PINEHURST, N.C. — Seven Canadians in the field this week ties for the most ever at the U.S. Open. This is the first time, however, that the country’s best male golfers are shooting for something more than just a major championship.
This generation of it-could-happen-anytime winners on the PGA Tour are all fighting for a spot on Canada’s Olympic team for golf at the Paris Games, with Sunday being the cut-off date for qualifiers.
It’s no stretch to say that this country’s race is the closest of any other in the world.
“At times I’ve probably thought more about it than I probably would — or should,” Nick Taylor told Sportsnet. “But if I play good this week, I don’t have to worry about it.
“I’d love to be there, obviously. If I play well this week that takes care of it.”
Taylor has long been Canada’s top-ranked male golfer, after his RBC Canadian Open triumph last year and his WM Phoenix Open win earlier in 2024, and his spot on the team is likely closer to being a reality than any other. At 36, he knows this may be his best chance to earn a trip to the Olympics, as he’ll be 40 when the Los Angeles Games roll around in 2028.
At No. 32 in the world, Taylor will be hard-pressed be surpassed at Pinehurst. But, as Adam Hadwin proved last week at the Memorial tournament, one great result could mean a significant move up in the world rankings. Hadwin, who finished third Sunday, moved all the way from No. 59 to No. 35, jumping Corey Conners, who is No. 46.
The Olympic team is determined by world-ranking points, with only the top two earning spots to represent their country.
(The women’s Olympic cut-off is next week after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the third major of the year on the LPGA Tour. Brooke Henderson has once again qualified for Canada — it will be her third Olympics — while Alena Sharp is currently in the second spot.)
Conners has been Canada’s steadiest golfer so far in 2024 — he hasn’t yet missed a cut — and while it would be an honour for him to be an Olympian once again (Conners finished 13th in Tokyo, just two shots back of playoff for a bronze medal) he says this week is all about controlling what he can.
“I’m going to try my best out there and we’ll see what happens,” Conners said. “The only thing I can control is how I play and how I prepare — and that’s my focus for this week.”
Taylor Pendrith (No. 65), Mackenzie Hughes (No. 66), and Adam Svensson (No. 89) are also all in the field this week at Pinehurst and technically have a chance to jump into the conversation for an Olympic spot with a tremendous result. Amateur Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., rounds out the Canadian contingent this week.
It should be no surprise to see this group of six once again in a major championship, as they continue to put together a collection of results not ever seen by multiple Canadian men in professional golf. They have yet to be in the mix at a major championship so far in 2024, however.
Given what Pinehurst will demand from the players this week, the numbers say it should be the kind of place that Conners would thrive at. A native of Listowel, Ont., Conners is second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach the green, and third in greens in regulation. He’s also eighth in strokes gained: tee to green. He’s as complete a ball-striker as anyone on the PGA Tour.
“Controlling the ball into the greens will definitely be huge. But there will be some long approach shots where you’re not going to be perfect all the time and you’ll end up in some funky spots. I think certainly the short game is going to be key here, but you’ll set yourself up here by hitting it well and leaving yourself in better spots,” Conners said.
If there’s anything that could hold him back, it’s his record at the U.S. Open. He’s yet to make a cut at this major championship in his career.
“Certainly I don’t have a great track record at U.S. Opens but I like where my game is at,” Conners said. “I felt good about my game the last number of weeks — I’ve had some really solid rounds and lots of good signs there. I feel like I’m ready to get in the mix.”
Pinehurst No. 2 is set to be a tricky, but not tricked-up, challenge for the best in the world. The course is already playing firm and fast, with temperatures in the mid-to-low 30s set for the next four days.
Conners called it a “great test,” even though the strategy may be a bit one-
dimensional.
“It starts by hitting the fairway. Hitting the wide parts of the fairways to give yourself a chance to hit the green. The real difficulty is around the greens. You can get into some crazy spots and they have big run-offs,” he said.
“Even if you hit the green there is a lot of slope, so you can be left with treacherous putts.”
Taylor agrees. Canada’s top-ranked male golfer said there’s just no easy shots from tee to green. Although the greens are big in terms of square footage, the actual landing areas are small.
“You could take the pins out of every hole and hit it to the middle of the green and you’ll be happy,” Taylor said. “That’s a good rule of thumb on tough courses, but it’s a really good thing here. You just can’t hit it close. If you try to get cute, big numbers can happen.”
It’s time to get creative, Taylor said. He’s been trying shots with hybrids, putter, and wedges around the green. One former PGA Tour pro who is now a television analyst said guys were playing four-hour practice rounds Tuesday — for nine holes — as they were trying all kinds of different shots around the greens.
“You’re going to see everything this week,” he said. “It’s just going to be really hard. It’s just hard.”
A hard test ahead with an Olympic-sized carrot available at the end.
