WEBVTT - Episode 23: Corey Conners 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:02.400 The guys from Ping. They've kind of showed me how 0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:05.120 much the equipment matters. I just love that I can 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:06.600 hit any shot. I kind of want. 0:00:06.720 --> 0:00:08.520 We're gonna be able to tell some fun stories about 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:10.640 what goes on here to help golfers play better golf. 0:00:11.400 --> 0:00:13.800 Welcome back to the Ping Proving Grounds Podcast. I'm Shane 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:15.720 Bak and that is Marty Jerts, and we are in 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:18.560 the Ping truck. The tour truck. Cory Connors is here 0:00:18.560 --> 0:00:19.400 by the way, Marty. 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:20.040 Yeah, see him. 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:25.119 Yeah, And you're having a fantastic year, very consistent, and 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.080 we're excited to deep dive into a few tomics. 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:30.000 Before we get into your golf game. I was told 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:32.480 before we got going that you have an amazing golf room. 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:34.800 Can we expand a little bit on this golf room? 0:00:34.840 --> 0:00:36.839 Because I didn't nobody, I didn't get any details. I 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:39.080 don't know if there's like a simulator in there, Like, 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:40.080 what are we talking about? 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:42.640 Yeah, my wife and I both from a small town 0:00:42.680 --> 0:00:45.240 list Well, Ontario, Canada, So we built a house there. 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.680 You know, we've been living at this summer and was 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:52.840 able to design the house from scratch and of course 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:55.440 tried to fit in ample space to put a nice 0:00:55.440 --> 0:01:01.600 golf room. So yeah, I've got a simulator Foresight GC 0:01:01.800 --> 0:01:06.560 Hawk and pretty cool, you know, fun to play games. 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:10.240 You know, can practice, you know, familiar with the foresight, 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:14.119 you know data and you know it's good to check 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:15.440 in on things or good to be able to check 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.720 in on things while at home. I've also got a 0:01:17.760 --> 0:01:20.960 put view putting green so projects lines and can set 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.960 up drills and it's it's a really cool tool that 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:27.760 you know, I've I've loved just messing around with and 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.160 it's as much fun as it is work. But I 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:33.120 think you can, you know, learn a lot from it 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:35.280 or take a lot from it in just some short 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:37.880 practice sessions. So it's it's been pretty fun to have 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:40.360 the ability to keep the game sharp. The weather's great 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:42.760 in Canada throughout the summer. But I've found myself, you know, 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:47.440 getting dirty in the golf room and my almost two 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:51.640 year old daughter Reese every morning she's saying, dad balls, 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:55.320 Dad ball, She's right in there. Yeah, she's likes teeing 0:01:55.400 --> 0:01:58.080 up the balls and she's got a little putter knocking 0:01:58.160 --> 0:02:00.960 them around the putting green, and it's it's pretty fun 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:02.600 to share that with her too. But it's it's a 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.320 cool space and something that you know, I'm happy I 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:07.440 fit into the design and it's turned out great. 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.480 I need your parntal advice on this because my four 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:12.920 year old son just zero interest in golf. He did 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:14.960 ask yesterday for his putter. We got him one of 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:16.799 the pink putters and he asked, so the red one 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:18.880 because my daughter got the yellow one. He says, is 0:02:18.880 --> 0:02:19.400 this the red one? 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:19.679 Dad? 0:02:20.080 --> 0:02:21.959 But no interest? How did this happen? 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:25.320 Yeah, I think just organically. I think, yeah, she really 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.520 hasn't you know, she's still really really young, but you know, 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:32.800 just she's she's Daddy's girl, so she wants to be 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.280 with dad when whenever we're home, and if dad's putting 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:38.799 her chipping her hidden ball, she's she's right in there, 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:40.119 doesn't want to miss miss out. 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:41.880 So yeah, it's it's cool. 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:44.120 I mean, I you know, I would love her to 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:46.799 play golf, definitely. I think it's an amazing game obviously, 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.040 But yeah, it just happened organically and she seems into it, 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:51.200 so we'll see where that goes. 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:52.560 Corey. 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:54.360 I think, I mean one of the fun things about 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:56.480 watching you and the rest of the Canadian contingent this 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.959 year is just how strong it feels like Canadian golf is. 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:03.040 You know, Nick Taylor went in you know that event 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:06.079 and the way that he did was unbelievable. Uh, tell 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:08.360 us a little bit just about like the culture of 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:12.000 growing up playing golf in Canada and what other sports 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:14.799 did you play and in things of that nature. 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:17.320 Yeah, it's been really fun to be a Canadian on 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:20.240 the PGA Tour right now. That Canadian golf is you know, 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:22.959 significantly on the rise, and it's just great to be 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:25.240 a part of it. We're all motivating each other, we're 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:28.119 all really close friends and all supporting each other. So yeah, 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:31.200 watching Nick when the RBC Canadian Open was unbelievable. Been 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.880 so long since Canadian had won our national championship and 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:37.440 you know MATC Hughes had to win this season, Adam 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:40.520 Spencer had to win, Adam had been had. 