Out of the Rough: RBC Canadian Open (2025)

Just two tournaments in the world of golf date back further than this week’s 121st playing of the RBC Canadian Open.

Only next week’s U.S. Open and next month’s The Open Championship have been in existence longer than the RBC Canadian Open that was first played in 1904.

This is one of few events on the PGA Tour’s regular schedule that changes venues each season.

This year, the RBC Canadian Open will be held at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the very first time.

We are now two 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

With the U.S. Open being held next week, this week will serve as a natural bye week for many of the Tour’s best.

As he usually does, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy will be in attendance this week. McIlroy won this event in both 2019 and 2022 (there was no event in 2020 and 2021.) 

He’ll be joined by World No. 10 Ludvig Aberg who will use this week in a desperate plea to find form heading into the U.S. Open.

Robert MacIntyre comes in as the defending champion after using last year’s RBC Canadian Open as his maiden PGA Tour victory. It was a bit special for MacIntyre who had father Dougie on his bag as his fill-in-caddie. He’ll be back this week to defend his title.

Taylor, the 2023 victor, is also back this week, looking to claim another national title and not make the Canadian fans wait another 69 years.

Taylor will be joined by fellow countrymen Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Ben Silverman, among others.

Other notable golfers teeing it up this week include Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Sungjae Im, Wyndham Clark, Thomas Detry, Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, Byeong Hun An and Tom Kim.

Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include Brandt Snedeker.

The Course

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley will become 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.

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, there is a 35-percent chance of precipitation on Thursday and a 60-percent chance on Friday (the highest of the week.) Saturday is currently calling for a 20-percent chance and Sunday a 25-percent chance. Temperatures will range between 70-and-72 degrees across all four days. Winds too will remain around nine-to-ten miles-per-hour across all four days as well. 

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

DFS Suggestions

$10,000+

As simple as it is, my pick in this price range is Rory McIlroy ($11,900.) There is no need for him to play this event that annually precedes the U.S. Open except that he is the face of this event. He won this event in back-to-back events in 2019 and 2022 (there was no event in 2020 and 2021.) He also placed ninth in 2023 and fourth in 2024. If it wasn’t for Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy would be having one of the best seasons of recent history. He won the Masters Tournament, completing the Career Grand Slam. He also won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and THE PLAYERS Championship. He most recently placed 47th at the PGA Championship, seventh at the Truist Championship and 12th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. McIlroy is currently fourth in par-four average scoring, tenth in scrambling, 25th in total driving, 36th in scrambling from the sand, 39th in SG: APP, 41st in SG: ATG, 44th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 101st in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. He is $1,400 more than the second most expensive golfer (Ludvig Aberg $10,500) but obviously, that is for good reason. I don’t see a world where I go into this week with McIlroy in my lineups.

$9,000-$9,900

Shane Lowry ($9,900) leads the charge in this second price range for me. He is currently third on Tour in SG: APP, 21st in scrambling from the sand, 22nd in SG: ATG, 26th in scrambling, 39th in par-four average scoring, 48th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 96th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 123rd in total driving. He placed 23rd last week at the Memorial Tournament. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship but prior to that placed second at the Truist Championship, 12th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 18th at the RBC Heritage, 42nd at the Masters Tournament, eighth at the Valspar Championship, 20th at THE PLAYERS Championship, seventh at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 11th at the Cognizant Classic. He’s also played this event each of the last five seasons. He placed 33rd last year, 43rd in 2023, tenth in 2022, second in 2019 and 12th in 2018. Lowry also leads my betting at +2200. Also consider Harry Hall ($9,200.) Hall is going to pop in most stats-based models and is going to be popular on the betting cards but his price tag may be a bit steep in DFS. I’m fine with the number and hope that it deters a few people away from him, keeping his ownership numbers down. Hall is currently fourth on Tour in par-four average scoring, 15th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 19th in SG: ATG, 29th in scrambling, 33rd in scrambling from the sand, 92nd in total driving, 105th in SG: APP and 173rd in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. Hall comes into this week in great form. He has made eight consecutive cuts coming into this week. He most recently placed sixth at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 19th at the PGA Championship, 20th at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 33rd at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 49th at the Corales Puntacana Championship, 26th at the Valero Texas Open, 18th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and 54th at the Valspar Championship. He’s also played this event each of the past two seasons, placing 42nd last year and 34th in 2023. 

