Article content continued

“My eyes got a little excited trying to go for that back right pin and didn’t have enough club and didn’t hit a solid shot,” he said.

He admittedly was running on fumes after two weeks his wife, Mallory, called “a crazy whirlwind.”

“Starting to feel it a little bit out there,” Conners said of the fatigue. “It’s been quite a grind the last few weeks and I was running on adrenaline the first few days this week. Getting a little worn out now.”

Despite the ending, Conners leaves Augusta all smiles.

“It was an amazing experience,” he said. “I had an awesome time. It was so much fun to be out here. Incredible place. Great week. Nice to play all four days here. It’s been a great treat to be here and hopefully I’ll be back many times in the future.”

Among the many highlights since he got into the field at the last minute by winning last week’s Valero Texas Open was getting a taste of being a celebrity and winning his first pair of crystal glasses for his eagle on the 15th hole on Thursday.

“The whole week’s a highlight,” he said. “So much support and getting cheered on by the patrons every day. Never really felt support like that before and it’s pretty awesome. It’s hard not to smile out there and have fun. As far as the golf, eagle on 15 the first day was pretty special. Crystal will be nice. We’re going to have to find a spot for (the crystal and Texas Open trophy).”

He also learned something about himself and his game both on the PGA Tour and in a major championship.