After watching Scottie Scheffler win for the third time this season at the Memorial Tournament last week, up next on the PGA TOUR schedule is the RBC Canadian Open. For the first time ever, this event will be played at the North Course (par 70, 7,389 yards, bentgrass/POA mix greens) of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario. This will be this par 70’s debut at the PGA TOUR level. At last year’s RBC Canadian Open, Robert MacIntyre (-16) won by two shots at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. This week’s field features 156 players and there will be a standard top-65 and ties cut following the first two rounds.
The North Course is a long parkland track that is home to thick rough, large greens, only 48 bunkers and water in play on only three holes. Given the North Course’s daunting length for a par 70 and the venue’s penalizing rough, targeting efficient drivers is a wise strategy this week. As always, we need to be putting a heavy emphasis on approach play and with the Norse Course being a classic par 70 that features 12 par fours and only two par fives, seeking out elite par four players is a must at this track.
Below, I have featured four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the RBC Canadian Open, which all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $700K Summer Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Mark Hubbard ($7,400) – Hubbard is in excellent form right now, finishing T-12, T-5, T-7 and T-28 in his last four solo starts. During this great run of golf, Hubbard has shot under par in 12 of his 16 rounds and he gained strokes on approach at all four of these events.
Hubbard has made five consecutive cuts at the Canadian Open – including a T-6 two years ago – and he is a strong bet for at least a top-30 finish in this weak field.
Vince Whaley ($7,400) – Whaley is playing his best golf of the season right now. The 30-year-old has finished T-7, T-15, T-37 and T-11 in his past four solo starts while shooting under par 11 of those 14 rounds, including a closing round 3-under 67 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in his last start. Whaley has gained strokes OTT in each of these last four starts and he ranks 17th in the major category when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds.
Whaley’s great work with his driver sets him up well for the lengthy North Course and he is one of the top values of the week at this affordable price tag. At the Canada Open, Whaley has made 3-of-3 cuts with two finishes inside the top-35.
Rico Hoey ($7,300) – Hoey has advanced to the weekend in eight of his last 11 solo starts, with six of these finishes being results of T-33 or better. The primary reason for Hoey’s success this season has been his tremendous work with his driver. The 29-year-old leads the entire PGA TOUR in total driving and he also ranks fifth in SG OTT, making Hoey a terrific match for the driver-heavy North Course.
Hoey has top-25 upside this week and he is a strong target for both cash games and GPPs.
Emiliano Grillo ($7,100) – Grillo has produced two top-30 finishes in three starts at the Canadian Open and he returns to Canada this week as the maker of seven of his last eight cuts. Grillo has finished inside the top-25 four times during this stretch, including a T-16 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in his most recent start. That week, Grillo gained 6.1 strokes on approach at Colonial CC, which ranked third for the event and marked a season-high for the veteran.
Grillo ranks first in SG APP when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds and the elite ball-striker brings far better upside than this low $7,100 salary suggests.
