The Canadian Open has taken the slot of the week before the third major of the year in the new PGA Tour schedule which means that it will be played out this week. Often this tournament has been hurt by being after The Open but it has a prime spot in the calendar this season and a decent field has been assembled as a result.
Dustin Johnson will attempt to defend the title this week and he will look to do so on a different course to the one he played on. He will have his work cut out to make a successful defence with some classy operators up against him.
Recent Winners
2018 – Dustin Johnson
2017 – Jhonattan Vegas
2016 – Jhonattan Vegas
2015 – Jason Day
2014 – Tim Clark
2013 – Brandt Snedeker
2012 – Scott Piercy
2011 – Sean O’Hair
2010 – Carl Pettersson
2009 – Nathan Green
The Course
We are back of the scene of the 2012 staging of this tournament – Hamilton Gold and Country Club. The Harry Colt designed track has a new look this week after literally thousands of trees have been taken down since the last time the event was held here. It remains a short track but there might be a wee bit more freedom off the tee now.
This is a very short course. It is a par 70 which stretches no further than 6, 967 yards so while length is no bad thing this week you won’t have to have it to get round here. The longer hitters won’t have to hit driver so they’ll have more accuracy off the tee which is important because the rough is said to be up to allow preparation for next week and these greens are tiny so they take some hitting. With that in mind having scramblers onside is no bad thing. The wind is now a runner around here too so those comfortable in windy conditions should come to the forefront of your thinking.
The Field
Dustin Johnson heads the field this week not just as the defending champion but also because he is becoming more of a personality in Canada given that he is going to marry the daughter of Wayne Gretsky but the USPGA champion Brooks Koepka is here as is Rory McIlroy who plays the tournament for the first time in his career.
Justin Thomas continues his return from injury in the lead up to the US Open while former major champions Webb Simpson, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Keegan Bradley are all in the field. The man who won the last time the tournament was staged here is also teeing it up again in the form of Scott Piercy.
Market Leaders
The defending champion Dustin Johnson is the 11/2 favourite to win the tournament for a second year in succession. I wouldn’t be playing at this price anyway but I’m definitely a non-runner as far as parting cash on him is concerned with it coming to light that he’s dumped Claude Harmon III as his coach. If I’m going to be on a golfer at single figure prices I don’t want all that nonsense going on so I’ll pass him over.
The man who could well have been the reason for the split between the two, Brooks Koepka, comes second in the betting at 7/1. As ever at this time of year we have to balance out motivation for winning this week with using it as preparation for next week and Koepka is well-known for someone who wants to loosen his arms the week before a major rather than caring about the end outcome. He can’t be for me this week.
Rory McIlroy is next at 10/1 in the outright market. I can’t say I like him this week after his poor trot last week but you would think he needs a big outing just to boost his confidence going into the US Open. Maybe a few points bigger could have got me involved but I can’t be backing him at 10/1 on a track like this one where his strengths are largely negated.
Justin Thomas is the fourth man in the betting at 16/1. He’s been away from the scene for too long for me to take a genuine interest in a betting point of view this week although I will keep an eye on him as he could yet feature in the few events to come. Nevertheless a 16/1 poke on his second week back from injury would be the quick route to the poorhouse so I’m not going to indulge. It is 20/1 bar.
Main Bets
I fancy Henrik Stenson could have a big week here. Whenever he doesn’t have to hit the driver, which he infamously hates, he is in his element. He has won around Harry Colt designs in the past and given that he leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained into the green I’ve got to think this is a perfect track for him. He isn’t going to miss many fairways cracking that trusted three wood and with him leading the field from there if he performs to potential and gets the putter going strong he should take a lot of beating. He’s my main bet this week.
I’m also going to have a go at Brandt Snedeker for whom the course should suit his profile nicely. He has a decent record in Canada and RBC are one of his main sponsors so he has an obligation to perform well in the tournament. I think he can do just that again here. He is decent enough from tee to green and very high up on the putting statistics this week. There are question marks over the motivation of many in the field this week but that isn’t the case with Snedeker so I’ll go with him to build on a good previous Canada record here.
Outsiders
Graeme McDowell is in the field next week but at the minute he isn’t in The Open at Portrush so the motivation for him to have a big week here speaks for itself. This should be right up his street too. He isn’t going to be overawed off the tee and then he leads the PGA Tour in total putting and sits seventh in strokes gained for that discipline too. He’ll be absolutely fine in the wind and with him not lacking for motivation he’s very much on my team this week.
I took Corey Conners last week when in hindsight I should probably have thought about this being a bigger week for him but I’m happy to try him again for much the same reason as I did there. He didn’t have a terrible showing at Muirfield Village by any stretch of the imagination and with this track not being as demanding off the tee I see no reason why he can’t get himself into the mix. No Canadian is going to lack for motivation this week so that is one box ticked and given that he’s already won this season he remains a big price at three figures.
Luke Donald took the pressure off this week by qualifying for the US Open in the sectional qualifier in Ohio on Monday and you have to be hitting the ball well to come through those things. I will take the chance that he takes the confidence from there to here where he is on a deck which should suit him nicely. Donald has twice won around one of Colt’s most famous designed – the West Course at Wentworth and that might bode well for him here too. He’s just too big to ignore at 250/1.
Tips
PLACED – Back H.Stenson to win Canadian Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-8)
PLACED – Back B.Snedeker to win Canadian Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with BetVictor (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
Back G.McDowell to win Canadian Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back C.Conners to win Canadian Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 101.00 with 888sport (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
Back L.Donald to win Canadian Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 251.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back him here:
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