{"id":724625,"date":"2026-06-09T06:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/724625\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T06:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:52:14","slug":"rbc-canadian-open-2026-the-disrespect-for-aaron-rai-is-out-of-control-australian-golf-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/724625\/","title":{"rendered":"RBC Canadian Open 2026: The disrespect for Aaron Rai is out of control \u2013 Australian Golf Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"

The PGA Tour makes its annual voyage north of the border for the 2026 RBC Canadian Open, returning to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the second consecutive year. After a successful debut as tournament host in 2025, the recently renovated North Course will once again offer a compelling final test before players head a little south for the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

The renovation completed by Ian Andrew in 2024 was done with the purpose of making this course national-championship worthy in Canada. Intense lengthening of holes took place, but he also widened the driving corridors to invite aggression. The par-70 layout is bookended by scoring opportunities at the only par 5s, proving potential for a dramatic finish, just like we saw last season in the playoff between Ryan Fox and Sam Burns.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0RBC Canadian DFS Open picks 2026: Wyndham Clark is back<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s field is stronger than the usual pre-major stop. Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Burns lead the way, with the addition of a proud group of Canadians set to headline an event that has clear weight on the schedule. <\/p>\n

Here are my top-10 contenders to win the 2026 RBC Canadian Open.<\/p>\n

10. Nicolai Hojgaard <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a very clear pathway leading toward Nicolai Hojgaard\u2019s first PGA Tour victory, and it\u2019s led by elite driving. TPC Toronto invites heavy-driver usage, and Hojgaard bests the field in strokes gained\/off the tee. Power is his advantage, making him an intriguing upside play particularly on this golf course.<\/p>\n

Hojgaard also possesses spike scoring potential. He has the third-most rounds of any player in the field gaining at least three-plus strokes over the past six months. Few players will be able to generate the birdie opportunities in bunches like Hojgaard can.<\/p>\n

Watch Read The Line\u2019s Joe Idone and John Haslbauer break down Aaron Rai\u2019s disrespectful odds at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open:<\/p>\n

Watch the full breakdown of the 2026 RBC Canadian Open here.<\/p>\n

9. Collin Morikawa \"2265536842\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

Skipping the Memorial, and choosing to play the Canadian Open the week before Shinnecock was perplexing, especially where injury concerns are lingering for Collin Morikawa. That said, he demands respect and attention anytime that approach play matters. The collection of long par 4s that ask players for precision beyond 200 yards should play right into his strengths.<\/p>\n

This will be his first tournament since the PGA Championship, so sharpness may be a valid concern and thus prevented him from a higher ranking. In a field void on titanic icons, his best ball-striking week is plenty good enough to beat everyone in Canada.<\/p>\n

8. Justin Rose <\/p>\n

While the Canadian Open has been on a rotation with different host clubs, they all share similar agronomy specs and architectural nuances that align with Justin Rose. He\u2019s always been the kind of player who should not be overlooked in a national open setting on bentgrass. The veteran profile matters on these kinds of golf courses.<\/p>\n

A strict combination of patience, strategy and control will often travel well anywhere. He is trustworthy with the putter under pressure, and his long-term iron play checks all the boxes, assuming he\u2019s worked out the learning curve with the McClaren irons. Justin Rose can manage any playing conditions, which makes him a reliable contender to win any time he tees it up.<\/p>\n

7. Alex Fitzpatrick <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a dream run for Alex Fitzpatrick over the past three months. It began with a win at the Hero Indian Open, followed by another win at the Zurich Classic. Equally impressive has been his ability to maintain form and results while taking a major step up in competition. <\/p>\n

Fitzpatrick is living inside the top 10 on a weekly basis, just as he did while finished sixth at Memorial. He\u2019s produced the best ball-striking numbers in the entire field over the past 20 rounds, proving the sustainability of this run. On paper, TPC Toronto appears to be tailor-made for his strengths and provides another opportunity for the younger Fitz to prove that he belongs.<\/p>\n

