BlogRBC Canadian Open Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

Since 2000, Golf Canada, the organization that runs the RBC Canadian Open, has introduced changes. Between 1977 and 2000, 22 of the 24 events were held at Glen Abbey, a popular course that was undergoing significant changes. The owner, ClubLink Corp, was looking to redevelop the property into a residential community. With the future not promising, the event was played on six different courses. It returned to Glen Abbey in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018; however, the organization was seeking a more permanent home to replace Glen Abbey.

When the TPC Toronto at Osprey joined the TPC network in 2018, discussions took place on the North Course, which would host the Canadian Open. The North course underwent a significant renovation in 2023 and 2024 to prepare for a PGA Tour event. It has already hosted the PGA Tour Americas and has an architectural aim of challenging golfers’ approach game with strategically placed bunkers.

So, the course is good, but honestly, it’s not a gem like Hamilton Golf & Country Club, Oakdale Golf & Country Club, St. George’s G & C.C., Royal Montreal G.C., Shaughnessy G. & C.C., or even Glen Abbey. We will see; the event is planning on playing this year and next before the future is better known. It’s not like the course is terrible; it just doesn’t have the same uniqueness and charm that the others have.

The course will be challenging, but will it be embraced by the players like the other courses have been? In 2025, ten events will be played on TPC courses, and in most cases, they will accomplish their objectives.   However, will players feel that this course is on par with the other courses? We also don’t have any information that will help us determine who to pick since the course is unknown.

Of course, we know the course is not terribly long, and with the rough winter, the rough won’t be as high and tough as they had hoped. With that said, look for long hitters to take advantage of the conditions, and I can see a score of between 15 and 20 under par.

RBC Canadian Open

First played in 1904, only the British Open, U.S. Open and BMW (old Western Open) are older.  To think that 111 have been played, the good news with a great sponsor of RBC, plus unlimited possibilities with

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley could prove to help the tournament in future years.

Course information:

• TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley North Course
• Caledon, Ontario, Canada
• 7,389 yards     Par 35-35–70

Pastoral in setting, this greener and lusher North American parkland course is visually arresting and a delight for golfers of all abilities to play. Naturally rolling fairways with generous landing areas make it the most player-friendly of the courses on the PGA Tour, but look out for challenging approach shots to wide, undulating greens featuring artistically sculpted bunkers cut close to the putting surfaces.

The renovations completed in 2023 focused on transforming the course into a National Open Championship venue, enhancing the course’s dramatic green complexes, and strategically positioning bunkers and other hazards to challenge elite players. The North Course will play to its new championship par of 70 for the RBC Canadian Open, with holes eight and thirteen converted to par-4s. The 585-yard par-5 18th hole, which saw a new tee deck, a signature tree, and a short grass runoff area in front of the green introduced as part of the renovation, will play as a dramatic risk-reward final hole.

It will be interesting to see the players’ reactions; for the fans, TPC Toronto will be a winner. The facilities are extensive, with more room than any of the other older courses that have held this event. The field is good for the first time; we will see if more marque players show up next year.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

For the second time in four weeks, the PGA Tour is at a course that has never held an event. Last month, the Truist Championship and the Philadelphia Cricket Club were held; this week, the RBC Canadian Open is being held at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, North Course. It’s 25 miles or an hour’s drive from downtown Toronto. Part of a massive 54-hole complex, the Hootand Toot course opened in 2002. Six years later, the three courses joined the PGA Tour’s network of courses, and the Hootand Toot changed its name to the North Course.

When the courses were in their planning stages 33 years ago, the project was very ambitious. Canadian designer Doug Carrick designed all three courses, and the North Course was specifically intended to attract higher-handicapped golfers and families. Over time, that didn’t happen as the course, which takes up more land than the other two courses, became the favorite. The course had a mountainous feel, and even though it only played at 7,150 yards, folks felt the course had a better selection of holes. The course is dotted with 48 bunkers, and on three holes, water comes into play. One of the reasons for bringing the Canadian Open to this course is the size. The land was a reclaimed gravel pit, and it was determined that with a new renovation, the North Course would provide a perfect venue to become the 38th course to hold the tournament. Officials are thrilled that it will host not only this year’s event but also next year’s.

