For the second straight year, golf politics are overshadowing the actual golf during the 2023 Royal Bank of Canada Canadian Open. Last year, the LIV had its first ever tournament on the same weekend of the Canadian Open. Now this year, right before the Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club is supposed to start, the PGA Tour decides to merge with the LIV Tour, causing a great deal of confusion and questions. Here are the three golfers we like the most at the Canadian Open this week.
Rory McIlroy
Quite simply, Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland loves playing in Canada. He has won the last two national championships in the country north of the United States. In 2019 in Hamilton, McIlroy shot a winning score of -22. His total of 258 was the best ever and easily beat major champions Shane Lowry of Ireland and Webb Simpson by seven strokes. Then last year, McIlroy defended his title by beating Tony Finau by two strokes.
Lowry won his major at the 2019 British Open, while Simpson won his major at the 2012 United States Open. McIlroy has twice more major titles than Simpson and Lowry combined. He won at the 2011 United States Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, and 2014 British Open.
Rory McIlroy is $5.50 to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. [bet-au-5]
Justin Rose
The 2013 United States Open champ and 2016 Olympic Gold medalist has made nine of 11 cuts this season, and won one event. That came at Pebble Beach in February.
Justin Rose is $17.00 to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. [bet-au-5]
Matt Kuchar
Kuchar had four top-10s in 2023. He was third at the Valero Texas Open, seventh at Hawaii’s Sony Open, eighth at the Genesis Invitational in the Los Angeles area, and ninth at the World Match Play Golf Championships. His consistency is why we like him this week.
