Out of the Rough: RBC Canadian Open (2026)

There are just two tournaments in the world of golf that predate this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

It was first played in 1904, making just the Open Championship and the U.S. Open that have been in existence longer than the RBC Canadian Open.

This year marks the 122nd playing of the long-standing national open.

The RBC Canadian Open is typically one of a few nomadic events on the PGA Tour schedule, meaning it changes courses nearly every year.

However, this season, the PGA Tour will return to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley which hosted this event for the very first time a season ago.

We are now three years removed from Canada’s own Nick Taylor sinking a 72-foot putt in a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood to claim his own National Open. In doing so, he became the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to claim the title. 

How important was Taylor’s victory to his home country? His club toss is the “I” within “Canadian” on the RBC Canadian Open’s logo. 

The Field

Annually, this event draws a pretty decent field, especially being played the week prior to the U.S. Open. This week serves as the final tune-up for Shinnecock Hills next week.

Typically, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy would be in attendance this week at the RBC Canadian Open but will not tee it up this season.

Now, World No. 4 Matt Fitzpatrick headlines this week’s field along with fellow countrymate and World No. 6 Justin Rose.

Collin Morikawa (No. 7,) Tommy Fleetwood (No. 8,) Aaron Rai (No. 13,) Robert MacIntyre (No. 17,) Alex Noren (No. 21,) Jacob Bridgeman (No. 24) and Kristoffer Reitan (No. 25) are those within the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) to be teeing it up this week.

Corey Conners (No. 53) comes in as the highest ranked Canadian in the OWGR. He’ll be joined by Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Mackenzie Hughes, A.J. Ewart, Ben Silverman and Adam Hadwin as those looking to claim their national open.

Ryan Fox comes in as the defending champion as he topped Sam Burns in a playoff a season ago at this very same golf course.

Other former winners of the RBC Canadian Open, although at other courses, teeing it up this week are MacIntyre (2024,) Taylor (2023,) Jhonattan Vegas (2016 & 2017,) Brandt Snedeker (2013) and Sean O’Hair (2011.)

The Course

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is the 38th golf course to host the RBC Canadian Open in this event’s history. It will become just the eighth course to host since 1977. It is also the first course to host consecutive RBC Canadian Opens since Glen Abbey hosted the 2015 through 2018 events.

Recently renovated, the North Course will play to the tune of 7,445 yards as a Par-70.

In 2023, the course underwent an extensive renovation under the guidance of renowned architect Ian Andrew with consultation from the PGA TOUR. The premise of the renovation was for the course to host a national open.

Andrew removed several trees from the course to open up the view and connectivity between the holes. As aforementioned, the course was significantly lengthened as well.

The fairways in this renovation were tightened in the area where professionals would land their drives.

The bunkers here have been described as both “challenging” and “deep.” During this 2023 renovation, bunkers were removed but those that remain were shifted to bring them into play for the professionals.

The North Course is a parkland-style course that was built around wide corridors.

It really shows its teeth with hard-to-get-to greens in terms of placement. Finding the correct landing spot off-the-tee to take the proper angle in will be crucial.

Additionally, with the green-side chipping areas added and hard-to-get-to greens, around-the-green play may be what sets golfers apart this week.

The 585-yard par-five 18th hole will be sure to add dramatics and play its hand in crowning a winner this week.

During the 2023 renovations, it received a new tee deck, a signature tree and short-grass runoff-area in front of the green. Leaving the ball short or failing to hold this green will result in the ball running-off the front. It is and will be a true dramatic risk-reward final hole.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday and Friday are calling for a 30-percent chance of an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon. Saturday and Sunday are currently calling for a 25-percent chance of precipitation. Temperatures will be warm as Thursday is set for 88-degrees. Friday is calling for temperatures at 90-degrees and Saturday, 87-degrees. Sunday will settle to 78-degrees. Winds will begin at ten miles-per-hour on Thursday and increase by a mile-per-hour each day before peaking at 13 miles-per-hour on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Total Driving (70-percent Distance/30-percent accuracy)

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Scrambling / Scrambling from the Sand

• Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass (SG: PUTT Bentgrass)

• Proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards

• Par 4 Average Scoring

Betting Card

Wyndham Clark (+2500)

Over his last two appearances, very few, if any golfers, have played better than Clark. He placed third last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and won THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson prior. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship but placed 20th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 16th at the RBC Heritage and 21st at the RBC Heritage. He did play this event at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley a season ago where he placed 59th. He placed seventh at St. George's Golf and Country Club in 2022 and missed the cut at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019. Clark is currently tenth on Tour in SG: APP, 13th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 28th in scrambling from the sand, 37th in SG: ATG, 44th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 46th in total driving and 59th in par-four average scoring.