In 2023, architect Ian Andrew oversaw the renovation, transforming it into a par-70 course that plays at 7,445 yards. He made drastic changes to the bunkers, making them deeper and more challenging. While there will be four par 4s over 500 yards, he made the 6th and 12th holes into drivable par 4s. The renovated North course at TPC Toronto hosted the Fortinet Cup Championship, the season-ender on PGA Tour Americas, last year. Won by Will Cannon with a winning total of 5-under 275, it proved to be plenty tough.

All three courses are open to the public and cost $175 to play. Despite a long winter and a wet spring, they expected to have the course ready. But ice storms in April put them back, and with that, the rough is not going to be as long and lush as they would have hoped for. The greens will be 6,500 square feet, which should make them accessible from the fairways. Tournament officials will have the fairways at 37 yards, making it a challenging target. So, drives will need to be straight to avoid the rough.

On paper, the course is not brutally long, at just 7,389 yards. But with only two par 5s and four tough par 3s, the key to playing well is hitting fairways and greens and being able to make putts. Scrambling is going to be important, as several of the greens are crowned. Since so much is at stake for the course, extensive preparation has been undertaken, as the future of this event hinges on the course’s playability. The good news is the weather; it’s going to be perfect all week, with temperatures ranging from 71 to 77 degrees, accompanied by mild winds in the 10 mph range.

Since we have no data on which statistics to base our conclusions for our four categories, we will make an educated guess about which statistics are needed to succeed this week for the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. First, we will do something we do during the majors, on a course with no historical stats, by picking four key stats from Strokes Gained statistics. Our first is Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee because driving will be necessary. With wider fairways, a lack of deep rough due to a more extended winter, and the course being played at 7,389 yards, this could be a bomber’s course. However, missing fairways will have a different realm of penalizing a player.
Our next stat is Strokes Gained Approach-the-Green because hitting greens is essential, and you must ensure that you do so. Our third stat is Strokes Gained Around-the-Green because players will miss greens, and to win, they will have to get it up and down. Lastly, Strokes Gained Putting is important for players this week.

*Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee: The per-round average of the number of strokes based on the number of fairways and distance hit

*Strokes Gained Approach-the-Green: Takes into account the number of greens and the proximity to the hole in the interest of saving shots.

*Strokes Gained Around-the-Green: Number of strokes gained from shots around the green. Lot of it is scrambling and bunker play..

*Strokes Gained Putting: The number of strokes gained in putting

The 121 of the 156 players from this year’s field with stats from 2025.

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

DraftKings tips

Most DraftKings points earned

We have compiled a database covering the last 57 events on the PGA Tour, beginning at the start of the 2024 season and ending with the 2025 Memorial. The database includes the number of points a player won during each event and its cost. From the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned, the players’ average points earned per event, and the average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 60 playing in at least eight events:

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Rory McIlroy – $11,900
• Ludvig Aberg – $10,500
• Corey Conners – $10,100
• Shane Lowry – $9,900
• Robert MacIntyre – $9,900
• Taylor Pendrith – $9,600
• SungJae Im – $9,400
• Sam Burns – $9,300
• Harry Hall – $9,200
• Keith Mitchell – $9,100
• Luke Clanton – $9,000

