinking about my round or thinking about the next day, you know, way more than I would be when they're around, and I can, you know, shut my mind off and just have fun coloring and reading books.
Corey, you've played a number of a number of different PLD putters. Tell tell us a little bit about how that process has gone for you in terms of things we've customized for you in the putter, some things that might be super important to you that we were able to do with those pods and in which one you're playing now is at the time.
Yeah, So.
All through my time at Kent State was an answer putter user, like the blade feel and sort of the flow of the stroke with that used to blade putter when I first got on tour, switched to a sort of a mid mallet PLD just trying to get a little bit more consistency and had success with that, you know, try to went back to a blade again and you know, had some success there again, fell into a funk and tried out the little the mallet potter the time that I'm using now. I switched away from that UH for probably about a year to UH like the OSLO model and sort of messed around with a couple of different hozzele types there the I guess the answer to sort of hozzle that I'm most comfortable with. You know, was able to customize the the Oslo with the answer three neck, which is kind of like a little a little bit of a slant neck. So having that you know capability was really cool. Ultimately went back to the to the time again. It's it served me well over the last you know, the season. Really I felt like I've been a little bit more consistent still, you know, trying to work hard on that area of my game and get the ball in the whole a little better. But you know, my my bad weeks are aren't as bad, and starting to have some some pretty good weeks that are you know, keep me in tournaments or getting me up near the top of the leaderboard. So the customization of the PLD is really cool, and you know, changing the finish, you know, got the black finish and on my putter. Now just think you know, all the design features of the putters that just frames the ball really nicely, and you know, something that it's cool to be able to mess around with and and you know, easy to find something you like.
Mart you know what this sounds like, sounds like somebody needs more PLDs in.
The exactly.
A few different models.
I'm just trying to get some gold ones and trying to get the biggest and try and get the biggest, biggest putter model available.
So there are some wild ones in the vault I've seen. You know, there are a few League Westwood models in there.
Oh yeah, he's got quite a mix in there, very very fun mixed Corey.
When Canadian sports are on TV and you're playing golf, do you think about what's going on in the back of your mind? Do you have like a caddy check to score? Are you trying not to think about that? Like if it's a big, big like in the cup finals or you know, Olympic match, Like is that going on the back of your brainer? Can you kind of shove that out?
Yeah?
I can shut it out a little bit. It's always, you know, I'm always kind of thinking about it. You know, if there's something really big happening, someone in the crowd's probably yelling at me to okay, be updated. So but I'm not super crazy about that. Fortunately, the you know, big Toronto may Pleife fan probably my favorite professional sports team, big hockey fan in general, but their games are typically in the evening, so I'm off the golf course and I can tune in on my laptop or iPad in the hotel room. But yeah, you know see a lot of the English guys kind of checking it, checking up. We're a little more curious on some of the soccer football scores they But yeah, I'm not uh, not crazy about that.
Yeah, NFL game goes on like it like noon. If you've got like the one pm Eastern game and your team's play it and you're kind of in the hut on a Sunday, it's like I might check the score after nine, just see what we're doing. But yeah, hockey in the evening. You mentioned RBC Canadian Open Major. I mean you said that when you go to that event, what's it like in terms of being a Canadian player playing it, getting himself in contention and the fans reaction doesn't feel as big to you as a President's Cup as as a major championship.
Does Yeah, it feels it feels massive. You know, my mug is plastered all over billboards and you know, things around the clubhouse. So it's kind of weird, but it feels huge. The Canadians love sports, Cananes love you know, they're Canadian golfers, and it's a pretty special feeling teaming up in that event. And you know, played pretty well the last couple of years. I hadn't had much success there, but it's been really fun to get in the mix and you just feel so much support from all the fans. It's it's an unbelievable feeling and and something that you know, I look forward to, you know, continuing to have for for many years into the future.
Well, it's just so interesting, Like I mean, I think is golfers. You know, we are conditioned to think every golfer wants to win the Masters, in the US Open, in the Open Championship. And when when Max Homill won RIV and he said, this is the event I wanted to win the most of every golf tournament out there. I mean, do you feel like that with the Canadian Open? I mean, does it feel like even as much that would come with the major championship victory, if you were able to snag one of those, I mean, would that be the career highlight for you?
It would definitely be.
I'd be lying if I said a major championship wouldn't be wouldn't be ahead of the RBC Canadian Open for me. You know, it's just their historic championships. They're the majors. But you know it's a very very close runner up would be winning the RBC Canadian Open. And you know, I'm definitely inspired by watching Nick Taylor win this year and you know, looking forward to getting getting some more cracks at it. But it's a really special event. And yeah, it's it's way up there for sure.
