The 2024 RBC Canadian Open is set to tee off from the restored Hamilton Golf and Country Club course on Thursday morning. It’s the latest event on the PGA Tour, with Rory McIlroy being valued as the overwhelming betting favorite in his return to Hamilton, where he previously won by seven strokes en route to setting a course record 22-under-par back in 2019.
McIlroy has won two of the past three RBC Canadian Open events, with Nick Taylor’s sensational 72-foot eagle putt to beat Tommy Fleetwood at Oakdale last year still etched in every golf fan’s mind. Taylor will once again be competing in the field of 156 golfers at Hamilton this week but fellow Canadian golfer Corey Conners is a much bigger betting favorite at 22-1 odds. Fleetwood and Sahith Theegala are the other top betting favorites at Hamilton since Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele won’t be competing in the field this week, preparing for the upcoming Signature Event at The Memorial Tournament next week.
In this article, we’re focusing on golfers to use in one-and-done leagues and survivor contests. Make sure to follow me on X @Matt_MacKay_ for more free betting insights and advice throughout the week!
Check out PoolGenius One-and-Done Golf Pool Tools »
Big Guns
Rory McIlroy
Managers who still have Rory McIlroy stashed can deploy him with confidence at a restored Hamilton Golf and Country Club course this week. McIlroy stripes it off the tee and also ranks 35th strokes gained: approaching the green.
As long as his putter and short game fare decent, the star golfer from Northern Ireland has a great opportunity to return big value in one-and-done leagues this week, winning two of the past three RBC Canadian Open events.
Sahith Theegala
We haven’t seen Sahith Theegala at Hamilton yet but he’s playing extremely well in 2024. Theegala ranks top-25 in strokes gained: off-the-tee, approaching the green, and putting, it’s his game around the green that has been notably bad.
A runner-up at the RBC Heritage and T12 at the PGA Championship make the rising star golfer from California a quality asset in survivor contests this week.
Secondary Options
Mackenzie Hughes
Hamilton, Ontario native Mackenzie Hughes played well at this event when it was held at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019. Hughes recorded a T14 finish and he’s also a couple of weeks removed from a T6 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship.
In three of his last six events, Hughes has recorded a T14 finish or better, so don’t be afraid to deploy him as a strong secondary option.
Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry and McIlroy teamed up at the Zurich Classic to win a couple of weeks ago. In 2019, Lowry recorded a runner-up finish behind McIlroy, albeit seven strokes back. He’s among the best in strokes gained: approaching the green and tends to start off with low scores in Round 1.
A T6 finish at Valhalla, the second major of the year, saw Lowry nearly make history with a 10-under-par outing in Round 3. Now, with a week to prepare for Hamilton, Lowry is a strong option in one-and-done leagues during his return to Hamilton.
Sneaky Plays
Kevin Tway
Kevin Tway recorded a T44 finish at Hamilton five years ago but he’s been playing consistently well since a third-place finish at the Corales Puntacana Championship in mid-April. Subsequent outings include a T9 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and a T24 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge this past weekend. Tway is the definition of a sneaky play in survivor contests at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.
Erik van Rooyen
South African golfer Erik van Rooyen logged a T20 finish at Hamilton in 2019 and he’s played well in spots during 2024. A T8 finish at the Mexico Open, a runner-up finish at Cognizant, and a T4 at the Myrtle Beach Classic are the highlights of van Rooyen’s season thus far. Ranked 15th in total strokes gained, including 17th putting and 33rd for green in regulation rate, he’s a great sneaky play to use at Hamilton.
Favorite One-And-Done: Davis Thompson
Davis Thompson recorded a runner-up finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic in mid-May and followed it up with a T17 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge, playing a much tougher restored course at Colonial Country Club. Thompson is making a name for himself, with four of his past five finishes resulting in T25 or better.
Ranked 23rd strokes gained: approaching the green, Thompson can stripe it off the tee as well, plus he’s fifth in scoring average. He’ll be making his debut at Hamilton, but he’s in great form and also ranks 21st on par 4 holes, which there will be an abundance of competing at a par 70 track like the restored Hamilton Golf and Country Club this week.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros & FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
