2022 RBC Canadian Open: Latest Betting Odds, Favorites and Sleeper Picks for St. George’s Golf & Country Club
After recent improbable comebacks at the PGA Championship and Charles Schwab Challenge, we were treated to a boring Sunday at the Memorial.
Billy Horschel had just missed the cut the week prior, but maybe the rest and refocus on where he excels was just what he needed. Horschel’s swing looked simple and refreshed throughout the week as he used a third-round 65 to cruise around Muirfield Village during the final round for a victory lap.
As for the picks, favorite Xander Schauffele was able to sneak into the top 20 for us while Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler could not get anything going on the weekend.
In the final tuneup for the U.S. Open, we are heading north of the border for the glorious return of the RBC Canadian Open. St. George’s Golf & Country Club will host many of the world’s best golfers for the first time since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty Canadians will compete, but no countryman has been able to keep the title home since Pat Fletcher in 1954. St. George’s will also offer an uncommon test amid its par-70 layout with three par 5s and five par 3s.
According to SI Sportsbook, the favorite is world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler at +900. Right behind are PGA champion Justin Thomas and defending champion from 2019 Rory McIlroy at +1000. To close out the notables are the ever-reliable Cameron Smith and recent Charles Schwab Challenge winner Sam Burns at +1400.
For our favorite, we’re going with Smith at +1400. There is not much value among the top crop, so we must go with the guy who we will probably be there. Heading into last week, Smith was looked over because of his course history at Muirfield Village, but to little surprise we saw his name atop the leaderboard early on once again. With many unknowns around St. George’s hosting this tournament for the first time since 2010, current form should shine through. Outside of his two wins on Tour this year, Smith ranks in the top 20 in five of the six key strokes-gained categories, including ranking first in birdie average and scoring average. If Smith can keep the ball in regulation, he’ll no doubt compete for another title.
For a midrange pick, we’re looking at British Columbia native Adam Hadwin at +4000. We must take a Canadian, right? After a wonderful month of March that included three straight top-10 finishes, Hadwin has been a bit up and down with a couple of missed cuts. However, he seems to have found something at the Memorial last week with a T18 just prior to returning home. Hadwin also ranks 11th in strokes gained: tee-to-green and 13th in strokes gained: total in his last 24 rounds. As for tournament history, Hadwin came in sixth in the most recent rendition in 2019 and owns two other top 10s as well. Look for the Canuck to be feeling good and motivated to end the home-soil drought.
For a sleeper, Brendon Todd at +7000 makes the most sense here. Todd was once the hottest player on the planet, in November 2019, when he won twice and added a fourth-place finish to a resume that only included one win in 2014. Ever since, he’s shown flashes of that form. At the Valero Texas Open, he recorded a T8 and at his most recent start, the Charles Schwab Challenge, he finished third. Maybe most importantly for this week is the fact Todd ranks 201st in driving distance, but fifth in accuracy. Todd should be able to utilize his short-course expertise and contend on the weekend.
2021-22 picks scoreboard:
Events: 29
Winners: 3
Top 5s: 9
Top 10s: 5
Top 20s: 2
Here are some notable odds, according to SI Sportsbook:
Scottie Scheffler +900
Justin Thomas +1000
Rory McIlroy +1000
Sam Burns +1400
Cameron Smith +1400
Matt Fitzpatrick +1800
Shane Lowry +1800
Corey Conners +2000
Tony Finau +2200
Tyrrell Hatton +2800
Harold Varner +3500
Adam Hadwin +4000
Sebastian Munoz +4000
Patrick Reed +4000
Keith Mitchell +4500
Chris Kirk +4500
Jhonattan Vegas +5500
Sahith Theegala +5500
Justin Rose +5500
MacKenzie Hughes +6000
C.T. Pan +6000
Brendon Todd +7000
Cameron Champ +7000
Pat Perez +8000
Rasmus Hojgaard +8000
Patrick Rodgers +8500
David Lipsky +8500
Adam Long +10000
J.J. Spaun +10000
Dylan Frittelli +10000
Stephan Jaeger +10000
Aaron Rai +10000
Matt Wallace +10000