And he didn't get tackled.
I didn't get tackled.
For I couldn't work, I couldn't find my bottle of champagne. Fortunately, I may have gotten tackled chest injury. I also give Hadman a hard time. I was like, yeah, he looked at both of us and said, I'm tackling this guy. So the younger guy, the smaller guy.
He's older.
Corey, you have the honor of playing in the Olympics. Tell us a little bit about what that was like.
You know, yeah, it's funny, like I didn't dream of being an Olympian when I was a kid because golf wasn't in the Olympics. But you know, ever since I think the Olympics in Rio, it was kind of on my radar and.
It was a huge goal. But it would be really cool.
I can represent Canada, you know, the Olympics, and you know, being an Olympian.
Is is kind of a.
Pretty cool thing to have on your resume, and it was an incredible honor, you know, to make that team and the experience was really really cool. I played in Tokyo and in twenty twenty one and still pretty locked down with restrictions, so we weren't able to go and watch other events. You know, every time the Olympics is on. When I was a kid, I was always tuned in, whether it was summer or winter Olympics, watching all the sports and cheering on the Canadians. So it would have been to get to experience some of those other events and you know, cheer on some of the other fellow Canadians, but just getting introduced, you know, putting on the Canada shirt was pretty cool feeling and incredible honor and you know, still hopefully have a few more in my future and you know, going to keep working hard to try and make the Canadian Olympic team for Paris next year.
There is something about the Olympics, especially in golf, that I really appreciate, and that is the fact that week in and week out, we talk about the winner in golf and that's it. And you can have a good week and finish fourth or eighth or twelfth, even and have a great week. I hit the ball great, maybe I didn't make as many putts. I love the fact that there's a celebration for that top three position and we celebrate it, even in a sport that doesn't typically celebrate it. Do you wish there was a little more of that and golf we're second and third was appreciated, maybe a little bit more than it is considering there's one hundred and forty guys teen it up every week.
Yeah, I mean I certainly appreciate, you know, the weeks. You know, even if I don't win, you know, having a solid finish, you know, get yourself in the top ten, you know, you feel pretty good about yourself after the week. The Olympics is unique in that aspect where you know, gold, silver, bronze, top three get recognized. You know, I'm fine with golf being the way it is. I can fly under the radar and be happy with some solid weeks, I guess. But yeah, that aspect of the Olympics is pretty cool. And you know, you're you know you're not you're obviously fighting for the gold medal, playing for the gold medal, but you know there's a couple of consolation prizes that are pretty good as well.
Yeah, I mean that playoff for the bronze. I mean I remember we were calling the action and like it felt like you were calling the final championship putt right, and this was for third place, and you had these big names in it, and you obviously had countrymen involved. I mean, it was really really cool. And again, I like we were talking about your major record. I mean, you play three straight years the Masters, you finished top ten three straight years, Yet it seems like the only kind of conversation point is who wins, not the guy that's played as you know, arguably as consistent golf as anybody that goes national last three years.
Yeah, Yeah, I remember watching that playoff as well. It was really cool, and yeah, it's it's a big deal. You know, it's just something unique and something different. The the Olympics is yeah, pretty special. But yeah, like my record at Augusta of some top ten finishes, you know, definitely felt good and you know, was was proud of that, but yeah it wasn't I wasn't really talked about much because I don't have a green jacket just to have black and blue ones in the closet at all.
I mean, listen, you can start to think though, I mean, I mean, I don't know if poutine has been involved in a Master's before. Maybe Mike were had it somewhere in there, but at least throw it maybe in the conversation, right.
Yeah, we would have to have to put that probably to nap, probably mix that in. Yeah it can get messy, but it's Corey.
How much how much do you think drawing the golf balls helped you at Augusta? Like is it is it a significant? I mean I've been there, I've walked around it. I haven't been back on the either new or old tea on thirteen or some of those holes. You know, even two t how much of an advantage is it for you because so many of the other players here hit the cuts out there nowadays right handed.
Go Yeah.
I really think that the right to left ball flight you know, fits in at Augusta National really really well. There's a few T shots that are are kind of tricky that I find difficult, and the first I think everybody finds the first difficult, But hitting a draw off of that tee it's I don't quite hit it far enough that I can get myself into trouble, so there's still room out there.
The eighth is.
