For the primary time in 20 years, a Canadian has a share of the 36-hole lead at a significant championship.

Corey Conners, a local of Listowel, Ontario, Canada, shot 67 on Thursday and a 68 on Friday to sit down at 5-under for the PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

The Canadian is tied atop the leaderboard with Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland; Conners and Scheffler tee off at 2:50 p.m. Saturday within the remaining pairing.

Provided that Oak Hill sits simply 90 miles from the Canadian border, Conners has obtained fairly the assist on the grounds this week.

“Numerous Canadian cheers [out here],” Conners mentioned after his second spherical. “Being so near the Canadian border, I feel numerous followers got here down from Canada. I felt fairly particular to have lots of assist on the market.”

Conners has leaned on his assist to vault himself to the highest of the leaderboard.

Curiously, in line with Justin Ray of The Athletic, Conners shares some statistical similarities to Jason Dufner’s 2013 season.

Dufner gained the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill:

To win at Oak Hill, gamers must put themselves ready to hit the inexperienced. It’s a ball-striking golf course.

Via 36 holes, Conners ranks seventh in strokes gained: approaching the inexperienced as he has hit 24-of-36 greens. He has made 9 birdies to date.

Nonetheless, of the 12 greens he missed, Conners has managed to rise up and down eight occasions. His scrambling share ranks tied for eleventh within the area, thus proving his brief recreation has what it takes to win a significant.

Photograph by Darren Carroll/PGA of America by way of Getty Photographs

The pivotal juncture of his second spherical got here on the seventeenth and 18th holes, two of Oak Hill’s more durable par fours.

At 17, Conners pushed his tee shot proper, hit his second wanting the inexperienced, and relied on his nifty brief recreation to avoid wasting his par.

Conners once more missed the golf green proper on the following gap as he drove into one of many deep bunkers 300 yards from the tee.

He was pressured to layup, and he hit his second shot 84 yards wanting the inexperienced and into the tough. It appeared like he would drop a shot at 18, however his third landed ten toes from the pin, the place he promptly sunk his par putt earlier than making the flip.

Conners ranks 4th in strokes gained placing among the many area, another excuse he’s contending at Oak Hill.

The Canadian has the components to win at Oak Hill. Now he has to execute.