RBC Canadian Open Power Rankings

The PGA Tour heads north of the border as players make their final US Open preparations at the RBC Canadian Open.

Held at TPC Toronto for the first time, the course will offer a somewhat different challenge to recent years when the event has been held at the likes of St George's, Oakdale and Hamilton.

TPC Toronto is a long and expansive course that should favour longer hitters. The two par-5s are gettable and at least one par-4 should be drivable, favouring aggressive players.

Owing to its length, players mid- and long-irons will be tested on approach, while scrambling skills will likely be needed for the inevitable missed greens.

The green complexes themselves don’t look overly taxing and are a bent/poa mix.

All eyes will be on Rory McIlroy after his somewhat controversial absence from last week’s Memorial Tournament as he bids to win a third Canadian Open title ahead of the US Open at Oakmont next week.

The Northern Irishman naturally tops our Power Rankings, but who rounds out the top five? Find out below.

5 - Taylor Pendrith

Want a big-hitting home favourite who thrives on long courses? Well look no further than Taylor Pendrith.

The 34-year-old enjoyed a solid 12th-placed finish at the Memorial last week and was T5 at the PGA Championship the week before.

Pendrith also has top 10s at the Farmers Insurance Open (Torrey Pines) and the Texas Children’s Houston Open (Memorial Park), both of which place lots of demand on driving distance and long-iron play.

For someone who seems more comfortable holding a 6-iron than a sand wedge, TPC Toronto could set up nicely for Pendrith.

4 - Ludvig Aberg

It’s hard to know exactly what we’ll get from Ludvig Aberg at the moment. His driving accuracy is getting worse and his iron play has dipped from elite to inconsistent. His second and fourth rounds at the Memorial show his ceiling remains sky-high, and his remarkable 66 on Sunday at Jack’s Place suggested he may be getting back to his best.

Despite his recent woes that saw him go MC-MC-7-T54-T60-MC, Aberg does have a win to his name at a Signature Event this season, winning the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.

Indeed, his three top-10s this season have all been on stretching courses – Kapalua, Torrey and Augusta, and as another player who’s more comfortable the further he is from the hole, TPC Toronto should set up nicely for Aberg.

The Ryder Cup is getting nearer and it’s high time the Swede starts to recapture his best form.

3 - Shane Lowry

While his lack of distance off the tee won’t help him this week, Shane Lowry’s elite iron play means he’ll still set up plenty of birdie chances.

The issue for the Irishman this season is that his putter just isn’t doing him any favours. Only twice this season can he say he’s putted well and on one of those occasions he ran into Rory McIlroy at Pebble Beach. On the other, a pair of double-bogeys on the back-nine on Saturday killed his chances at the Arnold Palmer.

The flat stick cost him a chance of victory at the Truist Championship, coming second to Sepp Straka, but Lowry is getting closer. Unlike Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood who’s also recording plenty of strong finishes without winning, Lowry’s putting himself in positions to win.

In a weaker field, Lowry can separate himself with his superior approach game.

2 - Corey Conners

Corey Conners may currently be the best ball-striker on the PGA Tour not named Scottie Scheffler – yes, that includes Rory McIlroy.

Conners has been playing superb golf for a long time now, making it all the more surprising that his only win on the PGA Tour has come at TPC San Antonio.

Conners’ biggest weakness remains whenever he gets within 100 yards of the hole, but even his short game is improving.

Despite not being a long hitter, Conners excels on longer courses (three of his five top-10s this season have been at Kapalua, Bay Hill and Augusta), perhaps due to his ability to find every fairway off the tee and his excellent long-iron game. When facing approach shots in excess of 175 yards, Conners is playing his from the fairway while so many others are hacking out of the rough.

With the rough being up this week, there may be a premium on driving accuracy, particularly for those lacking distance.

On the greens, he’s playing the best he ever has in his career, perhaps thanks to his change in putter, and the Canadian has every chance of granting a home winner this week.

1 - Rory McIlroy

A two-time winner of this event, Rory McIlroy boasts an excellent record at the RBC Canadian Open, despite contesting the tournament at three different venues.

McIlroy won in 2018 and 2022 and came &9 in 2023 and T4 last year.

This year will pose a different test and if anything should suit the Northern Irishman more.

McIlroy’s driving has been much more wayward this year, but while he’s struggling to find fairways, he’s rarely miles off line, and only the wildest of drives will be punished by the thick rough at TPC Toronto.

McIlroy remains one of the best long iron players in the world and his short game remains at a high level.

If there is one reason for concern, it’s that McIlroy’s not quite been up to scratch since his Masters win. While the Zurich Classic can largely be ignored, McIlroy struggled on approach and around the green at the Truist Championship, and finished a hugely disappointing T47 at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship.

But in this field, on a course that should suit long hitters, McIlroy is a thoroughly deserving favourite.