Another one where it's kind of tricky to fit a draw into that fairway. Again, the fairway's pretty wide and I've been able to hit plenty of good shots there, But so many of the T shots I think really shape up nicely for a draw. Even the you know, seventh is a really straight hole, but I've you know, you can fit a draw in there nicely. The thirteenth stands out definitely, and even fourteen being able to hit it right to left is great, but thirteen hitting a right to left trying to sneak it around the corner a little bit is It's definitely the ideal shape.
I mean, there's a reason and there's been so much Lefty success there over the last few years, and it's because if you hit that big booming cut. I mean we saw obviously Bubba hit that shot them thirteen and twenty fourteen that everybody thought was going to be lost and he had wedge yet I mean, if you can move it in that direction, you can have some success of that golfer.
Yeah, I definitely think so. And you know even you know some of the iron shots as well, you know, being hitting it right to left. I've I've found comfort in that on a number of the whole locations, on a number of the holes as well.
Corey.
Obviously you're wearing in President's Cup gear. When the President's Cups ends, now for you, when do you start thinking about the next time you could play or potentially make the team.
Yeah, it's a pretty much at President's Cup. You know, it's been looking forward to, you know, ever since you know, leaving Charlotte. Really yeah, in my home country in Canada, you know, Mike, we're being the captain someone I idolized and really looked up to as a young Canadian golfer. It's it's going to be massive there and you know, definitely gonna be working really really hard to try and earn my spot on that team.
It's yeah, it.
Feels special to you know, be a part of that group, and it'll feel extra special to be on home soil with with Mike as a captain, and you know, hopefully myself and and some other Canadians can play their way on that team as well, because we've we've all been trending in the right direction over this past season, so hopefully that can continue and we'll definitely have some some hometown support there, I think in Montreal, so definitely, you know, big goal of mine, you know, coming in you know, to next season, and yeah, it'd be pretty amazing to get to be a part of that team.
Are you good about setting goals in it not feeling intimidating? I mean something like this where obviously there's not very many players that are going to make a President's Cup team when you write that down, or you know, obviously the President's Cups going to Canada and it'd be a big deal to be on that team. Does that add weight on your shoulders or is that something you can handle pretty well?
Yeah, I'm definitely good about, you know, writing down some goals, and I've been able to handle that that pretty well. I think it's just you know, each week, each week is a huge week, honestly, you know out here on the PGA tour, so really trying to take care of business week in and week out. And you know, if you do that consistently enough for you know, a long enough time, you know the the other big goals are going to fall into place and take care of themselves. So yeah, it's definitely definitely beyond my my goals for next year making the President's Cup team. But you know, I think I'm pretty good at you know, taking it week by week and you know, working hard on the game on the off weeks and making sure I'm ready to go every week, and you know, those those cumulative results will speak for themselves.
Corey, Canadians are chill, I'd say, for the most part, very chill people, easy going, fun to hang out with. Which American professional golfer has the most Canadian in your opinion? Is there somebody that stands out that when you look at you go, you could you could pass as the Canadian you got you kind of got that.
I'm not really sure we kind of a Canadian fraternity out here. We spend a lot of time together. Not that I opposed any any Americans getting in there, but no, no one really comes comes to mind off the top of my head. I'm a lot of guys are really nice.
That's what I was going to say, the right professional golf.
So many guys are really really nice. Yeah, welcome any of them as a Canadian.
Why aren't there any lefties now in the Canadian great point? Yeah? I mean, and are you do you do anything left handed?
I right left handed, but that everything else right handed?
Why aren't there any lefties?
That's that's a good question.
You right lefty? So you drag across the ink I do my hand gets I should have gone righty with it.
Well, it's funny when I right lefty.
To my everything lefty, I'll right righty. It's so weird.
That is weird.
Ye, My dad just flipped me around when I was a kid, said I was doing it backwards. So I actually could play play golf. When I was a junior golfer with my friends, I'd play lefty once in a while and could the game beat up on them. Not too bad, I think I haven't really, that's probably stop when I was like fourteen or fifth team, but a couple couple of nine hole games and high thirties or forty, so wow, you're like.
VJ level could come in handy for a shot you never know, although not the way you drive it though.
That's right, he doesn't have another spots, right, have to fight round.
I think over the last few years, I've tried to pull that at one time on like a green side shot and just totally butchered it, and like.
Well, there you go.
I'm gonna stick to a righty with your golf, all right, Lefty, I'll play golf righty. Well, Corey, really appreciate the time, good luck the rest of the year. Excited to see on that President's Cup team and we appreciate you taking some time.
Yeah, thanks guys, good join you.
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