$8,000-$8,900

Arguably my favorite play this week is Thorbjorn Olesen ($8,700.) He placed 46th in his most recent outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He also placed 33rd at the PGA Championship, seventh at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 29th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and fifth at the Valero Texas Open. He placed 27th in this event a season ago. Olesen is currently 21st on Tour in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 24th in SG: APP, 39th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 47th in scrambling, 52nd in total driving, 55th in SG: ATG, 56th in par-four average scoring and 143rd in scrambling from the sand. He is also on my betting card at +4500. Also consider Eric Cole ($8,100.) Cole is someone I haven’t been on once this season in either DFS or betting but has been playing some great golf as of late. He placed 44th last week at the Memorial Tournament, 28th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 41st at the PGA Championship, 34th at the Truist Championship, fifth at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 18th at the RBC Heritage, 26th at the Valero Texas Open, 15th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and 12th at the Valspar Championship. He missed the cut in this event a season ago but did place sixth in 2023. Cole is currently 31st in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 48th in scrambling, 52nd in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 56th in scrambling from the sand, 60th in SG: ATG, 62nd in SG: APP, 73rd in par-four average scoring and 135th in total driving. He is also on my betting card at +7500. 

$7,000-$7,900

My first play in this penultimate price range is Andrew Putnam ($7,000.) Putnam is currently eighth on Tour in both scrambling and scrambling from the sand, 11th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 14th in par-four average scoring, 15th in SG: ATG, 34th in SG: APP, 133rd in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards and 162nd in total driving. He placed 44th in his most recent outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Prior to that he placed 61st at the PGA Championship, 15th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and 26th at the Corales Puntacana Championship. He hasn’t played this event since 2018 where he finished eighth. He is also on my betting cat at +15000. Also consider Alex Smalley ($7,600.) Smalley is currently third on Tour in both scrambling from the sand and par-four average scoring, tenth in SG: ATG, 12th in total driving, 14th in scrambling, 63rd in SG: APP, 95th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards and 158th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass. The putter has been the issue for Smalley. He did gain 2.804 strokes-putting at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic recently so there are signs he can spike with the putter. Smalley missed the cut in his last outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge but prior to that placed 28th at the PGA Championship and fifth at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. He also placed 39th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. He also placed 25th at this event in 2023 and 21st in 2022. 

$6,900-

My first play in this final price range is Danny Walker ($6,900.) Walker missed the cut in his last outing at the Charles Schwab Challenge but prior to that placed 34th at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 25th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 12th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 31st at the Corales Puntacana Championship. He also placed sixth at THE PLAYERS Championship and 13th at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld earlier this season. He is currently 36th on Tour in SG: ATG, 43rd in SG: APP, 47th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 57th in total driving, 59th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 73rd in par-four average scoring, 85th in scrambling and 166th in scrambling from the sand. Also consider Charley Hoffman ($6,800.) Hoffman is out of form coming into this week. He’s missed three straight cuts at the Charles Schwab Challenge, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He placed ninth at the Corales Puntacana championship, 25th at the Cognizant Classic, 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open and fifth at The American Express this season. Hoffman is currently 13th on Tour in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards, 33rd in total driving, 36th in scrambling, 39th in par-four average scoring, 54th in SG: APP, 86th in SG: ATG, 98th in scrambling from the sand and 176th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass. Putting will always be the concern for Hoffman. We just have to hope it’s within reason this week and the rest of his game carries him. He missed the cut at this event last year but placed 35th in 2022 and 29th in 2018. 

Betting Card

• Shane Lowry (+2200)

• Thorbjorn Olesen (+4500)

• Eric Cole (+7500)

• Tom Kim (+8000)

• Taylor Moore (+9000)

• Andrew Putnam (+15000)

Tom Kim (+8000)

I know, I know. Homer alert. Sue me. Kim has not been good this season, at all. However, he has shown signs of improvement coming into this week with three straight made-cuts at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge. He placed 44th at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He is currently 45th on Tour in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 57th in SG: APP, 73rd in total driving, 77th in SG: ATG, 110th in scrambling, 124th in par-four average scoring, 126th in scrambling from the sand and 165th in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. Now, historically speaking for Kim, his best golf comes in the summer portion of the PGA Tour’s schedule. Beginning at this event a season ago (where he finished fourth,) he would go on to place T26th at the U.S. Open, lost in a playoff at the Travelers Championship and placed T15th at the Genesis Invitational. In 2023 he placed T8th at the U.S. Open, T6th at the Genesis Scottish Open, T2nd at The Open Championship, T24th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, T10th at the BMW Championship and T20th at the TOUR Championship. Both of those summer runs came after slowish spring starts. This may be me just grasping at straws but I’m rolling with it.

Taylor Moore (+9000)

Moore is currently ninth on Tour in SG: ATG, 30th in total driving, 49th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 56th in scrambling from the sand, 68th in scrambling, 94th in par-four average scoring, 108th in SG: APP and 131st in proximity to the hole from 175-plus yards. Moore has made the cut in three-straight events coming into this week, highlighted by a 19th place finish at the PGA Championship and 25th at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. Earlier this season, he had a run of seven events between The American Express and THE PLAYERS Championship where he made the cut in each, highlighted by a seventh place finish at The American Express, ninth at the WM Phoenix Open and 22nd at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.