This year’s quartet of Canadians at the Masters has the potential to be one of the best Canadian-born field ever. It’s quite fitting on the 20th anniversary of Mike Weir donning the green jacket, Canada has four homegrown golfers teeing up at Augusta National Golf Course this week.
The best chance at a win lies with Corey Conners from Listowel, Ontario. The 31-year-old has bragging rights heading into the Masters week after winning the Valero Texas Open for the second time in his career. The Valero was so nice, Conners won it twice, four years apart.
He has all the momentum heading into Masters week. Once he briefly basks in the glow from his second PGA Tour win (he’s the eighth Canadian to win multiple tournaments), Conners can focus on the most prestigious tournament in golf.
Conners joins Adam Svensson, Mackenzie Hughes and former Masters winner Weir as the Canadian contingent at Augusta National this week.
If ever there was a time for Conners to take the next step in his career, this week would be it. He posted three top-ten finishes at the Masters the last three years, with the 2022 tournament being his best, tied for sixth place.
With the roll Conners has been on as of late and his affinity for performing well at the Masters, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him finish inside the top 10 for the fourth consecutive time.
Svensson secured his spot at Augusta thanks to his first PGA Tour win at the RSM Classic this past November. This year marks his first appearance at The Masters and his first major PGA tournament. Besides his RSM win, Svensson placed in the top 10 at The Genesis Invitational back in February.
Another invitee to the Masters is Hughes, a Hamilton native. As the 54th ranked golfer on the PGA Tour, he sits one above his fellow countryman Svensson at 55th overall. Hughes earned his place at the Masters after capturing the Sanderson Farms Championship last October in Mississippi.
Hughes graces the majestic fairways at Augusta for the fourth time in his career. He made the cut the last two Masters, finishing tied for 40th and 50th, respectively.
It was two decades ago that Weir, a Brights Grove native, shocked the world by securing the green jacket during a one-hole playoff against Len Mattiace. It’s been 18 years since a Canadian has finished inside the top five at the Masters, when Weir placed fifth at Augusta National.
World number one player and defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler attempts go to back-to-back at Augusta and could be the fourth golfer in PGA history to win consecutive times. Tiger Woods was the last to win back-to-back at the Masters in 2001 and 2002.
Scheffler’s been on a tear this season, boasting nine top 10 finishes in the ten events he’s played so far this season. He has two wins under his belt so far this season and continues to dominate the tour. Another green jacket would solidify his spot as one of the top golfers in the game.
The Masters tournament kicks off this Thursday at Augusta National, with pre-tournament practice rounds taking place Monday and Tuesday.
