Welcome to your 2025 RBC Canadian Open preview — as the PGA Tour heads to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, a fresh host course ready to test the field with its dynamic layout and strategic challenges. With top contenders and emerging stars all vying for a win, this year’s event has no shortage of storylines.
Like we did for the PGA Championship, let’s take a look at the key players, what to expect, and who might be holding the trophy come Sunday.
Top Contenders at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy (9-2)
Rory’s record in Canada is no joke: two wins, both dominant, and both with the kind of swing tempo that makes you wonder if time briefly stopped. He’s still chasing that first win of the year, but his game is in solid form. If the putter cooperates — and that’s always a bit of a coin flip — he could waltz to another win. Or he could shoot 66-75 and leave everyone wondering how it unravelled so fast. That’s the Rory Experience™.
Ludvig Åberg (14-1)
Ludvig swings the club like he was designed in a Scandinavian lab, and frankly, he might’ve been. His game is modern, efficient, and largely devoid of drama—unless you count how often he leaves birdie putts just short. He’s overdue for a big win, and this field might be soft enough for him to quietly walk away with the title before anyone notices he only made five bogeys all week.
Canadian Open Players to Watch
Taylor Pendrith (28-1)
He’s got momentum, a monster tee ball, and a passport that says “this one means a little more.” Pendrith has been one of the most consistent Canadians on Tour this year, and a strong showing at the PGA Championship proved he can hang with the big names. If he can find the fairway more often than not — a modest request — he could turn a home game into a breakthrough win.
Nick Taylor (55-1)
He’s not the defending champ, but you wouldn’t know it — his 2023 walk-off from downtown has become Canadian golf’s most replayed golf moment, and yes, he’s now literally on the tournament logo. His 2025 season has been more steady than splashy, but a win at the Sony Open and a T4 at last week’s Memorial suggest he’s trending at just the right time. If he finds himself in contention again, Golf Canada won’t need to scramble — they’ve probably had the tribute video sitting in drafts since media day.
Luke Clanton (35-1)
Clanton just turned pro — and already has more Tour top-10s than some guys with full pension plans. The former Florida State standout hits it a mile and seems blissfully unaware that he’s supposed to feel pressure. He’s either about to contend or learn the hard way that professional golf can be an expensive education.
Sleeper Picks & Longshots
Robert MacIntyre (80-1)
He won this tournament last year with grit, great ball-striking, and a touch of magic. Since then, he’s had trouble with the flat stick and hasn’t quite found the same rhythm. But sometimes returning to a familiar environment resets things, and he’s exactly the kind of grinder who could surprise with a top-5.
Final Prediction: Who Wins the RBC Canadian Open?
Rory’s the obvious pick. Ludvig’s the smart one. But Taylor Pendrith feels like the right call. He’s in form, knows the course, and has just enough home pressure to sharpen his focus without tipping into full “why is everyone chanting my name” chaos. If his putter cooperates and he avoids the big miss off the tee, this could finally be the week he claims his first marquee Tour title — in front of a home crowd, no less.
And if he doesn’t? There’s always Nick Taylor again. Or Rory. Or, knowing this tournament’s recent history, someone who wasn’t on your radar at all.
But really, who cares what we think? Fire up a Canadian Open pool over at OfficePools, make your own picks, and see if you can outsmart the rest of your office—or at least beat Carl from accounting.
