Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your crust in a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine syrup, sugar, butter and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted, stirring frequently.
In a small prep bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Add it to the butter mixture along with the vanilla and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and remove from heat.
Add the eggs to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat just until frothy, about 1 minute.
Slowly add the butter mixture while beating the egg mixture on medium speed to incorporate the two together and temper the eggs.
Add in the pecans and mix to combine, and pour into the prepared pie shell.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check halfway through, and if the crust is starting to brown, loosely cover it with aluminum foil or a crust guard. The center of the pie should jiggly just a little bit when done.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.