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:40.960 A great year. 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.080 You know, a bunch of other Canadians out here and 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:48.160 more coming. So it's exciting, you know to be a 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.880 part of that. But growing up in Canada, I think 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:54.160 Canadians are crazy about all sports and golf's no different. 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:58.080 So many people play golf. It's a really popular sport. Unfortunately, 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.200 where I grew up. The golf seasons on about six months. 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:01.120 So. 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:04.120 You know, you can't enjoy it all year round, but 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:07.160 for those six months, the people are definitely wearing it out. 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:11.600 And yeah, just love getting outside and growing up. You know, 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:13.840 I'd play golf six months. I'd get a year's worth 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:16.159 of golf in those six months. Definitely. I lived at 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:20.200 the golf course, worked there, and you know, basically all 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:23.279 my childhood, remember, just just beating up the local Listable 0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:26.799 golf club. Played pretty much every sport in high school. 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.400 I was an avid hockey player as well, starting I 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.680 was like four years old until uh the end of 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.800 high school, so that it was another big passion of 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:38.320 mine and a big hockey fan. Follow the Toronto Maple Leafs, 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:42.400 which is pretty pretty standard for people from Ontario, Canada. 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:47.679 But throughout high school played badminton, volleyball, really liked those sports. 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.440 Played on the basketball team for a few years, played 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:51.560 some baseball as a kid. 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.200 Just yeah, love love sports, loved you. 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:57.680 Know, competing and hanging out with friends and growing up 0:04:57.720 --> 0:04:59.360 in a small town. You know a lot of the 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:02.080 people I played sports with were you know, the same 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:03.840 in every sport. So we had a lot of fun 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:06.200 together and we were all really close friends, so that 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:06.719 was cool. 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.320 When did golf emerge is like, Okay, I'm gonna I'm 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:12.359 gonna specialize in golf. I mean, you played everything you know, 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:15.839 and I'm also curious about, uh, just the transfer of 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.880 skills from hockey to golf. It seems like so many 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.040 hockey players turn in or just naturally good golfers. 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:23.440 Yeah. 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:26.279 I think there was a moment when I was fourteen 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:29.120 years old where I could have stepped up my level 0:05:29.120 --> 0:05:33.400 of hockey and sort of decreased the amount of golf, 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:37.400 but I, you know, kind of chose golf, saw you know, 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:41.800 possible future with that, and so kind of took a 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:44.839 step back with the hockey and you know, just went 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:48.159 back to my local town to play for a local 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:52.080 team instead of traveling as much as I could have possibly, 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:55.080 And yeah, just put a little more focus onto my 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:55.599 golf game. 0:05:55.640 --> 0:05:55.800 Then. 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:59.560 Definitely, as far as the hockey and golf translation, I think, 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:02.920 you know, the motion of shooting a hockey pock, the 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:05.039 slap shot, there's a lot of mechanics that are pretty 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:08.560 similar to the golf swing. The way your body moves, 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:11.800 and yeah, it's it's funny. A lot of a lot 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:13.800 of hockey players are pretty good golfers and can hit 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:14.599 it a long way. 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:17.200 So they all hit those hard hooks too, Yeah, a 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:18.200 booming hook. 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.120 It's the Yeah, the the hand motions a little bit 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.160 different because you're kind of flipping your your hands are 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:25.120 separated at a hockey stick, and you're kind of flipping 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:27.400 your hands over a little bit on some shots using 0:06:27.400 --> 0:06:29.600 your your right hand a little more than you would 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:32.479 want to, uh ideally on a golf swing. But yeah, 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:34.719 a lot of the hockey players I've played with really 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:36.680 powerful guys, and they smoke it. 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:39.800 Corey, can you give us like your handicap? What you 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.120 were good and bad at at basketball and also hockey? Like, 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:45.440 were you like a two handicap in hockey? 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:45.520 Like? 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.600 How good were I was basketball? I wasn't particularly great. 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:50.920 I think I just used my athleticism to to hide 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.839 my weaknesses. Wasn't a particularly great shooter. 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:54.120 I was. 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.840 I was a you know, a guard. It would kind 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.240 of bring the ball up, but not a not a shooter. 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:01.960 I yeah, more of a playmaker. It was kind of 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:05.719 similar in hockey as well. I, you know, would be 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:08.120 just as satisfied getting a nice assist as scoring a goal. 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:14.320 So but yeah, basketball, I'm probably a ten handicap, not nothing, nothing. 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:16.040 Special, but could could get by. 