2024 RBC Canadian Open: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and Major Details

The golf world is keeping its eyes open for the next PGA Tour event on the 2024 calendar. Dubbed the ‘third oldest continuously running tournament’ in the men’s circuit, the RBC Canadian Open will kick off on May 30 and will witness many talented golfers tee off at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario. However, the No. 1 and No. 2 athletes in the OWGR, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, won’t be gracing the field.

Regardless of the duo’s absence, it’s not as if the field is any worse. This is especially so when it awards the champ with a winner’s cut of $1,692,000 from the total prize pool of $9.4 million. The victor will also receive, along with fame, the title of champion, and a trophy. However, only one athlete can lift the cup from the talented field of golfers.

Top contenders for the RBC Canadian Open

The 113th edition of the National Men’s Open Championship of Canada will constitute a total of 156 golfers vying for the title of champion. Out of the same, four spots will be granted to the top four athletes after the Monday qualifiers for the event take place at the TPC Toronto’s North Course. That’s not all. Aside from the PGA Tour pros who are taking part in the tourney, there will be 25 Canadians as well who will look to tee it up in their home country this week as sponsor exemptions. Such a line-up is sure to provide tough competition for those who are aiming to earn FedEx Cup points and get into the next signature event via the Aon Swing 5. Even so, there are sure to be favorites.

1. Nick Taylor: The top-ranked golfer in Canada, will look to defend his title at the RBC Canadian Open this year. He beat Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff by carding a birdie at the par-4 18th after the two had tied with each other at the top of the scoreboard with figures of 17-under 271. But that was just his third PGA Tour win. Fast forward to 2024, and the golfer emerged victorious at the WM Phoenix Open to rake in his fourth win on the men’s circuit. He did so, coincidentally, by beating Charley Hoffman in yet another playoff. Although he just has another top-10 finish to his name at the Sony Open in Hawaii, the defending champion will surely pose a great threat in his home country.

2. Rory McIlroy: The Northern Irishman is the highest-ranked athlete in the field at the Canadian Open. The current No. 3 in the OWGR has three top-10 finishes on the Jay Monahan-led Tour. Out of the three, his best came off at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he won the tournament while scoring a 17-under 267, and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he emerged victorious as well with teammate and fellow countryman Shane Lowry. Even though he got pushed back into 3rd place on the world rankings by Xander Schauffele, the 35-year-old will surely be looking to grab the title of champion so that he can take the first step in reclaiming the No. 2 spot.

3. Tommy Fleetwood: The 33-year-old is currently placed at No. 13 on the world rankings and has garnered a total of four top-10 finishes in 2024, including a victory at the Dubai Invitational. His best, however, in the PGA Tour this year came at the first major championship at Augusta where he was tied at T3 with a score of 4-under 284. Aside from his recent performances, the athlete had also managed to tie himself with the defending champion of the event back in 2023 forcing him to a playoff. The English professional would, thus, hope to reclaim the missed-out glory by emerging triumphant at the upcoming contest.

4. Sahith Theegala: A T2 at the Sentry, a T5 at the WM Phoenix Open, a T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a T9 at the PLAYERS Championship followed by another T2 at the RBC Heritage. These are but the five top-10 finishes that the 26-year-old has to his name. Moreover, the amazing golf he has displayed on the greens has also helped him climb from the 32nd spot (when he teed off at the Sentry) to the 12th place on the OWGR. Underestimating him would be unwise as the golfer would be hoping to clinch his second win on the men’s circuit, the first of which he clinched at the 2023 Fortinet Championship.

5. Shane Lowry: The Irishman is truly a golfer to keep one’s eyes on at the RBC Canadian Open, despite him boasting just a single win this year, and that too from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Aside from his triumph at TPC Louisiana with McIlroy, he has three top-10 placements, with his best coming off from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he finished T3 with a score of 9-under 279. The 1-time major champ will surely look to increase his tally of PGA Tour wins to four at the upcoming event that is set to take place at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

A test for the golfers at Hamilton Golf and Country Club

The course opened in 1916, was designed by Harry Colt, and was redesigned after Rory McIlroy’s win in 2019 by world-renowned architect Martin Ebert. He reconstructed the tees, bunkers, and greens on all 27 holes while putting in a new irrigation system, a new practice area, as well as a practice putting green.

The grounds will be longer by about 112 yards as opposed to when the event was played in 2019. The par-3, 6th, which was also dubbed “the second-most difficult hole at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open,” was extended by around 25 yards, while the par-4, 7th, was made 35 yards longer, among others. Well, the golf world can be sure to expect an exhilarating display of golf in Ontario, especially with the return of ‘The Rink’ or the par-3 14th hole, which boasts a hockey-inspired atmosphere. Truly an exciting weekend ahead at the RBC Canadian Open!