Corey Conners of Listowel, Ontario made Canadian golf history by becoming the first Canadian ever to reach the semifinals of the World Golf Matchplay Championships. Conners is joined in the semifinals by three Americans–Dustin Johnson, Kevin Kisner and Scottie Scheffler.
Conners reached the final four in Houston, Texas on Sunday after beating Takumi Kanaya of Japan in the round of 16 by a score of 5&3, and Abraham Ancer of Mexico 2 up in the quarterfinals.
In Conners’s win over Kanaya, Conners, the 36th seed, got off to a fantastic start. He got back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes top go two-up. Conners also had a birdie on the seventh hole to go three-up when he made the turn. On the back nine, Kanaya, the 56th seed, pulled within two when he birdied the 10th hole. Conners regrouped with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes before Kanaya conceded on the 15th hole.
In Conners’s win over Ancer, the 15th seed, he birdied the fifth and sixth holes, before Ancer pulled within one with a birdie on the eighth hole. On the back nine, Ancer tied the match on the 11th hole with a birdie. Conners regained the lead with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes. Ancer then birdied the 17th hole, and Conners birdied the 18th hole.
In the semifinals, Conners faces Kisner and Scheffler faces Johnson. The last Canadian to reach the quarterfinals of the World Golf Matchplay Championships was Stephen Ames of Calgary, Alberta in 2007.
