Canadian Open | From the tour of choice in Etobicoke

The RBC Canadian Open has never attracted so much attention. It will feature a cast of out-and-out golfers, including some of the best in the world, trying to simultaneously manage a controversy no one saw coming.

Nicholas Richard
The Press

They will be thousands of supporters to oscillate between the 1^er and the 18^e hole at the St-Georges Etobicoke Golf Club, located between Toronto and Mississauga. This will be the first Canadian tournament since 2019 and the organizers have managed to attract quality golfers. With the players present, the Canadian Open has little to envy to the other major tournaments on the PGA Tour. Never in its history has the tournament had such good registered players.

The main reason for this convergence of the best players in the world towards Ontario, beyond the majesty of the field, is the presentation of the United States Open the following week. The third major tournament of the season will be played in Brookline, Massachusetts, under conditions similar to the Canadian Open.

Talented players will not be lacking over the next four days. The excitement around the tournament is unparalleled and the site has rarely attracted so many curious people, both spectators and members of the media. Several registered golfers quickly became something of an attraction.

Scottie Scheffler

Starting with the best player on the planet, Scottie Scheffler, who will try to win a fifth tournament this season. The 25-year-old Texan has no equal in 2022. The most recent winner of the Masters Tournament is in a class of his own and he intends to start his last round on Sunday afternoon. Especially since the St-Georges course gives the impression of having been designed to match his style of play.

Justin Thomas

With his spectacular snatch victory at the PGA Championship, Justin Thomas will undoubtedly be a contender for the title. The echoes coming from Etobicoke say that he is in great shape and that he intends to continue his momentum. The American finished in the top 10 in 6 of his last 10 tournaments.

Rory McIlroy

We tend to forget it because it’s already been three years, but Rory McIlroy is the defending champion of the Canadian Open, which he won by seven strokes, ahead of Shane Lowry, also present this week. The 33-year-old golfer is back at the top of his game and came very close to winning the Grand Slam in April, finishing second at the Masters Tournament, the only major title missing from his collection. A few weeks later, he finished eighth in the PGA Championship.

Cameron Smith

After Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith is probably the best player on the PGA Tour. Always precise on the greens and sparkling with his approach shots, he will know how to negotiate the Canadian course perfectly. He won the Players Championship with a bang in March and finished on the final step of the podium at Augusta National. Its presence in Canada is a gift for the amateurs present.

Sam Burns

Even if his name is a little less effective than those of the four previous players, Sam Burns is not to be taken lightly. He has just won the Charles Schwab Challenge, in overtime, against his longtime friend Scottie Scheffler. Burns has three wins this season and is ranked ninth in the world.

Without Dustin Johnson

The news shocked many people, but no one was more so than the organizers of the RBC Canadian Open.

Just days before the start of the tournament, Royal Bank of Canada’s top brand ambassador, Dustin Johnson, announced that he was joining the LIV Golf Series which begins at the same time as the Open. He therefore renounced at the same time his right to play on the PGA Tour. Another player sponsored by the Bank, Graeme McDowell, is also taking part in the Saudi adventure.

In such a situation, both golfers would have been contractually and legally obligated to participate in the Bank-sponsored event. This is why, given the situation, RBC has terminated its ties with the two players.

The tournament is part of all the controversy surrounding the new LIV Golf series, despite itself, and trying to pick up the slack. Nevertheless, given all the headliners present at the 2022 edition of the Omnium, it is a lesser evil not to be able to count on the presence of Johnson.