RBC Canadian Open Betting Tips: Five golfers to back in each-way Toronto

The PGA Tour heads north of the border this week as the players make their way to Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open on the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. A $9.8million purse awaits the golfers along with 500 FedEx Points.

Our resident golf tipster Jamie Worsley is as always poised and ready with his deep-dive and well-researched preview. Five players stand out to him as each-way value this week, so let's check out his RBC Canadian Open Tips here at Betfred Insights...

*Michael Thorbjornsen was a late withdrawal and was replaced in this preview by Victor Perez.

*You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest RBC Canadian Open Odds over on betfred.com

Scottie Scheffler's mini post-PGA Championship slump—having only managed a lowly 4th-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge the previous week—ended in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, where the world No. 1 won by four shots to claim his third title in just four starts. 

It was another ominous reminder—as if we needed one—that he remains at the absolute top of his game in 2025. With our third major of the year just one week away, he's going to head to Oakmont Country Club as a very strong favourite for the US Open. 

Those teeing it up next week have one last chance to prime their skills for that event, as the tour travels north to Ontario for the Canadian Open at TPC Toronto's North Course this week. An event in which Rory McIlroy returns to action following his disappointing performance at Quail Hollow three weeks ago. 

TOURNAMENT HISTORY 

The Canadian Open was first staged in 1904 and is the longest-running regular event on the PGA Tour—and one of the of oldest tournaments in the world. 

Many of the most revered stars in the game have claimed this prestigious title, including Walter Hagen (1931), Byron Nelson (1945), Arnold Palmer (1955) and Tiger Woods (2000). However, it is an event that evaded Jack Nicklaus, who finished 2nd an incredible seven times in Canada. 

Leo Diegel is the only player to win four Canadian Opens, all between 1924 and 1929. We've had a trio of three-time winners: Tommy Armour (1927, 1930, 1934), Sam Snead (1938, 1940, 1941) and Lee Trevino (1971, 1977, 1979). Meanwhile, among the list of players to win the title twice are Tom Weiskopf (1973, 1975), Greg Norman (1984, 1992) and Rory McIlroy (2019, 2022). 

Last five winners: 

• 2024 (Hamilton Golf & Country Club) 

Winner: Robert MacIntyre (-16) 

Runner-up: Ben Griffin (-15) 

• 2023 (Oakdale Golf & Country Club) 

Winner: Nick Taylor (-17, playoff) 

Runner-up: Tommy Fleetwood (-17) 

• 2022 (St George's Golf & Country Club) 

Winner: Rory McIlroy (-19) 

Runner-up: Tony Finau (-17) 

• 2019 (Hamilton Golf & Country Club) 

• Winner: Rory McIlroy (-22) 

Runners-up: Shane Lowry, Webb Simpson (-15) 

• 2018 (Glen Abbey Golf Club) 

Winner: Dustin Johnson (-23) 

Runners-up: Byeong Hun An, Whee Kim (-20) 

Robert MacIntyre claimed his first PGA Tour win with a memorable victory at last year's Canadian Open. He took the lead at the halfway point and then converted a four-shot 54-hole lead, eventually beating Ben Griffin by a shot—all with his dad, Dougie on the bag. The Scot returns to defend his title this week. 

THE COURSE 

The host of the Canadian Open is ever-changing, and it will be staged at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley's North Course for the first time this week. It was designed by Doug Carrick in 2001 but undertook a renovation by Ian Andrew—who also played a part in the creation of the original layout—in 2023, with the aim of preparing the course for PGA Tour golf. 

Described as more of a "refresh than a rebuild", the work involved reshaping all bunkers and repositioning some to make them more strategic; fairways were narrowed; trees were removed to open up the playing lines; and tightly-mown chipping areas have been placed around some of the putting surfaces. 

Another change at TPC Toronto came in the par and yardage, with this once par-72 course now playing as a par 70 and measuring a meaty 7389yds. It possesses 4x par 3s (144-237yds), 12x par 4s (350-530yds) and 2x par 5s (542-581yds). 

This moderately sloping parkland course is tree-lined but very spacious, with large and deep fescue-lined bunkers offering a primary defence, and water in-play on three holes. 

Although they've been tightened the fairways are still generous, but we do now find those penal bunkers littering the landing areas. Meanwhile, potentially punishing 3.75-inch bluegrass rough is awaiting for those who stray further from the short grass. 

The elevated bentgrass/poa mix greens are reasonably large at an average of 6,500 sq. ft, and the subtle contours on them can be tricky to read. The demands around them can be severe, with many steep up-and-downs from bunkers and tight lies looming for those who miss the putting surfaces.    

