Q. You got hot there at the end with a birdie at 15 and closed it out with three straight birdies. What was the reason, is there one, or you just felt it?
COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I don't really know the reason. Wanted to take advantage of 15, the par-5. I had given myself good looks. Made one on 10.
Had a good look on 11, 12, 13, 14, wasn't able to convert.
Stayed patient. It was, like, keep giving myself chances and I'll get one to go, and was able to get a bunch to go at the end.
Q. What's the reason for the low scores today, because, I mean, Sepp birdied seven in row to start the back nine, Hideki is red hot, you played with Peter, is there a reason?
COREY CONNERS: I guess these guys are good. But the course is playing as simple as it can, I guess, with being really receptive into the greens. The wind was down a little bit today. It was still kind of there on a few holes to help you out, some of the longer holes typically play downwind and still get some short shots in. I think just the lower breeze and the great conditions. The greens are rolling really nicely and they're pretty receptive.
Q. For your game, you have to be really pleased. At least from my perspective iron play is spot on.
COREY CONNERS: Yeah, iron play was great. Mishit a few drives today. Try and tidy that up going into the weekend. Iron play felt great. I was giving myself good birdie looks every time I had an iron in my hand pretty much, and it definitely felt good.
Q. I liked the putt at 17. That was going in with pace.
COREY CONNERS: It was a little bit up the hill and some of 'em I was trying to hit putts to make 'em, and that was one. It was a green lighter, not much break, up the hill, and, yeah, hit that really solid, that was nice to see that go in the middle.
Q. Talk about the weekend now because obviously you got to keep the hammer down?
COREY CONNERS: Yeah, definitely. I feel good about my game, just kind of stick to the process, keep hitting good iron shots, give myself as many birdie looks as I can. Anything can happen. I stayed patient out there today, didn't really have it going, and 5-under the last four, so that can happen out here.
Q. Do you every get bored out there?
COREY CONNERS: Not here, not any where, really, no. If you get bored you just look around and it's pretty cool.
Q. What was your best shot coming in on that 5-under through the last four?
COREY CONNERS: Probably a putt, if you can count the eagle putt on 15, up the hill from pretty good distance. Kind of got that kick started.
Q. Where was the pin, pack?
COREY CONNERS: Pin on 15 was middle left. I was kind of in the front right and pretty straight up the hill, but, yeah, it was probably 50 feet away, so nice to see that go in.
Q. A theme this week has been expectations, because no one seems to have any, because it's January the 3rd or whatever it is. What about you?
COREY CONNERS: My expectations are to play well every day, but yeah, I was trying to come here with the mindset of getting myself in the mix and get off to a little better start than I did last year. I was kind of stuck in neutral for the first few months of the 2024 season, and I know how important it is to get off to a good start, and was motivated to kind of try and put the pedal down from the get-go.
Q. Why were you stuck in the mud last year do you think?
COREY CONNERS: Not really sure. Just didn't really have all parts of my game working each week. I would hit it really well and not convert, or wouldn't hit it great and then would save myself with short game, but it was just kind of middle of the pack for the first few months.
Q. When you look back to last year, is it at all easier this year not to have so many things hanging over your head? I know good play takes care of everything, but you guys got pounded with Presidents Cup, with Olympics.
COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I mean, I felt like I did a pretty good job of keeping those out of my mind, and just focus on playing golf. But, yeah, definitely this year those events aren't on the calendar, so yeah, just try and play well each week and have some fun.
Q. What's the main goal now that those aren't out there for you to chase?
COREY CONNERS: Getting back in the winner's circle here on TOUR. Yeah, trying to get myself in the mix as much as possible. Make it to East Lake, get a chance to win the FedExCup.
Q. Any equipment changes since last season?
COREY CONNERS: New Ping G 440 driver put in play back in December, about a month ago. I used it at the Grant Thornton in Naples. Using it here as well. A 3-wood as well. Other than that, same setup.
Q. Must be pretty good.
COREY CONNERS: It's not bad. Yeah, I was joking with everyone it's, like, it tightens the dispersion, which my dispersion wasn't too crazy before, so it's, yeah, it's been solid, feels really good and looks good.
Q. Do you have any vices?
COREY CONNERS: Not really, just go with the flow, I don't know.
Q. What's your, let me ask you this, what's your big splurge?
COREY CONNERS: I mean, I don't know. Pretty simple. Fortunate to be able to have nice things.
Q. You're not really obsessed with that stuff?
COREY CONNERS: Not really. I bought a car a couple years ago, that was probably a big splurge, but I don't know.
Q. What was the car?
COREY CONNERS: RS 7 Audi.
Q. Had you been thinking about it for awhile?
COREY CONNERS: I had wanted one. It was a pipe dream mostly, and one came available so I was able to get it. Not really. We built a nice home in Canada. Just, yeah, try and do as many nice things for the family as I can, that's pretty much it.
Q. Xander Schauffele only has one car and it's a 2016 Camry.
COREY CONNERS: I think he may have a new one now, but.
Q. I don't think so.
COREY CONNERS: Well, all right, yeah, he drives around in some nice rentals then maybe. I don't know. I mean, I'm not quite at that level, but yeah, never go crazy.
Q. What did you have before you came on TOUR? Did you have the one car that you put a ton of miles on?
COREY CONNERS: Yeah, I had a never really had one for that long. I had a Mazda 3 hatchback when I was in college, and then got a Jeep Grand Cherokee when I turned pro. So none of them really -- I never really did the mini-tour drive across the country situation, so none of them really got pounded with the miles, just a few trips back and forth from Florida and Canada.
Q. That's enough, isn't it?
COREY CONNERS: I no longer make that drive. I'll splurge for a flight now.
Q. Did you spend some quality time after the Presidents Cup in Canada?
COREY CONNERS: We actually went to, went back to Florida right after the Presidents Cup and had a little boy about a month after, end of October. So was able to spend a month home with the family and had our son, Tate, and been able to more or less spend the last couple months with him. We've been mostly in Florida, Canada for a few days at Christmas.
Q. Number two?
COREY CONNERS: Number two, yeah. He's wearing us out, but it's nice that mom's taking control this week and, yeah, happy to be out here.
Q. What happened on 9?
COREY CONNERS: I just made an uncommitted swing on the tee. I had a funny situation. So my ball was in the long grass, and it was actually embedded in the long grass. So I had the official there and was trying to get relief from the embedded ball, and wasn't entitled to that because I didn't really have a shot. Which, I didn't really have a shot. If my ball wasn't plugged I would have been taking an unplayable. Could have argued maybe that I could have swung, but so I took an unplayable lie, and then the Shot Link tower was in my way, so I got a drop, was on the cart path, took relief from that. But it was just set up by a poor drive. Gave myself a par putt, but wasn't able to convert it.
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