The PGA Tour heads across the border for the pre-US Open tournament this week as the RBC Canadian Open gives those heading to Oakmont a final chance to complete their preparations for the third major of the year.
Robert MacIntyre landed the first PGA Tour title of his career here a year ago and he will attempt to make a successful defence of the competition, although he will be doing so on a different track to the one he won on.
Recent Winners
2024 – Robert MacIntyre
2023 – Nick Taylor
2022 – Rory McIlroy
2019 – Rory McIlroy
2018 – Dustin Johnson
2017 – Jhonattan Vegas
2016 – Jhonattan Vegas
2015 – Jason Day
2014 – Tim Clark
2013 – Brandt Snedeker
The Course
We have a new venue on the PGA Tour this week as TPC Toronto plays host to the tournament for the first time. The course is booked in to host next year too and is said to be aimed at as a regular to stage the event. It is a par 70 which can stretch as long as 7,389 yards and with some inclement weather arriving on the eve of the competition it is set to play to a full yardage so it is going to take some getting around this week.
We only really have the information that has come out of press conferences to go by this week but the talk is that the fairways are fairly generous but the rough is incredibly penal, which would make sense given what those who are going to be involved next week will face. The greens are large and undulating and you have to hit to the right levels on them else getting up and down will be tricky so we are looking for big hitters with a bit of touch about them here.
The Field
You never truly know what you are going to get with a field the week before a major, especially when the tournament is in a different country to the one the bigger competition is going to be played in, but to be fair to the organisers of this event they have a fairly solid field on show. It always helps when the defending champion is in town so it is good that Robert MacIntyre has a tee time this week as do a bunch of home stars.
They are headed up by the trio of Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes but the likes of Adam Svensson and Mike Weir will also be looking to win on home soil. We also have The Masters champion Rory Mcilroy in the field this week. He is joined by fellow Irish players Shane Lowry and Seamus Power with the likes of Justin Rose, Sungjae Im, Ludvig Aberg, Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell and Harry Hall others to note.
Market Leaders
As you would expect, Rory McIlroy is the 9/2 favourite to win the tournament this week. The obvious question will be whether he is here to win or to play a tournament ahead of the US Open. Even if it is the latter it doesn’t mean he can’t win but I’d want to know it is all about winning before I part with money on a 9/2 shot. If he is here to win then he certainly has the length to go well and he has been much better on the greens this year but I can’t bring myself to get involved at the price.
Ludvig Aberg comes next in the market. You can back him at 14/1 on the best prices but you would be taking a bit of a leap of faith that the fact he can bring his length into play will see about a return to form because the Swede has gone very quiet since he won the Genesis Invitational earlier in the campaign. He certainly has the tools to go well around here but you wonder if the difficulty of the track will catch him out given he isn’t in the best form.
Corey Conners is the first of the Canucks in the market. He will carry the home fortunes at 20/1 on the best prices this week and with the quality of his tee to green game you would imagine the home man will be a popular pick. One issue could be whether he is long enough on a course which is going to play to a full yardage early doors but if he can overcome that then he is a player in decent form who could easily win this.
Shane Lowry is the only other player in the market who is shorter than 28/1 on the best prices. The Irishman can be taken at 22/1 and he is another who is excelling in the long game department and who has been in contention in a number of events in recent times but he hasn’t got over the line. The primary reason for that is his putter doesn’t get warm enough and on these greens that is very much an issue. He’s too short for me at the prices.
Main Bets
I don’t think anyone will be surprised that when length and an excellent tee to green game is needed that my first main bet is going to be Taylor Pendrith this week. He ticks everything I’m looking for. The wider fairways, made even wider by the inclement weather, will allow him to pound the driver all week and few are using that club better than him. Pendrith is second in ball striking this season courtesy of being fifth in driving accuracy and sixth in greens in regulation. He has plenty of good form coming into the week too and has played in a tournament here before and so should go very close in front of his home people.
Sam Burns is the other main bet I like this week. To be fair, Burns hasn’t done a huge amount in the last 12 months but there are certainly enough signs in recent times that he is coming back to something like his best form. He has been the best putter on tour this season so it was only his long game that was letting him down but with four top 20 finishes in his last six starts things are beginning to click into gear. He isn’t among the longest on tour but he can air the ball out there and if he can dial some irons in again here he shouldn’t be far away with his putting prowess.
Outsiders
Davis Riley showed at the USPGA Championship that long courses don’t necessarily have to get the better of him and if he can bring that long game to the party here then he is a solid chance at an outsider price. Riley has won at TPC San Antonio which has similar trends to this place so that certainly bodes well and he showed at Quail Hollow that his long iron play can be precise. He also showed he can hole putts on tricky greens and he should be fresh enough having not played much since then. He feels like a big runner here.
Jake Knapp has played in a tournament around here when he competed in the PGA Tour Canada event and only one man beat him that week so that gives us an indication that he can handle the greens if not the course because there has been some modifications to the place since then. Knapp is now a PGA Tour winner who has gone well at places like PGA National, TPC Sawgrass and Torrey Pines this season so tough courses don’t seem to trouble him at all. It remains to be seen how much that experience in 2019 serves him here but at the prices and given his form on tough tracks I think he is worth a play.
Tips
Back T.Pendrith to win RBC Canadian Open (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 21.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Back S.Burns to win RBC Canadian Open (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 23.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Back them here:
Back D.Riley to win RBC Canadian Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Unibet (1/5 1-6)
Back J.Knapp to win RBC Canadian Open (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 91.00 with Unibet (1/5 1-6)
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