RBC Canadian Open Best Bets & Props: Rory McIlroy, Canadian Hopefuls, and a Pro Debut

Scottie Scheffler is not in the Toronto area this week.

His absence is significant — it boosts the odds of every player in the field at the RBC Canadian Open.

Two-time event winner Rory McIlroy is the favorite. His victories in the event came in 2019 and 2022.

There will also be the usual focus on whether any of the 24 Canadians in the field can win the tournament. When Nick Taylor scored his massive victory in 2023, it marked the first time a Canadian had won the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954. Last year, Taylor didn’t even make the cut.

As usual, you don’t need to be a big name to find your name high up the leaderboard at a golf tournament. Even a player in his first pro event can make an impact.

RORY’S SHOW? OR SETUP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT?

McIlroy (+450) is the clear favorite this week, but he tied for 47th in his most recent tournament — the PGA Championship — and didn’t play the past two weeks. Perhaps a mental break is what he needed to rediscover the form that helped him win Pebble Beach, The Players and the Masters this season.

Ludvig Åberg (+1400) has battled consistency issues, but you never know when he’ll make a run. He won the Genesis Invitational but also missed three cuts and withdrew from another tournament.

Shane Lowry (+2200) has four top-10 results this season — including a second and a tie for second — so he can certainly make a run for the crown.

Sungjae Im (+3500) didn’t shoot lower than 71 at the Memorial Tournament last week, but that tie for fifth at the Masters hints he can be in the mix.

Defending champion Robert MacIntyre (+2800) has three top-10 finishes this season and figures to threaten for another.

Best bet: Shane Lowry to win tournament (+2200, DraftKings)

OH, CANADA … GLORIOUS AND FREE

Canadian golf fans will talk about Taylor’s epic 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole forever. And they should — golfers just don’t get to win a tournament in that wild of a way too often.

Making things cooler is that Taylor and fellow Canadians Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes will form a trio and play the first 36 holes together. The gallery might be the largest sports gathering in the Toronto area since the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title.

The tough part will be choosing who to cheer for most.

Taylor (+4500) finished fourth at the Memorial and won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, while Hughes (+4500) tied for 39th over the weekend but has missed three of the past five cuts.

Pendrith (+2800) tied for 12th last week and tied for fifth at the PGA Championship in mid-May — one of his four top-10 finishes this season.

Corey Conners (+2000) also has five top-10 showings this season.

Best bet: Taylor Pendrith to be top Canadian and finish in the top 10 (+250, DraftKings)

CLANTON PUTS ON A SHOW IN HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT

Luke Clanton (+4000) has displayed a ton of promise as an amateur and college star at Florida State, but this event will mark his first as a professional.

Now the 21-year-old gets to keep the money — though he said this week it’s about the competition, not the fame or paycheck.

In 2024, Clanton booked three top-five finishes, so there’s no reason he can’t bust out in a big way this week. His best finish in 2025 is a tie for 15th at the highly respected Torrey Pines.

As for his college season? He won the Ben Hogan Award as the top collegian in the country.

If you’re looking for experience, Justin Rose (+2000 to win; +500 for top 10) might be a good buy. He has three top-10 finishes this season and turned in an epic final round at the Masters when he lost to McIlroy in a playoff.

Best bet: Luke Clanton to finish in top 10 (+350)