2024 RBC Canadian Open: field and predictions

After last year’s first-class event, the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club has big shoes to fill. The atmosphere on the course was unmatched, especially with hometown hero Nick Taylor’s miraculous putt in the second playoff round against Tommy Fleetwood. With that put, Taylor established himself as the most popular athlete in all of Canada this time last year, when he also became the first Canadian to win their nation’s Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. The 72-foot put was among the most iconic walk-off wins. The event now has outstanding momentum, and the crowd is expected to cheer for another Canadian victory.

Hamilton Golf & Country Club

The event is one of the few on the PGA Tour that moves about each year with 2024′s field welcomed to Hamilton Golf & Country Club, Ontario. Renowned English golf architect Harry Colt designed 18 of the current 27 holes in 1914, with Canadian golf architect Robbie Robinson adding a third nine in 1974. Hamilton Golf and Country Club has been long regarded as one of the top golf courses in Canada

The par 70, 7,084-yard course is a timeless parkland design that underwent a $11.5 million renovation in 2019. Every green was rebuilt, bunkers adjusted, and many of the key features were returned to their classic Harry Colt-designed origins—one of golf’s most celebrated architects. Golf Digest awarded the ambitious project ‘Best New Restoration’ in 2022.

2024 RBC Canadian Open: field

The RBC Canadian Open will feature a full field of 156 players. This event, set to host for the 112th time, is one of the longest-standing events on the PGA TOUR, dating back to 1904.

Nick Taylor, the Winnipeg man, added his name to an illustrious group of past champions, including Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Rory McIlroy—whom Taylor denied a hat trick of successive wins last time around. This week, Rory McIlroy is the headliner. He has won two of the previous three years at the Canadian Open, including the last time this event was contested at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in 2019. McIlroy’s victory that year was dominant. Tied for the lead with Webb Simpson and Matt Kuchar going into the final round, he shot a remarkable 61 on Sunday. After the round, he mentioned that he was more focused on shooting 59 than winning the tournament by the time he made the turn.

This week, he is expected to stand out when the odds are released. McIlroy, the No. 2-ranked player in the world throughout the season, won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Wells Fargo Championship in back-to-back starts before a T-12 finish at the PGA Championship. He will be joined this week in Ancaster by other major names atop the board, including Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Sahith Theegala, and Sam Burns as the hypothetical favorites.