We don’t have an abundance of scoring information to base our first-round leader bets off of this week. The PGA TOUR hasn’t played at St George’s Golf and Country Club since 2010, and the course was redesigned in 2014, making things ever more difficult.
However, there are a few things we do know that may be useful for determining who could get off to a hot start at the RBC Canadian Open. Back in 2010, Carl Pettersson won the event by shooting an amazingly low 10-under 60 in his final round. The course isn’t easy, as the winning score was only -14, but he showed us that if you keep the ball in play off the tee that it’s possible to go low here.
Additionally, it seems as if we will get a wet morning in the Toronto area, and the course should be very soft for the early starters. Therefore, I believe that targeting morning starters to fill out a first-round leader card is the best strategy this week.
The course is claustrophobic and tree lined. It’ll be best to avoid golfers who have a tendency to spray it off the tee and accuracy will be paramount.
2022 RBC Canadian Open FRL Picks
Mackenzie Hughes +7000
Hughes will be as motivated as ever to get off to a hot start in the Canadian Open. Playing in your home country’s national open can create a lot of pressure, but it’s pressure that the Canadian has thrived under in the past. He finished 14th in the Canadian Open in 2019 and eighth in 2018.
Hughes had a solid showing in his last start at The Memorial Tournament. He gained 1.8 strokes on approach and 3.5 strokes around the green and finished in 37th on a course that really shouldn’t suit him. St. George’s is a similar style course to places like Harbour Town Golf Links and TPC Potomac where Hughes has thrived.
The 31-year-old tees off at 7:02 a.m. local time and will look to take advantage of a soft golf course in front of his home crowd.
J.T. Poston +9000
Poston is another golfer that has had a lot of success on courses that I feel have a similar profile to St. George’s. His success on shorter par 70’s and boasts a third-place finish at Harbour Town Golf Links just a few months ago. He’s been inconsistent this season but has two top-10 finishes in his past five starts and is the type who can go really low on any given round.
Poston shot a 64 on his final round at the RBC Heritage, and I can see him opening with a similar number this week in Canada.
Brandt Snedeker +11000
It’s been a difficult season for Snedeker in 2022, but there is some reason to believe the Canadian Open is a spot where he can turn his fortunes around. He’s shown a little bit of life in the past month having made two consecutive cuts in strong fields at the Charles Schwab Challenge and the Memorial Tournament.
Snedeker’s success in Canada is remarkable. In his past three starts at the Canadian Open, he’s finished in fourth (2019), eighth (2018) and fifth (2016). He also won the event back in 2013 when it was held at Glen Abbey Golf Course.
His form is shaky, but it’s worth taking a shot on in a country where he’s been absolutely fantastic.