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.360 But hockey, definitely, I would say I was a scratch 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:24.720 and you know, could have definitely couldn't have played in 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.040 the NHL, but you know, could have moved along in 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:29.880 hockey and and been you know, at some higher levels. 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.040 But we've talked about the boom of Canadian golf. I'm 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.080 assuming Mike Queer was a big part of this kind 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:37.960 of growing up when you have a short season six 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.240 months of golf being available, and then obviously you've got 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:41.560 to focus on other things or you've got to go 0:07:41.600 --> 0:07:45.440 inside in practice. How do you convince your parents, how 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:47.600 do you convince coaches and your friends this is the 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:49.560 sport I'm going to focus on because I mean it 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:51.960 almost might be living in a landlocked area and wanting 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:54.120 to sail, you know, it's like there's not a whole bunch. 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:54.960 Of availability for it. 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:57.600 Yeah, I think I was lucky throughout the summer having 0:07:57.600 --> 0:07:59.400 great access to facility. 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:00.680 You know, I was really nice. 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:02.960 I had twenty seven holes the listable golf club and 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.920 a nice range, and you know, was able to find 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:08.160 space on the golf course. You know, wasn't afraid to 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:10.400 go play by myself and you know, make games and 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:12.360 drop a ball at one hundred yards every hole, and 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:14.360 you know, see if I could be three, four or 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.640 five under par. I think, you know, my parents were 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:22.600 really supportive and whatever I wanted to do, and you know, yeah, 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:25.040 it was it was basically on me if whatever whatever 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:27.440 I wanted, they were going to support. So you know, 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:29.880 I put a lot of time into honing my craft 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:31.480 on the golf course and I think they saw that, 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:33.520 so they were they were definitely really supportive of that. 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:37.160 But yeah, I enjoyed playing the other sports as well, 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:39.440 and to be honest, throughout the winter time, I really 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:41.880 didn't play a whole lot of golf. I think that 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:45.280 changed towards the end of high school with the Canadian 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:49.000 national development team's been part of the nation. Was part 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.800 of the national team when I was sixteen years old, 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.640 and throughout the winter months we would travel to training 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.640 camps and you know be able to you know, try 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.319 and stay as sharp as possible. And then yeah, that 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.240 led into going to college at Kent State and on 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:09.000 the golf scholarship, and again parents were supportive and whatever 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:10.520 I wanted to do so. 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.439 Corey, at Kent State, you studied actuary math. So this 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.439 is like business risk assessment and things of that nature. Right, 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:20.640 So what tell us the story of how why you 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:24.319 chose to study math? And then do you use any 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:27.000 any of those skills either in looking at your stats 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.800 or planning tournament schedules or anything in that nature. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:33.920 Yeah, it certainly doesn't sound like a very exhilarating major 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:38.120 to anyone else, but I I think I definitely enjoyed, 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.520 enjoyed that I actually started in science program. I worked 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:45.960 in a pharmacy through high school and had possible aspirations 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.360 as a backup plan to maybe get into that. So 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:52.640 I started in a science program in biochemistry, and the 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:56.160 lab time that was required for the biology and chemistry 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:59.760 courses was not ideal for practicing. 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:01.240 I was okay with them. 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:03.400 My coach was like, we gotta stop, we gotta stop 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.400 the missing every practice every afternoon, I'm sitting in a 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:10.560 science So that was my first year and a half, 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:13.080 I think, and at that point I was like, well, 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:14.439 I'm open to switching. 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:15.160 What you know. 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:17.760 I want to, you know, make sure I can still 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:20.440 focus on golf as much as possible, So what what 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:22.800 are my other options? And you know, I was passionate 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:27.160 about mathematics as well, and and finance and actuarial math 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:30.360 kind of fit the bill and didn't really have to, 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.760 you know, change too much about the direction I was going, 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:35.040 So you know, I was taking a lot of the 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:40.280 prerequisites for for both regardless, and yeah, it was it 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:42.560 was fun. There was a small class. I think there 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:44.520 was like ten or twelve of us pretty much had 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.640 all the classes together the junior and senior years, and 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.480 you know, we became close friends and we'd study together, 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:55.600 and yeah, it was good times. Missing class is difficult, 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:57.360 think the golfers miss a lot of class as we 0:10:57.400 --> 0:10:59.880 travel for you know, three four five days for tournaments 0:10:59.880 --> 0:11:03.120 and you're you're at a class those days. So classmates 0:11:03.160 --> 0:11:05.959 and and professors were quite supportive and helping me, uh, 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.800 you know, make up work and you know, answering answering 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:11.559 questions or helping me get through it. 