TPC Toronto's North Course possesses a menacing collection of long par 4s, with five measuring over 490yds, including two of the final three holes: the 513yd 16th and the 530yd 17th. However, there is some balance, with both of the bookending par 5s reachable in two for most in the field, and there are also a couple of sub-380yd par 4s.  

We do have some evidence in relation to how the course plays, as it hosted the Fortinet Cup Championship on the PGA Tour Americas last year. It proved extremely difficult then, with a score of -5 enough to claim the victory, but it should be noted that the event was played in difficult wet and windy conditions 

THE WEATHER 

It's forecast to be a wet, stormy week in Canada, with thunderstorms and rain predicted to fall prior to and over the first three days of the event. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be especially heavy and with the strong winds earlier in the week dissipating for tournament play, conditions don't look too difficult at TPC Toronto. 

KEY STATS 

• SG: Off-the-Tee/Driving Distance 

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation/Proximity from 200yds+ 

• SG: Putting (bentgrass/poa or bentgrass) 

• Par 4 Scoring 

Due to the potentially damp conditions, combined with the length of the course and its wide fairways, I expect powerful and high-class ball strikers to excel at TPC Toronto this week. In regard to approach play, we should particularly focus on those who are comfortable with their long irons from 200yds+, as that range looks likely to feature prominently. 

Furthermore, players with a proven track record of positive putting displays on a bentgrass/poa mix or bentgrass greens should be favoured, while that higher volume of par 4s makes those holes stand out in importance. 

CORRELATING EVENTS 

We don't have the benefit of any comp form for this week's course, but it does share similar attributes with several other venues on tour. 

Home of the Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village certainly appeals, especially if TPC Toronto's North Course proves as challenging as it did in the PGA Tour Americas event last year. This lengthy course has wide fairways, bentgrass greens that are challenging to scramble around, and similarly thick bluegrass rough. 

TPC Twin Cities, which hosts the 3M Open, is another long course with bentgrass greens that are similar in size and speed. The fairways are typically easy to find, but they are well protected by strategic bunkering and four-inch-thick bluegrass rough. 

I also think that Rocket Mortgage Classic host, Detroit Golf Club, could be worth checking out. It uses the same bentgrass/poa mix on the greens, whilst the generous fairways are guarded by thick bluegrass rough for those who are wayward off the tee. 

Lastly we can look to the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run and the CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch for clues. Both of these tree-lined courses feature wide fairways, thick rough and bentgrass greens. 

THE FIELD 

World No. 2 and two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy is this week's star attraction. No. 6 Ludvig Aberg is the only other player from inside the top 10 in attendance, and we are joined by eight of the top 25 and 16 of the top 50 in total. 

Robert MacIntyre is the defending champion, and he is one of four former winners in the field, alongside Nick Taylor (2023), Rory McIlroy (2022, 2019) and Brandt Snedeker (2013). 

Corey Conners leads the home challenge, joined by fellow top-50 players Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes; current world No. 1 amateur Luke Clanton will tee it up on tour for the first time since the Valspar Championship in March; meanwhile, former No. 3 amateur David Ford makes his first start as a PGA Tour member, an honour he has earned as the leading player on the PGA Tour University programme in 2025. 

SELECTIONS 

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Rory McIlroy 9/2, Ludvig Aberg 14/1, Corey Conners 20/1, Shane Lowry 22/1, Robert MacIntyre 30/1, Taylor Pendrith 30/1 

Sam Burns 

Sam Burns has developed an excellent record in Canada in recent years. Arriving here in good form, and off the back of one of his strongest approach performances of the season last week, he makes plenty of sense at TPC Toronto. 

Burns made a solid start to the season but has been playing his best golf of 2025 in the last six weeks. He hasn't missed a cut over this time and has recorded four top-20 finishes across his last five starts; this includes a season's best 5th-place finish in the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, while he finished 12th in last week's Memorial Tournament. 

He was at his best on the greens in Ohio, which is no surprise for a player who leads in putting on tour this season. However, I was particularly encouraged by his approach play, producing his second-best performance of the year. Combined with his quality, lengthy driving and top-40 ranking in par 4 scoring, he may just have his game in optimum condition for this challenge. 

Burns has played the Canadian Open three times, recording finishes of 4th in 2022 and 10th last year. In addition to some potentially strong comp form at TPC Craig Ranch—where he's previously finished 2nd and 5th—the five-time tour winner held great appeal this week. 

