PGA Tour rookie Corey Conners was smiling despite a tough ending to his run at the Valspar Championship.
After holding a lead for three days, Conners saw his name slip down on the leaderboard to a tie for 16th at -3. The Listowel, Ont., native took a 6-over 77 finish after going into Sunday's round with a one-stroke advantage over Tiger Woods at 9-under par.
Valspar Championship: Paul Casey hangs on to beat charging Tiger Woods
The wheels fell off for Conners during the final round. He made bogeys at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 10, shot a double-bogey at No. 13 and dropped another shot at 18.
More @coreconn "I proved a lot to myself, got a lot of confidence in my game that I could get myself in the mix." https://t.co/7eF7cGPRfw
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) March 11, 2018
Conners finished one shot behind Moose Jaw, Sask., native Adam Hadwin, who climbed 16 spots on the leaderboard during Sunday's final to finish at T12. Paul Casey, who began the final round five shots behind Conners, won the tournament after shooting 6-under 65 to notch a 10-under.
The Valspar Championship marked Conners' 21st PGA Tour event and his first 36-hole lead. The 26-year-old showed poise, thriving under the pressure of his three-day lead before succumbing on the final day.
It was a hard fall from the top, but Conners can be proud of his rookie showing against Tour giants like Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Patrick Reed.