For years this post was reserved for Rory McIlroy. That is because he won the 2019 and 2022 Canadian Open titles. However, the world number two from Holywood, Northern Ireland is not competing this week, and it should not be a huge surprise. That is because the Osprey Valley Golf Course in Toronto does not suit McIlroy’s game. How else could you explain McIlroy’s +9 from a year ago? Here are the three golfers we do like this week.
Sam Burns
The world number 29 from Shreveport, Louisiana was in contention before losing to New Zealand’s Ryan Fox in a dramatic four hole playoff. He stayed with Fox until the bitter end, but Burns’s 72 hole score of -18 was not good enough to get into the winner’s circle. Burns has made his last eight straight cuts since having a shaky start to 2026.
Tommy Fleetwood
Another golfer who came mighty close to winning the Canadian Open in the past was England’s Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood lost to Canada’s Nick Taylor in a playoff in 2023. At the time, there were questions what Fleetwood needed to do to win on the PGA Tour? The critics were silenced when he won the 2025 Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Matt Fitzpatrick
The world number four from four from Sheffield, England has one of the most consistent seasons on the PGA Tour this year. In his last eight appearances, he has three titles and one runner-up spot.
