The RBC Canadian Open Predictions: Trust in Theegala

• Hamilton hosts for the first time since 2019

• The par 70 has undergone a major redesign ahead of the 2024 event

• Course winner Rory McIlroy is the hot betting favorite

RBC Canadian Open Odds

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RBC Canadian Open Picks and Predictions

• Sahith Theegala to win at +2000 with BetMGM

• Aaron Rai to beat Akshay Bhatia over 72 holes at -120 with bet365

• Matt Wallace for Top 10 at +700 with bet365

RBC Canadian Open Intro

The Canadian Open is a staple of the PGA Tour but change is in the air for the 2024 edition.

Previously the tournament was held straight after the Open Championship or immediately prior to the US Open.

But this time it comes two weeks before the US Open at Pinehurst (June 13-16).

Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ontario will be staging the event for the first time since 2019 when Rory McIlroy - the heavy betting favorite this week - roared to victory by seven shots.

But McIlroy and others who have played at Hamilton will see a very different course this year after a major renovation from Martin Ebert.

Ebert is best known for his restoration work on Open Championship layouts (including this year’s venue Royal Troon) but he’s also turned his hand to Hamilton.

The result: a course 117 yards longer but still short at under 7,100 yards.

Playing-wise, run-off areas around the greens will put more emphasis on short-game imagination while overall it looks set to be a bigger test of ball-striking after hot putters dominated when McIlroy won at Hamilton five years ago. 

Nick Taylor returns to defend having won at Oakdale last year. In doing so he became the first home Canadian winner since 1954. 

Temperatures should be in the 70s with winds expected to pick up in Sunday’s closing round.

Last 5 Winners of the RBC Canadian Open

*The event wasn’t played in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic

Course Notes

• The Canadian Open dates all the way back to 1904

• Hamilton is a par 70 and measures 7,084 yards from the tips

• It was designed by renowned English golf architect Harry Colt 

• Martin Ebert has restored all 27 holes at the club ahead of this year’s event

Favorites to Win the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

Rory McIlroy (+330) at BetMGM

Rory has a special connection with the Canadian Open having won here at Hamilton by seven in 2019 and by two over Tony Finau at St. George’s in 2022. Ninth last year, McIlroy also brings hot current form to the table after back-to-back wins at the Zurich Classic pairs event (with Shane Lowry) and the Wells Fargo Championship. He was 12th in the PGA at Valhalla last time.

Bet on Rory McIlroy (+330) at BetMGM   

Tommy Fleetwood (+1400) at BetMGM

Fleetwood’s long wait for a first PGA Tour win so nearly ended in this event last year before Nick Taylor broke his heart by sinking a 72-foot putt at the fourth extra hole. A winner in Dubai early this season, the Englishman was third at The Masters and 26th in the PGA Championship.

Bet on Tommy Fleetwood (+1400) at BetMGM   

Shane Lowry (+1800) at BetMGM

A second Irishman in the top three in the betting and it’s deserved as Lowry brings converging trends. He was runner-up to McIlroy on this course in 2019, made the top 10 in the 2022 Canadian Open and built on his Zurich Classic pairs win alongside Rory with a sixth place in the PGA at Valhalla.

Bet on Shane Lowry (+1800) at BetMGM 

Back Theegala for the Win

Sahith Theegala was just one shot back after 54 holes of the PGA Championship a fortnight ago.

Contending for the first time in a major is never easy and so it proved for the 26-year-old, who dropped to 12th after a Sunday 73.

But having shot 65-67-67 over the first three days it was still an excellent week for the Californian and he can kick on here.

Theegala has made both his cuts in Canada (53rd and 38th) and arrives at Hamilton playing the best golf of his career and 12th in the world rankings.

A course that requires creativity definitely plays into his hands and he’s shown that with second place finishes this season at The Sentry and the RBC Heritage.

Theegala made the big breakthrough in the Fortinet Championship last September and he’s now in the kind of shape to score a second win.

Back him for the ‘W’ at 20/1 with BetMGM.

Rai to Beat Bhatia

We won another 72-hole match bet last week at Colonial as Aaron Rai (32nd) beat Taylor Moore (missed cut) in a -110 pick ‘em at bet365.

While Rai didn’t exactly pull up trees, I’m going to stick with him here and back the Englishman to get the better of Akshay Bhatia.

Rai has now finished 39th or better in eight of his last 11 starts, cashing in six of the last seven.

As well as consistency, he’s banked fourth in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at the start of May and seventh in the Houston Open.

Finally, Rai has enjoyed previous trips to Canada, posting third (2023) and 13th (2022) in his two visits. 

Bhatia could only manage 68th in his only Canadian Open start and appears to have gone off the boil in recent weeks, missing the cut in both the PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge.

Rai looks to hold all the aces here so back him to win this 72-holer at -120 with bet365.

Wallace to Land Top 10

We just failed to bank the Top 10 bet last week at big odds as Lee Hodges finished 12th at Colonial.

But at the same enticing price of +700, I’ll roll the dice again and bet on Matt Wallace.

The Englishman is showing plenty of good recent form with fourth at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, 20th in the Myrtle Beach Classic and 43rd at the PGA where he fired a Friday 65.

Wallace was 35th on his only Canadian Open appearance in 2022 and is a value bet at +700 to crash the Top 10.

How to Watch the RBC Canadian Open

• Tournament: RBC Canadian Open

• Location: Hamilton G&CC, Onatrio, Canada

• Date: Thursday, May 30 - Sunday, June 2

• How to watch: Thursday-Friday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), Saturday 2.30 p.m.-5.30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 5.30 p.m.-7.30 p.m. (CBS), Sunday 1.30 p.m.-2.30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2.30 p.m.-6.30 p.m. (CBS). And all four days on Sky Sports.