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:14.280 One of the great compliments that a professional golfer could 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.160 get is being called a flusher. Now you're a guy 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.800 that is being called the flusher basically since you started 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.560 to hit golf balls. What does it mean when other 0:11:22.679 --> 0:11:25.840 pros say, this guy's a flusher, and who are some 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:28.280 people that you feel like you look at and go, 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:30.400 my goodness, you should see this guy hit a golf ball. 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:34.880 Yeah, it's it's obviously a huge compliment. And you know 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:37.160 something that I feel like I was kind of blessed 0:11:37.200 --> 0:11:41.920 with and sort of always hit the ball. Well, I've 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.240 got some good guidance from a young age, And yeah, 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:47.840 it feels pretty cool when you know other pros recognize 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:50.880 that skill as obviously there's a ton of world class 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:54.959 players out here and and world class talent. I love 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:59.440 watching Rory hit a ball that's just yeah, majestic. And 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:03.280 I didn't really see myself in the same category necessarily 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:07.280 of flushers as a guy like him. But yeah, like 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.840 playing with with Colin Morrikawa as well, really really solid. 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:12.800 It's it's kind of cool. 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:15.600 Or he predominantly hits fades and I predominantly hit draws, 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:17.760 so we kind of are both curving it back to 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:20.800 the target different ways and both both do hit it 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:21.640 hit it pretty nice. 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:23.960 So when you say you're not in the same class 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:25.480 as a Rory or a call and when you kind 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.000 of think about that in your brain, do you force 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.080 yourself to look at stats, to look at where you 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:33.400 landed on a page at the end of the tournament, 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:36.240 to actually go kind of against maybe what you think 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:38.600 is you're watching a Rory mclroy up close, going on, 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:40.480 my goodness, I can't do what he does. Then you 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.080 look at the stats sheet and it says you. 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:44.400 Can do what he does. Yeah, yeah, I do a 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:44.800 little bit. 0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:45.280 You know. 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:49.640 It's definitely gratifying to see some of the stats. I 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:51.760 think more so kind of at the end of the year, 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.240 on a week to week basis, I kind of realize, 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:55.800 you know, if I if I hit it well, or 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:57.640 what I was doing well, or what I was doing 0:12:57.640 --> 0:12:59.679 poorly for that matter, But kind of at the end 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:02.080 of the year, you know, and kind of get the 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:06.280 cumulative work, you know, tallied up and can can see, 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:10.080 you know, how how my skills were. Yeah, it's pretty 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:13.160 cool being near the top of the ball striking categories. 0:13:13.400 --> 0:13:13.640 Core. 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:15.920 You work with Derek Ingram as one of our ping ambassadors. 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.040 What type of things? How long have you worked with him, 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:20.240 and what type of things do you work on, Like 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:23.920 if you're if you're iron play driving gets a little 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:25.640 bit off, what are your tendencies? What do you what 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:26.440 do you guys work on. 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:28.760 Yeah, I've worked with Derek Ingram for a long time 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:30.360 and you know, owe him a lot of credit to 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:34.960 my success. He's an unbelievable guy, unbelievable coach and incredibly 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:38.560 knowledgeable in the game of golf and many other areas. 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:41.880 But work together since I was on the national team 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:46.320 probably fifteen years now, and remembering back some of the 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.839 years when I was still part of the national development program, 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:53.360 I think he and I spent more days together, you know, 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:56.240 on the road, you know, working on my game. 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:58.040 Then he spent at home with his wife. 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:00.920 So I you know, his wife a lot of credit 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:03.160 too for putting up with him. But he's just an 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:07.319 awesome guy. And what we've been working on really hasn't 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:10.800 changed much over the years. A lot of it just 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:13.720 stems from, you know, my my setup position. There's a 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.760 few little keys that I like to feel on the 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:20.040 takeaway of my swing and kind of just get the 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:23.400 good rhythm started going in the right direction, and you know, 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:26.680 continuing to work on using my body more. You know, 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:29.400 as I start playing more tournaments in a row, I 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:31.640 feel like, you know, my my hands take over a 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:35.600 little bit and become a little less consistent, so just 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.720 really try and simplify things as much as possible. But 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.200 the biggest key for me just stems from from the setup. 