Latest news with #NickTaylor
National Post
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- National Post
What makes The Open so special? More creativity and fewer drunks, say Canadian pros
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — There are four Canadians in this week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush and each one had a different answer when asked what the greatest challenge of links golf is. Article content Between learning the wind, the hard turf, the blind shots and the tricky short game, Canada's best golfers still managed to have a fun competition on Tuesday morning with Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith coming out on top over Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes. Article content 'We ham-and-egged quite nicely,' Pendrith said. 'We had three eagles and bunch of birdies combined so it was fun.' Article content The big-hitter from Richmond Hill, Ont., has the most to learn in the days leading up to the season's final major, considering his first taste of links golf came just last week at the Scottish Open. Article content 'It's really cool and unique and like nothing that I've ever played,' Pendrith said. 'It was nice to see two different winds because the course can play so different. It's all wind dependent.' Article content On Monday, the par-4 11th hole at Portrush was a driver and a fairway wood. On Tuesday with the wind flipped, it was a driver and a wedge. Article content Pendrith said last week in the Scottish Open he hit a 2-iron from 320 yards to 30 feet, straight into the wind on the lively turf. Article content 'Just hit it and ran it up there,' he said. 'So you can play so many different shots. It brings out the creativity in your game.' Article content Tuesday at a major means an all-Canadian practice round.🇨🇦 Here at Royal Portrush the numbers worked out nicely for a foursome: Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith. Team Taylor & Taylor went home happy making 'three eagles and a bunch of birdies.' — Jon McCarthy (@jonmccarthySUN) July 15, 2025 Article content The firm fairways seem to be one of the biggest learning curves for Conners, of Listowel, Ont., who told the Sun both last year and on Tuesday that his world-class ball-striking is not fully comfortable getting through the uniquely hard links turf. Article content 'A little bit of an adjustment getting over here,' Conners said. 'With the firmness of the turf, I wouldn't say I struck my irons particularly well. I've got to be a little bit more aggressive off the firm turf.' Article content Conners is coming off a wrist injury suffered at the U.S. Open, where he was forced to withdraw, but after testing it for four days at the Scottish Open, he's confident it's ready to go. Article content For five-time tour winner Nick Taylor from Abbotsford, B.C., getting used to all the blind shots and trusting the targets he and his caddie Dave Markle have set for themselves is a big deal this week. Article content 'I'm not used to this many blind shots,' Taylor said. 'The holes back home are shaped for you, whether it's trees or bunkering. Here, it's committing to your lines and obviously the ball can get away from you with how much it runs.' Article content Article content For Hughes, the biggest difference the Dundas, Ont., native has found is the creativity needed around the greens, where there are always multiple ways to play every shot, including possibly a putter. Compare that to the PGA Tour, where most golfers have their 60-degree wedge in hand as soon as they miss a green. Article content Article content 'It makes you play a bit more on feel and instincts and have some imagination, which I think I tend to excel in situations like that,' Hughes said. Article content All four players agreed that creativity around the greens is a must in links golf. Article content 'You can hit shots with whatever club you want,' Pendrith said. 'There are a lot of putters here for me and bump shots where I turn down the face of my 60 or 56. It's all about figuring out how it will roll through the grass and bounce through the grass.' Article content Another thing all the Canadians agree on is the warmth and knowledge of the golf fans, who are already pouring into Portrush for the practice rounds. There are expected to be more than 275,000 fans over the week.
CBC
15 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Corey Conners, healed from a wrist injury, leads Canadian foursome into British Open
Four Canadians are in the field for the British Open, which begins Thursday at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. World No. 24 Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., headlines the Canadian contingent with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. Conners is in a first-round group with 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, while Pendrith tees off in an early group alongside 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day. A month ago, Conners withdrew from the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., after being forced out of the U.S. Open before the final round due to a wrist injury. The Canadian has recorded five top-10 finishes this season on the PGA Tour, including at the Masters. Royal Portrush last hosted The Open in 2019, when Shane Lowry claimed the Claret Jug. Defending champion Xander Schauffele returns after a final-round 65 clinched a two-shot win at Royal Troon in 2024. Hughes was the top Canadian last year, finishing 2 over for the tournament and tied for 16th. The tournament offers a purse of $17 million US.
