There’s actually a PGA tournament this week, but it’s not getting nearly the amount of press that some other golf news has received this week. I get it, the LIV/PGA merger (or whatever it is) is the big news of the week, but let’s not forget about the PGA Tour making a stop north of the border for the Canadian Open. Another week, another star studded field with plenty of the top names on tour fighting for the win.
Five Picks for the Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy
Just like the great ones always do, Rory turned it around last week at the Memorial and finished T7. He’s the odds-on favorite to win at the Canadian Open, and for good reason. He sits at 3rd in Total Strokes Gained over the last 30 days, even though he’s not lived up to his potential and rating over that time period. Maybe his 114th ranking in driving accuracy has something to do with that. Again, the great ones figure it out. The one question with Rory this week has to be his mindset. It’s impossible to quantify it, but I wonder how much has the nonstop LIV/PGA debate worn down the PGA’s poster boy.
Tyrell Hatton
Hatton finished last week with a respectable T12 at the Memorial, and he seems primed for a good showing at the Canadian Open this week. Over the last month, no one in the Canadian Open field has been better than Hatton in Total Strokes Gained. He’s clearly firing on all cylinders with no real deficiencies in his game right now. With all the LIV/PGA noise, maybe this is his week.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick landed inside the top 10 at the Memorial and seems primed to show well at the Canadian Open. While no single part of his game puts him out in front of the field, over his last 10 rounds on tour, he’s 10th in Total Strokes Gained. He’s solid, he’s proven that he has what it takes to win on tour, and it’s not uncommon for Fitzpatrick to find himself in contention on Sunday afternoons.
Justin Rose
While he’s not played as much recently as some of the other names on this list, Rose has quietly crept up the rankings over the last month or so. Over the last 30 days, he’s been 2nd on Tour in Total Strokes Gained and 1st in Strokes Gained Tee To Green. He’s just 88th in driving accuracy, but his lights-out approach game has carried him. If the driver treats him well at the Canadian Open, watch out.
Sam Burns
Burns finished with a T16 at the Memorial and sits around 22nd in Total Strokes Gained relative to the field at the Canadian Open. He’s been driving the ball really well lately, and that should set him up for some success this week.
Top Sleeper Pick for the Canadian Open: Adrian Meronk
Meronk is a much lesser-known name than the others on this list, probably because about half his rounds are played on the European Tour. But Meronk has been quietly playing at a really high level. Relative to the field over the last month, he’s 5th in Total Strokes Gained, 3rd in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, and 2nd in Strokes Gained Off The Tee. Don’t be surprised to see Meronk near the top of the Canadian Open leaderboard by Sunday afternoon.