6. Brooks Koepka \"2276445656\"\/ <\/p>\n

Michael Reaves\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

A week before heading back to Shinnecock Hills, where he won the 2018 U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka is trending in the right direction. He\u2019s been consistently elite from tee to green, and may have finally found the missing link with a putter change that finally produced positive results in his last start.<\/p>\n

Koepka has often elevated his game on these turf conditions, Northeast bentgrass. He\u2019s worked hard to dispel old narratives around only caring about the Majors, and Koepka is motivated to perform. The timing alone means we likely get a sharpened focus, and this is more than just a tune-up for Brooks. <\/p>\n

5. Matt Fitzpatrick <\/p>\n

The only player in the field who owns three wins in 2026 is Matt Fitzpatrick. His status in professional golf has ascended to new heights that demand attention. He\u2019s the odds on favorite to win, but I see some underlying concerns around the course fit which held back his ranking this week.<\/p>\n

His biggest strength, around the green prowess, is largely de-emphasized at TPC Toronto. The greens in regulation rate is high, and if you are needed to scramble for par, then you\u2019re not winning. A cold putter in recent weeks needs to flip for Fitzpatrick, who has been the most complete player all season long when you zoom out on the stats a bit. <\/p>\n

4. Wyndham Clark <\/p>\n

He may have the largest gap between floor and ceiling performance in professional golf. The floor is basement dwelling, but the ceiling is an elevator to the penthouse suite, where Wyndham Clark\u2019s game currently resides. He\u2019s found it, and has proven an innate ability to sustain a hot run for multiple weeks.<\/p>\n

Yet again equally impressive and aggressive at Memorial, it\u2019s starting to feel like Wyndham Clark is back to the form that once made him a major champion. The wide fairways will serve as a proper invitation for his distance off the tee, and he was best in the field last week at Memorial on approach. Wyndham is back and ready to contend in Canada.<\/p>\n

3. Tommy Fleetwood \"2274843605\"\/ <\/p>\n

Andrew Redington<\/p>\n

Perennially reliable tee-to-green, the North Course provides another excellent opportunity for Tommy Fleetwood to convert. A tortured history with the Canadian Open, albeit at a different venue, can be rectified if he flashes some of the brilliance that we saw last week in the final round at Muirfield Village from Fleetwood.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s built to handle difficult approach windows and is comfortable playing in any weather conditions. The question remains whether Sunday afternoon execution can match the quality of his talents. On a course that should reward his skillset, he belongs firmly on a short list of top contenders to win.<\/p>\n

2. Aaron Rai <\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to have to scroll past 15-20 names on an odds board before you get to Aaron Rai. That\u2019s just wrong. Rai has consistent and measurable spike performance potential, and he\u2019s proven it in clutch moments, as evidenced by the Wanamaker trophy that has recently found it\u2019s way to his mantle.<\/p>\n

His incoming form clearly checks all boxes. First, fifth and 19th are his results in the last three starts. Rai also ranks first in strokes gained\/total in my stat model using comp courses to TPC Toronto. Don\u2019t sleep on Aaron Rai as a real, legitimate contender to win this tournament.<\/p>\n

1. Sam Burns \"2250808198\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

Sam Burns came agonizingly close to winning this event last year, as did he last week at Memorial. Experience and form matters, and Burns is hungry to capitalize and get himself back in the winner\u2019s circle. His performance has been stellar across all major stat categories, and Burns has proven already that his game is well suited for TPC Toronto.<\/p>\n

We know he brings high-end scoring potential that is supported by elite putting, but consistent improvement tee-to-green makes Burns the man to beat in Canada. The late round mistakes are often the result of aggressive play, which eventually be what pushes him across the finish line. Sam Burns is the top contender to win the 2026 RBC Canadian Open.<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0U.S. Open picks 2026: The 13 best bets to win at Shinnecock Hills<\/p>\n

Joe Idone is a Read The Line contributor and host of the Preferred Lines podcast.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The PGA Tour makes its annual voyage north of the border for the 2026 RBC Canadian Open, returning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":724626,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[4225,64,63,21944,755,138747,44,85],"class_list":["post-724625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-article","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-gambling","tag-golf","tag-golf-digest","tag-news","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=724625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/724626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=724625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=724625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=724625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}