This week at the RBC Canadian Open, saddling Horses for Courses north of the border requires flexibility and a broader scope. Rory McIlroy (+450), the only two-time winner of the event in the field, earned his two wins at the RBC Canadian Open on two different courses. Over the last 15 editions, the national championship of Canada has been played at six different courses. The 2025 host, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, is the second new venue in three years.

McIlroy, the betting favorite this week, picked up the hardware at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in the 2022 event, only the second time St. George’s has been featured since 2010. He won for the first time in Canada on debut in 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, the same course where Robert MacIntyre (+2800) achieved his maiden TOUR win on debut in Canada in 2024. Playing in his fifth RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy owns four top-10 paydays on three courses and has not signed for a round above 72. His scoring average at the event is 66.38, and he is the last player to win consecutive events. MacIntyre became the first Scotsman to win the event since 1926 and is the first left-handed player to win since 1968.

Select players with top-10 finishes at the RBC Canadian Open since 2010

Players listed below are competing this week.

The 2023 champion Nick Taylor (+5000) was the debut winner at Oakdale Golf & Country Club. Becoming the first Canadian to win the event since 1954, he picked up his first top-10 result in his 12th start. He missed the cut in defense in 2024, snapping a four-event run of playing the weekend.

Sam Burns (+2800) seeks his third top 10 in his fourth start on a fourth different course. The five-time winner on TOUR secured T10 in 2024 after earning T4 money on debut in 2022. He owns a scoring average of 68.10, including 73-71 (MC) from 2023.

Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green

Players listed below are competing this week; 2025 ranking

Johnny Keefer (+6500), who earned T3 at the Fortinet Cup Championship in September of 2024, is one of the few who have played this course in post-renovation tournament conditions. Doug Carrick, the original architect (2001), featured 6,500 square foot greens as the cornerstone defense of the property before Ian Andrew (2023) pinched in the fairways and reorganized the bunkers. Now, the course challenges all the clubs in the bag, not just the putter. With the limited knowledge of the field on the Bent/Poa mix surfaces, running 11.5 feet on the Stimpmeter, I’m leaning on the ball-strikers.

The longest test in the history of the RBC Canadian Open at 7,389 yards, and the first public course to be used, the par-70 opens and closes with a par-5 hole. Half of the 12 par-4 holes play 480 yards or longer, but there is room off the tee to give it a rip.

The errant drives and approaches will need to swerve 48 bunkers, of which the steepest and deepest front the greens, plus three water penalty areas. Off-target shots will find Bluegrass approaching four inches or closely mown areas around the putting surfaces, which average 6,500 square feet, better than normal on TOUR.

The Fortinet Cup Championship produced a winning score of 275 (5-under), and only the top 10 players produced four-round totals of par or better. The lowest 18-hole score during that event was 64, and the scoring average for the week was 72.13, more than two strokes over par.

I wouldn’t expect any of those markers to be standing after the PGA TOUR fellas get their hands on it.

RBC Canadian Open notables

• The field of 156, highlighted by world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, includes 15 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Ranking.
• McIlroy is the only two-time winner in the field.
• MacIntyre (2024) and McIlroy (2019) are the last two winners on debut.
• McIlroy won by seven shots in 2019, the largest margin of victory, and is the only player to win in his first two appearances in the event (2019, 2022).
• After two rounds, the field will be cut to the top 65 and ties.

Oddsmaker’s extras

• Shane Lowry (+2200): After missing the weekend on his 2017 debut, the Irishman cranked out T12-T2-T1 in his next three before cashing T43 in 2023 and T33 in 2024. He owns five straight paydays on four different tracks.
• Justin Rose (+7500): In the first part of his professional career, the Englishman cashed T4-T48-T14 from 2004 through 2006. Now a veteran, he returned in 2022 (T4) and followed up with a solo eighth in 2023. He did not start in 2024.
• Adam Hadwin (+17500): The Saskatchewan native makes his 14th start and has not missed an event since his 2010 debut. Cashing solo sixth in 2019, he cashed T35 and T12 before falling short in 2024.
• Mackenzie Hughes (+4500): The Hamilton native owns finishes of T32 in five of his last six appearances, highlighted by T7 in 2024 and T8 in 2018.
• Brandt Snedeker (+25000): The 2013 winner feasted here in his 20s and 30s. In his first 10 visits, he advanced to the weekend nine times and produced six top-10 paydays, including his victory. The last two seasons saw him fall short of the weekend.
• Victor Perez (+12000): On debut in 2024, the Frenchman closed 64-64 to earn third place.
• Byeong Hun An (+9000): Making his second start, he shared second in 2018 at Glen Abbey.
• Mark Hubbard (+9000): Cashing in his last five appearances, the highlight was T6 in 2023.
• Taylor Pendrith (+2600): The Richmond Hill native owns 50 rounds on this routing, but not many on the new layout from 2023. His best finish in four previous attempts is T21 in 2024.

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