It is hard not to take Rory McIlroy at $11,900.  He won at Hamilton in 2019 and at St. George’s in 2022 but both of those courses are totally different than TPC Toronto.  Now six of Rory’s 29 wins have come on TPC courses, TPC Sawgrass (2025 & ’19 Players), TPC Boston (2016 and ’12 Deutsche Bank), TPC Harding Park (2015 Dell Match Play), and TPC Louisiana (2024 Zurich Team) so he hasn’t won on many of them.  To be fair, of the 266 PGA Tour starts, he has played on TPC courses 47 times over nine different courses.  Of the 47 TPC starts he has finished in the top five 12 times.  So it will be interesting to see if he can keep his great Canadian Open record, in four starts two wins, a T-4th and T-9th.  So what does all of this mine?  Very little, just some noise.  The bottom line, is Rory is a no for me.  He hasn’t played that great since the Masters, yes shot four rounds in the 60s at the Truist, but was not sharp at the PGA Championship.  In both cases, his driver was the problem and with Oakmont just a week from now you know he will be working hard on the driver.  Also not playing very well now is Ludvig Aberg at $10,500.  In four starts since finishing 7th at the Masters his best finish was T-16th at Memorial.  Aberg’s big problem is his iron play, even in his Genesis win he ranked T-22nd in greens hit and the combination of poor iron play and off-and-on putting is the reason for his struggles.  Corey Conners at $10,100 is our best choice, he has been very consistent but did struggle at the PGA and Memorial.  His game is always sharp on TPC courses and feel he will be good this week.  But my personal favorite is Shane Lowry at $9,900, he has been knocking on the door several times and if he can put together four good rounds instead of stumbling in one, he can win.  Robert MacIntyre at $9,900 is hard to gauge, a perfect example of that was missing the cut at the Charles Schwab and winning the next week at the Canadian Open, but then missing the cut at the U.S. Open.  He almost did it in his Scottish Open win, missing the cut at the Rocket Mortgage and finishing T-50th at the British Open.  Best to probably pass on Robert.  Now Taylor Pendrith is priced high at $9,600, but has finished T-5th at the PGA Championship and T-12th at the Memorial, this is a good place for him to do well.  I don’t like SungJae Im at $9,400, he doesn’t hit it that long and has struggled since finishing T-5th at the Masters.  Sam Burns at $9,300 is worth a look, has played okay since the Masters, feel he can shine at TPC Toronto.  Harry Hall at $9,200 is a no for me, just not enough firepower to play well, she had a T-6th at this last start at Colonial but just don’t think he has the type of game to warrant his high price.  Keith Mitchell at $9,100 is a no, sorry he is still trying to find his consistency which abandoned him a few years ago.  Luke Clanton at $9,000 is a good choice, this will be his professional debut this week and he has played great on the PGA Tour as an amateur.  Think he will show us something special this week.

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Nick Taylor at $8,800 is worth a pick, he was 4th last week at Memorial and he seems to win once every six months.  The last win was in Phoenix about five weeks ago.  Eric Cole at $8,100 is a good choice.  His game has been steady and this course is right up his alley.  Matt Wallace at $8,000 is worth a look, and has played steady in 2025. was T-17th at the PGA and T-22nd at Colonial.  Thomas Detry at $7,900 is another to look at, won on a TPC in Phoenix, feel he can shine again on this TPC course.  Gary Woodland at $7,700 could shine this week, he has struggled in his comeback from brain cancer.  But he has shown some light, was T-2nd at Houston and T-11th at Colonial.  His length will help him at TPC Toronto.  Alex Smalley at $7,600 has the distance to do well this week and could be the surprise of the week.  Cameron Young at $7,500 has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2025, but he can redeem his season by winning this week.  Can he put it together, yes.  I always felt that he would win when we least expected it.

*Some of the “bargains” this week at the RBC Canadian Open

Hard to find bargains, the first one I like is Sam Ryder at $7,400.  His game hasn’t been that bad and what I like is that he has made 12 of 14 cuts in 2025.  Erik Van Rooyen at $7,300 is a good buy mostly because he does his best on bomber courses which TPC Toronto is.  Alejandro Tosti at $7,100 is another of those who does better on bomber courses.  Andrew Putnam at $7,000 is a great buy, he seems to make cuts and has played well in his last three starts.