Golf has been in the news a lot these days — and not even for on-field activities necessarily. Because of that, the upcoming RBC Canadian Open is flying under the radar despite being loaded with betting opportunities. In this article, we’ll shift our focus back to the sport and particularly, which golfers are worthy bets to win the Canadian Open.
- What: RBC Canadian Open
- When: June 8-11
- Where: Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Who’s Playing At 2023 RBC Canadian Open?
Given the US Open is next week, there are many big-name golfers off this weekend as they fully prepare for the third major of the season. But surprisingly, there’s still a solid field playing at the 2023 Canadian Open given the circumstances. The outright winner betting odds are listed below, which feature a few top-ranked players:
| Golfer |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Sam Burns | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Cameron Young | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Justin Rose | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Corey Conners | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Shane Lowry | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
Absolutely no one should be surprised how big of a favorite McIlroy is to win, per the best betting sites for golf. The next-best favorite is double his betting odds because McIlroy has won this event back-to-back times. He'll be going for the three-peat this weekend, which is rare in this sport. The last player to pull off the feat was Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic back in 2009-11.
We’re going to be completely honest and say right now that skipping McIlroy is the move to make for bettors. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’re probably aware the PGA Tour is merging with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. Welp, McIlroy is directly in the crosshairs now given he’s been a staunch loyalist of the PGA during this whole feud. That loyalty looks foolish now that the PGA has taken the same money the Saudis threw at McIlroy, but he turned down. This whole story is just way too distracting to expect the best out of McIllroy so save your money.
Outside of McIlroy, there are four other top-20-ranked players competing this weekend —reigning U.S. Open champion Fitzpatrick, Burns, Hatton, and Young are the others. Conners is also in the mix, and as a native of Canada, is getting extra looks.
It should be noted, this event isn’t being played in the same place as last year. The host changes annually so Oakdale Golf and Country Club is taking reigns from St. George’s in 2022. The course has never hosted this event before (or any professional one for that matter). Oakdale is a par 72 that covers 7,300 yards, but it uniquely features only three par fives and three par threes.
Betting Picks To Win RBC Canadian Open
Per usual when betting golf outright winners, multiple betting picks are a necessity at the Canadian Open. Making three bets, at a minimum, makes sense given the long betting odds. If we could only make three picks, it would be the following three:
Tyrrell Hatton
If you believe in “riding the hot hand”, then Hatton makes a lot of sense here. He’s placed top-20 in five consecutive events. Better yet, he’s gained at least 6.68 strokes on the field in those five events. So it’s safe to assume he’s trending up. We’re putting money on him, and honestly, if he keeps it up in Canada, Hatton might be worth a longshot look for the major.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Like Hatton, Fitzpatrick is also on the up and up. He has a trio of top-10 finishes in his previous six competitions, which includes a title at the RBC Heritage. As one of the top-ranked players in the field, Fitzpatrick is one of the “safest” betting choices there is in the whole field.
Sam Burns
Burns is another solid play here because finished fourth at this event a year ago. And yes, the courses are different, but in many ways, this course is similar to St. George’s last year. While Burns' 2023 season hasn’t gone to his expectations, there are some signs he’s turning it around. He’s finished sixth and 16th in the past two weeks, which gives us confidence to back him here.
How To Watch RBC Canadian Open
Watching the RBC Canadian Open this weekend has two benefits. The first, obviously, is to follow your bets in real time. But two, and maybe more importantly, it can be used as mini-scouting before the US Open the next week. Any intel you pick up from this event — whether that’s a player trending up or down — can be leveraged in your betting strategy next time out.
To do just that, you’ll want to tune in to a few different sources. If you prefer TV, then both The Golf Channel and CBS will split the coverage. For streaming, there are even more options with ESPN+, Paramount+, and Peacock all airing the event. Here are the tee times each day:
- Thursday, June 8: 3-6 pm EST
- Friday, June 9: 3-6 pm EST
- Saturday, June 10: 2:30-7:30 pm EST
- Sunday, June 11: 1:30-2:30 pm EST
How To Bet On 2023 RBC Canadian Open
Last thing before we let you go, the best place to bet on the Canadian Open is one of the bookies below. While all are stand-out sites, the table does have updated sportsbook reviews in case bettors want to compare ‘em. If doing so, weigh the sportsbook bonuses available against each other too.
