Weekend recap: Corey Conners grabs Olympic golf spot

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The chase for Canada's Olympic men's golf entries came down to the wire while the Canadian women's volleyball team battled for a spot in Paris and a tennis star returned to contention. Here's how Canadian athletes fared on the international stage over the weekend:

Corey Conners grabbed an Olympic golf spot on a dramatic final day at the U.S. Open.

The 124th U.S. Open will be remembered as the one that Rory McIlroy gave away. Seeking his first major championship in a decade, the Northern Irishman took a two-stroke lead to the 14th tee on Sunday before missing two short putts on Pinehurst's tricky greens to allow American Bryson DeChambeau to steal the title with a clutch up-and-down from a bunker on 18. It's the second major trophy for the quirky DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open in 2020 before defecting to LIV Golf. McIlroy remains painfully stuck on four majors.

Along with the main drama, an exciting chase for Canada's two Olympic men's golf spots played out at the final event in the qualifying window. Heading into the U.S. Open, those belonged to childhood pals Nick Taylor (ranked 32nd) and Adam Hadwin (35th) on the strength of their world rankings, which are the measuring stick for Olympic berths. But they both missed the cut, opening the door for the 46th-ranked Conners to steal a spot in Paris with a solo 11th-place finish or better. No. 65 Taylor Pendrith even had a chance if he finished in the top three.

WATCH | Conners captures Canada's 2nd Olympic spot:

Conners did it, finishing in a tie for ninth to climb to 37th in the rankings — one spot ahead of