Aberg leads at Players Championship, Corey Conners in mix

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — When Corey Conners saw his long par putt roll 44 feet up a hill, then disappear into the cup on the 18th green at TPC Sawgrass, a day’s worth of pressure seemed to release from the Canadian.

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“A little bit of an exhale there, it was nice to see that go in, a bit of a bonus to end the day,” Conners told Postmedia after shooting an even-par Saturday 72 at the Players Championship. “I felt like I was giving myself chances to hang around but just wasn’t quite getting close enough to make birdies.”

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It was a tough moving day for all of the 36-hole leaders as the greens became extremely firm by late afternoon after two days of sun. Pair fiery greens with some gusty winds and one of the most difficult courses on the PGA Tour becomes downright dangerous.

“It’s really crazy, you have to be spot on with every shot,” Conners said of the conditions. “I can think back to a few shots that I hit almost exactly how I wanted and they didn’t even end up on the green. The greens are getting a little crusty, and judging all the elements is difficult.”

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Conners begins Sunday in a six-man tie for fourth place at eight-under, five shots behind leader Ludvig Aberg who shot a one-under 71 to finish 54 holes at 13-under.

Aberg has led the tournament for two days, and despite closing with a bogey, the 26-year-old Swede who makes his home in Ponte Vedra Beach extended his lead by one stroke on Saturday.

“I think about winning a lot. I think a lot about what it would look like, what it would feel like,” Aberg said when asked what winning a tournament of this magnitude would mean. “I think a lot about the different scenarios that might happen, and I did that in college, I did that when I turned pro and I still do it.

“I think I’m trying to embrace it. I’m trying to be OK with all those things that comes with it, which is why we play golf. We spend so much time practicing, playing, training, preparing, so why wouldn’t we think of what it would actually mean to win. So naturally that’s what I’m going to do tonight. But does it change anything for me tomorrow? I don’t think so.”

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Aberg will be paired with Michael Thorbjornsen who is in second place three shots back at 10-under. Cameron Young is in third place at nine-under after finding the water off the tee at 18 and making a double bogey.

“I don’t expect him to give me much,” Young said of Aberg. “But I also feel like could I shoot 8- or 9-under. … I wouldn’t expect him to give me even one back. But I think those numbers are out there, and no reason why I can’t be the one to shoot them.”

One of the best rounds of Saturday came from Canadian PGA Tour rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju who shot a bogey-free six-under 66 to move up 32 spots into a tie for 19th.

“I feel like this course it’s like everything has to be good.” Yellamaraju said. “I drove it well, hit irons well to spots. Even when I missed the greens I hit a lot of good shots, I got up-and-down. Made a few putts when I needed to. Everything was just solid. That’s kind of the golf course really, just everything needs to be really good to be able to score.”

Yellamaraju moved to Canada with his family at four years old and is self-taught, having never had a golf lesson.

Nick Taylor shot a two-under 70 and heads to Sunday in a tie for 37th at two-under.

Taylor Pendrith shot even par 72 and is in a tie for 43rd at one-under. The big-hitting Pendrith has been battling an inconsistent putter all week.

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