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.040 You know, my setup position, you know alignment, which is 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:48.880 you know, quite basic, but it's it's something that's very important. 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:50.960 If I'm set up well, there's a pretty good chance 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:52.120 I'm going to hit it well. 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.400 You've played some really consistent major championship golf over the 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.480 last few years. You've played well at Augusta, You've played 0:14:57.480 --> 0:14:59.600 well at the PGA Championship a couple of times last 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.400 three years, had a good finish at the Open a 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.120 couple of years ago. What has to go into a 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:06.440 good week at a major championship? And as you kind 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:08.200 of look at the way you've played in those majors, 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:11.160 what's that next step or what's that next thing that 0:15:11.240 --> 0:15:13.560 you need to do to go from the top ten 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:16.320 and the top eight finish to top two, top three 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:18.000 Relli in contention on a Sunday. 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.560 Yeah, it's the majors, I would say, I'm getting more 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:23.280 comfortable and definitely they've all kind of been a little 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.720 bit of a learning experience for me. And you know, 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:27.360 a week in, a week out on the PGA Tour, 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.520 we're playing at the same courses, and you know, apart 0:15:29.560 --> 0:15:33.000 from the Masters, the you know, other major championship venues changed, 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:34.760 so there's a bit of a learning curve to try 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:39.640 and figure out those venues. This past spring at the 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.720 PGA Championship, I had played at o'kill before, you know, 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:45.520 didn't remember it great, but like had some familiarity which 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:47.280 I think helped, you know, got off to a really 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:49.200 good start there and kind of got myself in the mix, 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:54.200 you know, going into the final round. But the uh, yeah, 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:56.880 the other majors that they're so fun to be at 0:15:56.920 --> 0:15:59.440 a major championship. It's just got a special feeling to it, 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.760 and you know, it requires everything to be clicking, you know, 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:05.680 to get yourself near the top of the leader board. 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.160 There's so many talented players, and you know, the venues 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:12.600 are all really challenging and you know, different ways, but yeah, 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.640 it's everything's got to be clicking. And you know, I've 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.600 tried to kind of build my schedule to where I 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:21.360 you know, feel like I'm going to be you know 0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:25.360 as much rested, but also you know, playing playing well. 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.000 What does that look like for you specifically, because everybody 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:29.960 likes to change their schedule differently. I mean, you know, 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:31.920 Phil used to play the week before, Tiger always take 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:34.440 it off. What's kind of the best recipe for Corey 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:35.920 Connor's going into major weeks? 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:38.360 Yeah, I think, you know, I think playing the week 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:40.920 before is helpful because you can definitely see where your 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:42.720 game's at. But I just don't want to play a 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.240 major championship that's you know, my sort of fourth week 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:47.720 in a row, because you know physically mentally you're going 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:50.600 to be a little bit burnt out. So there's been 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:54.160 a few major championships where you know, I've had the 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:57.200 week off before. I enjoy playing the Scottish Open before 0:16:57.200 --> 0:17:00.440 the Open Championship. I've had some good says that the 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:05.119 Valero Texas Open before Augusta. So probably, uh, probably. 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:09.159 Continue continue doing doing that. I think. 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:12.280 Yeah, some of the some of the US Open venues, 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:16.280 you know, it's fallen right after the RBC Canadian Open 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:18.639 the last few years, which is another you know major 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.480 right in my mind, must play. So you know, the 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:26.439 US Open venues I think are very challenging. And you know, 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.320 I hadn't really hadn't played any of the venues that 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.240 I've played a US Open up before, so again trying 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.159 to learn the golf course and and figure out what 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:38.800 it's going to take, you know, to be successful. I 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:41.920 think things important, but those those weeks can can get, 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:47.320 can get along with the preparation the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.440 Yeah, a lot of energy management. Sounds like, Corey, you 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:56.200 won the Valerio Texas Open in nineteen and twenty three. 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.680 What is it kind of to juxtapose that a little 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:03.399 bit one course that you think has suited your game? Well, 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:06.640 you know, the conditions, the turf, the wind, the breeze, 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:09.080 the bermuda. I mean, what is it that has really 0:18:09.840 --> 0:18:10.800 syncd up with your game? 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:11.160 Yeah? 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:12.960 I think ever since the first time I played there, 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:15.680 I really loved the golf course. I think the week 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:19.880 overall is awesome. The hotels right on site, the JW. Marriott, 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:23.800 so the you know, logistically the week is really easy. Yeah, 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:26.240 the great facilities there. And I think the golf course 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:28.720