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Corey Conners leads Canadian foursome into British Open at Royal Portrush
Canada's Corey Conners plays off the 14th tee during a practice round for the British Open golf championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on July 15, 2025. (Peter Morrison / AP Photo) PORTRUSH — Four Canadians are in the field for the British Open, which begins Thursday at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. World No. 24 Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., headlines the Canadian contingent with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. Conners is in a first-round group with 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, while Pendrith tees off in an early group alongside 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day. Royal Portrush last hosted The Open in 2019, when Shane Lowry claimed the Claret Jug. Defending champion Xander Schauffele returns after a final-round 65 clinched a two-shot win at Royal Troon in 2024. Hughes was the top Canadian last year, finishing 2 over for the tournament and tied for 16th. The tournament offers a purse of US$17 million. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Corey Conners leads Canadian foursome into British Open at Royal Portrush
PORTRUSH – Four Canadians are in the field for the British Open, which begins Thursday at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. World No. 24 Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., headlines the Canadian contingent with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. Conners is in a first-round group with 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, while Pendrith tees off in an early group alongside 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day. Royal Portrush last hosted The Open in 2019, when Shane Lowry claimed the Claret Jug. Defending champion Xander Schauffele returns after a final-round 65 clinched a two-shot win at Royal Troon in 2024. Hughes was the top Canadian last year, finishing 2 over for the tournament and tied for 16th. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The tournament offers a purse of US$17 million. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
National Post
19 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Fellow PGA Tour players react to Scottie Scheffler's shocking comments
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Two days before play at the Open Championship is set to begin, Scottie Scheffler shocked the golf world at Royal Portrush by saying he doesn't find the game fulfilling or satisfying, and that victories only offer him a few minutes of euphoria. Article content 'I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what's the point? This is not a fulfilling life,' Scheffler said as part of a lengthy speech during a press conference on Tuesday. Article content Article content When the Toronto Sun relayed the world No. 1's comments to Nick Taylor following a practice round, the Canadian golfer was able to relate to some of what the three-time major winner had said. Article content 'In this game, you're always chasing,' Taylor told the Sun. 'If you look at him I think that's probably why he's so driven.' Article content 'It's easy to settle in this game and that's when you get in trouble. But it's always on to the next. That's the theme out here. It's not like other sports where you win the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup and you have time to soak it in. Article content 'When I've won, I've played the next week every time and it's always like three days later it's onto next week and you're trying to focus on that but it's difficult. It's interesting.' Article content Five-time PGA Tour winner Taylor said he certainly finds winning tournaments satisfying, but understands that everyone is an individual and some players are in a different position. Article content 'There's fulfillment for sure with success,' Taylor said. 'I think everyone is at a different level as to what fills their cup essentially.' Article content Article content Taylor Pendrith seemed to have a slightly more difficult time putting himself in Scheffler's shoes. Article content Article content 'The guy wins so much, maybe he's only happy for a few minutes,' Pendrith said. 'I've only won once and had a couple other chances and it's exciting to do. I don't know. I think I would find winning fulfilling. Article content 'You want to put yourself in that position as much as you can because it doesn't happen very often.' Article content 'I think you have to enjoy the good times, but at the end of the day it is a job and there's much more to life,' he said. 'I really enjoy my time away from the game.' Article content Taylor added that he feels there is something to be learned from Scheffler's point of view on success and fulfillment. Article content 'I can understand what he's saying, but what I take from that is that is why he's so driven,' Taylor said. 'His thing is kind of the journey, it's not what's at the end of it. Article content