Michael Thorbjornsen (+4000)

Against my better judgment, Thorbjornsen was my first click this week. He is currently ninth on Tour in scrambling from the sand, tenth in both total driving and scrambling, 23rd in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 36th in SG: ATG, 46th in par-four average scoring, 57th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 104th in SG: APP. After missing back-to-back cuts at both the PGA Championship and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Thorbjornsen bounced back with a 16th place finish in his latest outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He also placed 53rd at the Cadillac Championship, 13th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 33rd at the RBC Heritage as of late. He last played the RBC Canadian Open as an amateur in 2023 at Oakdale Golf & Country Club where he missed the cut.

Eric Cole (+4600)

There are few people on this planet playing better golf than Cole right now. He placed eighth last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. Prior to that he lost in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge to Russell Henley. He also placed 31st at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, sixth at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, sixth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 14th at the Valero Texas Open. He missed the cut here at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley a season ago and also missed the cut at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2024. He placed sixth at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in 2023. Cole is currently seventh on Tour in SG: ATG, 17th in par-four average scoring, 22nd in scrambling from the sand, 33rd in SG: APP, 36th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 39th in scrambling, 74th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards and 155th in total driving.

Matt Wallace (+9000)

Although it’s been three years since Wallace was in the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour, that’s still one more victory than most people teeing it up this week. He last played the PGA Championship where he placed 44th. Prior to that he placed 37th at the Truist Championship, 23rd at the Cadillac Championship, 30th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 55th at the RBC Heritage and second at the Valero Texas Open. He missed the cut here a season ago at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley but placed 27th at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2024 and 35th at St. George's Golf and Country Club in 2022. Wallace is currently 16th on Tour in scrambling, 47th in SG: ATG, 70th in SG: APP, 72nd in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 73rd in both scrambling from the sand and par-four average scoring, 85th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards and 90th in total driving. 

Andrew Putnam (+10500)

Another week, another bet on Putnam. Different song, same dance, or whatever that saying it. Putnam placed sixth here at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley a season ago. He placed 17th in his latest outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Prior to that he placed 55th at the PGA Championship, 37th at the Truist Championship and 18th at the Cadillac Championship as of late. Putnam is currently second on Tour in scrambling, third in SG: ATG, sixth in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 36th in scrambling from the sand, 48th in SG: APP, 59th in par-four average scoring, 136th in total driving and 153rd in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. 

A.J. Ewart (+20000)

One of my favorite recent sporting memories was the 2023 RBC Canadian Open that saw Nick Taylor become the first Canadian to claim his national open since 1954. It helped that I was on him +7500 that week. Either way, I long for a memory like that again so I had to roll at least one Canadian out on the card this week. Ewart is currently first on Tour in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, eighth in scrambling from the and, 14th in scrambling, 29th in par-four average scoring, 83rd in SG: ATG, 91st in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 107th in total driving and 114th in SG: APP. He placed 17th in his latest outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Prior to that he placed 19th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, missed the cut at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 20th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 30th at the Valero Texas Open. He played here at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley where he missed the cut a season ago.

2025 Betting Card

• Shane Lowry (+2200) - T13th

• Thorbjorn Olesen (+4500) - T36th

• Eric Cole (+7500) - MC

• Tom Kim (+8000) - MC

• Taylor Moore (+9000) - MC

• Andrew Putnam (+15000) - T6th

2024 Betting Card

• Alex Noren (+2500) - MC

• Akshay Bhatia (+5000) - T60th

• Doug Ghim (+8000) - W/D

• Mac Meissner (+9000) - T57th

• Ben Silverman (+12500) - T35th

2023 Betting Card

• Justin Rose (+1800) - 8th

• Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) - 2nd

• Nick Taylor (+7500) - 1st

• Brendon Todd (+8000) - T34th

• Aaron Baddeley (+15000) - MC