The First Look: RBC Canadian Open

The Canadians on the PGA TOUR hear the same question each year: When will a home-grown talent finally win the RBC Canadian Open again?

The odds of someone breaking through may be better than ever this year.

While Brooke Henderson’s win at the CPKC Women’s Open in 2018 made her the first Canadian in 45 years to win that title, no Canadian has won the RBC Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

And no Canadian-born golfer has won it since Karl Keffer in 1914.

Close calls have come and gone. Mike Weir in his prime was the closest, losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004. David Hearn was in the final group Sunday in 2015, taking a two-shot lead into the finale. He eventually finished third. Amateur Jared du Toit was in the final group for the final round in 2016 but fell back to a tie for ninth when the dust settled.

In 2022, with the RBC Canadian Open returning to the PGA TOUR schedule after two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Corey Conners fired a final-round 8-under 62 to earn the Rivermead Cup as low Canadian. He finished sixth.

“Obviously there's another trophy that we're all out here playing for, so hopefully someday can get my name on that one as well,” Conners said.

At least 20 Canadians will play this year, with a big contingent playing in the final qualifier Sunday (it was moved up a day to allow golfers to have the opportunity to compete in Monday’s U.S. Open qualifier) that could push that number even higher. Conners is tops in the FedExCup rankings and the Official World Golf Rankings amongst his countrymen.

FIELD NOTES: Rory McIlroy looks to win the RBC Canadian Open for the third straight time. He has a win already this season, at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina, and three other top-10s… Matt Fitzpatrick will be looking for the “RBC double.” Fitzpatrick, who won the RBC Heritage in a playoff over Jordan Spieth earlier this year, tied for 10th in Canada last year and a week later won the U.S. Open… Justin Rose, who shot a final-round 60 to finish T4 last year, returns… Sam Burns, Cam Young, and Sahith Theegala – all members of Team RBC – are teeing it up… For the first time in TOUR history, three Canadians come into the week with a win already this season – Corey Conners, Adam Svensson, and Mackenzie Hughes. They lead a hearty collection of Canadians teeing it up in their national open… Other notables in the field include a trio of European Ryder Cuppers in Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, and Shane Lowry… Three of golf’s biggest up-and-comers will also play, as Michael Thorbjornsen, Sam Bennett, and Ludvig Aberg are in the field. Aberg is making his pro debut.

Highest-Ranked Players in the Field

SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: A dozen Canadians accepted sponsor invites, led by 2024 International team Presidents Cup captain Mike Weir, who is playing in his 30th RBC Canadian Open – just two short of the record… Two other notable Canadians that were added to the field include Ben Silverman, who has won already on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and sits third on the Points List, and Aaron Cockerill, who is having a career-year on the DP World Tour… Michael Block, the Cinderella story from the PGA Championship, is also in the field… European Ryder Cup hopeful Adrian Meronk, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, most recently in May, will also be in action in Canada.

STORYLINES:

RORY’S RUN

No golfer in the long history of the RBC Canadian Open has won the tournament three straight times. McIlroy, the only player to win the FedExCup three times, will try this year. The last man to win the same tournament three times in a row on TOUR was Steve Stricker, who captured the John Deere Classic from 2009-11. Viktor Hovland, Sam Burns, and KH Lee all tried for threepeats this season but fell short. McIlroy fired a Sunday 61 to win by seven shots in 2019 and an 8-under 62 to win by two in 2022.

ABERG’S DEBUT

After a celebrated college career and finishing as the No.1 player in the final 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking, Ludvig Aberg became the first golfer to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University. Ranked No.1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking since March, Aberg earned TOUR membership for the rest of the 2023 season as well as 2024 – although he will be subject to reshuffles in 2024. Aberg comes into the RBC Canadian Open having won the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Fred Haskins Award, and his second straight Ben Hogan Award – Jon Rahm is the only other golfer to have won that one in back-to-back years. Now Aberg makes the most anticipated pro debut in recent memory on the PGA TOUR.

U.S. OPEN ON THE HORIZON

RBC Canadian Open week begins with “The Longest Day in Golf” as the U.S. Open qualifiers are taking place in various sites – including in Toronto – on June 5. A total of 29 players will be at that qualifier. It will take place at Lambton Golf and Country Club, just six miles from Oakdale. Aberg highlights the list of hopefuls, while there are plenty of TOUR members keen to earn their way to Los Angeles Country Club. McIlroy, of course, is already in the field. “There's no better way to get sharp for a golf tournament than to play a golf tournament, I think,” he said last week.

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points.

COURSE: Oakdale Golf and Country Club, 7,264 yards, par 72. Oakdale is a first-time RBC Canadian Open host venue, the 37th course in the tournament’s 117-year history to welcome the TOUR’s best. The front nine will play nearly 400 yards longer than the back as the club’s usual 27-hole layout has been converted to an 18-hole championship composite routing. Four holes of the Thompson nine (named for course designer Stanley Thompson) and five holes of the Homenuik nine (named for longtime pro and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Wilf Homenuik) will make up the front nine, while the full Knudson nine (named for eight-time TOUR winner George Knudson) will play as the back nine.

72-HOLE RECORD: 258, Rory McIlroy (2019)

18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Carl Pettersson (3rd round, 2010 at St. George’s G&CC), Justin Rose (4th round, 2022 at St. George’s G&CC)

LAST TIME: McIlroy successfully defended his title from 2019 after two years of pandemic cancellations. He returned to Toronto’s St. George’s Golf and Country Club and won by two shots over Tony Finau after an 8-under 62 Sunday. It was his 21st win on the PGA TOUR. Justin Thomas finished third at 15 under while Sam Burns and Justin Rose tied for fourth at 14 under. Rose shot a final-round 10-under 60 with three eagles; bogeys on Nos. 16 and 18 dashed his chance at golf’s magic number. Conners finished sixth and was low Canadian.

HOW TO FOLLOW:

Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (CBS). Sunday, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (CBS)

PGA TOUR LIVE:

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

• Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course

• Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group

• Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups

• Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. ET. Saturday, 2 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio