KIAWAH ISLAND, United States: Corey Conners defied the hammering winds of Kiawah Island to fire a five-under par 67 and seize a two-stroke lead after Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship.
The 29-year-old Canadian overcame gusting breezes and sandy waste areas that played havoc with many of the world’s top golfers as second-ranked Justin Thomas and seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy struggled to 75s on the formidable Ocean Course.
“It was fairly stress-free,” Conners said of his round. “I got a lot of putts to go in. Kept the ball in the fairway for the most part.”
Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, 2011 PGA winner Keegan Bradley, fellow American Aaron Wise, Norway’s Viktor Hovland,…
