The PGA Tour heads to Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf and Country Club for the final tournament before the US Open.
One player who will be confident of heading into the Los Angeles Country Club Major on the back of a victory is Rory McIlroy. Not only is the Northern Irishman ranked third in the world, he is also the defending champion having beaten Tony Finau by two shots a year ago.
McIlroy, who also won the tournament in 2019, has bounced back well after disappointing performances in The Masters and Wells Fargo Championship with ties for seventh in his last two starts. Could he be finding his best form just the right time, before his penultimate attempt of 2023 to claim his fifth Major title? We’ll know more by Sunday night, but there’s every reason to suggest that he’ll produce another strong performance this week.
Another player in the world’s top 10 is in the field too, the man who won last year’s US Open, Matt Fitzpatrick. The Englishman, who is eighth in the world, also produced a creditable performance at Muirfield Village, with a tie for ninth. After winning April’s RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick will be aiming head into next week’s tournament with plenty of momentum too.
Brandt Snedeker won the tournament in 2013. The American returned to action with a T41 at The Memorial Tournament following a nine-month injury layoff, and he’ll be hoping to make further progress this week.
Others who will be targeting a victory include three more players in the world’s top 20 – Sam Burns, Cameron Young and Tyrrell Hatton. World No.26 Shane Lowry will also fancy his chances, particularly after his runner-up finish to McIlroy four years ago.
The tournament offers another chance for club pro Michael Block to show more of the form that saw him tie for 15th in the PGA Championship. He followed that up with a disappointing performance in the Charles Schwab Challenge, when he finished last, and will be determined to get back on track here.
Another player who made a big impression in a Major this year is Sam Bennett. The US Amateur champion tied for 16th at Augusta National and has since turned professional, with his first outing in his new status finishing with 63rd at The Memorial Tournament. Thanks to his US Amateur success, Bennett will also play next week, and he’ll hope to go into that tournament on the back of an encouraging…
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