Taylor Pendrith 

Ontario's own Taylor Pendrith has been hitting the ball superbly for the best part of 18 months now. If he can shake off his disappointing week on the greens at Muirfield Village, he'll have every chance of securing a second victory in three years for the home fans. 

Pendrith's game has looked in excellent shape the last two weeks. He recorded his second 5th-place finish of the season at the PGA Championship two weeks ago—which was also his best ever major result—and despite suffering on the greens last week, the quality of his long game was still enough for him to force his way into a 12th-place finish in the Memorial Tournament. 

The Canadian trailed only Scheffler there in ball striking and was especially good with his irons, ranking 2nd in approach and 4th in greens-in-regulation. He's one of the best drivers on tour, combining power with accuracy to rank 3rd and he's also hit more greens than most, ranking 6th in GIR for the season overall. 

Pendrith has played his national open four times and his 21st-place finish last year was his best performance yet. His solo PGA Tour win in the CJ CUP Byron Nelson last year is promising in relation to this test, as is a runner-up finish in the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic. Born around an hour's drive from TPC Toronto, he should feel even more at home than usual in the event this week. 

Ricky Castillo 

Ricky Castillo is another talented youngster who has shown plenty of promise in this rookie season on the PGA Tour. This big hitter is a player that thrives with his long game and as a high-ranking par 4 scorer, he can make an impact at TPC Toronto's North Course. 

Castillo has shown a good level of consistency in 2025, missing just four of his 15 cuts. He's recorded four top-20 finishes, including a best of 5th in the correlating CJ CUP Byron Nelson three starts ago, and he hasn't missed a cut in his previous four starts. 

He excels off-the-tee, ranking 24th and he is currently matching his power—ranking 32nd in driving distance—with accuracy. The irons have also looked strong, ranking 10th in greens-in-regulation and top 50 in approach; as the 8th-ranked par 4 scorer, he should enjoy this layout. 

This once No. 1-ranked amateur has a high ceiling and took to the pro game right away in 2023, winning on his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour. He's been among the 50 best all-round performers on the PGA Tour this season and with many of the biggest starts absent, this looks a great spot for Castillo to earn a first PGA Tour win.  

Victor Perez

Victor Perez has a clear affinity for playing golf in Canada. He not only recorded his best finish on the PGA Tour in this event last year, but on Monday he also came through U.S. Open qualifying at nearby Lambton Golf & Country Club in Ontario. The Frenchman typically plays well the week before a major, and as a player who has excelled on open courses with wide fairways throughout his career, he has the tools to contend this week.

Perez has recorded four top-25 finishes in 12 starts this season and missed just four cuts, producing his best display of the year when finishing 13th in the Myrtle Beach Classic three starts ago. Although he failed to fire in subsequent appearances at the PGA Championship and the Charles Schwab Challenge, his game appeared to be in good shape at Lambton G&CC, where he fired two rounds of 67 to finish 4th in U.S. Open qualifying.

He’s driving the ball well this year, successfully blending power with accuracy to rank 40th off the tee. His greens-in-regulation numbers—ranking 29th—add further encouragement, and as a top-40 par 4 scorer who has been putting solidly of late, he possesses many of the components needed to get into the mix this week.
Perez signed off with a superb 64 in the Canadian Open last year to finish 3rd, two shots behind Robert MacIntyre.

He also recorded a solid 12th-place finish at Muirfield Village on his third visit last year, and with each of his three DP World Tour victories coming on spacious courses with wide fairways and large greens, I’m confident he can perform at TPC Toronto’s North Course.

Danny Walker 

Danny Walker's two professional wins have both come in Canada, and as a strong iron player who possesses plenty of power, he could further strengthen his record in the country by securing a maiden PGA Tour win this week. 

Walker has made a great impression in his rookie season, picking up four top-25 finishes, but none were more impressive than his 6th-place finish at THE PLAYERS Championship. He struggled for form immediately following that, missing his next three cuts, though he has perked up over recent starts, missing just one of his last five, including producing an eye-catching 25th-place finish in the CJ CUP Byron Nelson. 

His approach play is an asset, ranking 43rd and he's encouragingly strong with the long irons, ranking 39th from 200yds+. He also packs a punch with the driver, ranking 32nd in driving distance, and has a very sharp short game, ranking 36th around-the-greens. 

Walker turned pro in 2018 and immediately went to the PGA Tour Canada, winning for the first time on his final start of the year. He then picked up a second pro title on the same tour in 2022—a win that came at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto—and he should be feeling positive about returning to the country for the first time as a PGA Tour player. 

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