2026 RBC Canadian Open Power Rankings: Top 10 Golfers To Watch

June 10, 2026

Ian McNeill ranks his top-10 PGA Tour players to watch at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. His data-backed insights into who is primed for success.

For the better part of the last seven seasons, the RBC Canadian Open has served as a final checkpoint before America's National Open. 2026 is no different, and brings the return of Canada's new host site -- and the home base of Golf Canada headquarters.

While the field won't compare to the Signature Event we saw last week at Jack's Place, seven of the world's top 20 have made the commitment North of the Border, as well as six others who currently reside inside the top 25 of the Season-Long FedEx Cup Standings.

But how does this eclectic field stack up at the top -- and who, if anyone, should you be targeting on pre-week betting boards? Without further ado, here are my top-10 players to watch at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open!

No. 10 - Eric Cole

Eric Cole STICKS IT to 2 ft. from 140 yards out 😳

He moves to T-1 with his fifth birdie of the day pic.twitter.com/PXUY9vKNHx

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 30, 2026

The path to the top ranks of professional golf hasn't always been smooth for Eric Cole, but when he finds form, the 2023 Rookie of the Year has repeatedly shown an ability to sustain it for extended stretches.

His latest run began two months ago at the Valero Texas Open, where he snapped an opening stretch of nine starts without a top-30 finish by recording a T14. Since that breakthrough in early April, the Floridian has finished outside the top 10 just once in his next five starts.

While driving has remained the primary weakness in his profile throughout much of this surge, Cole has made noticeable strides off the tee over the last two weeks. At Colonial and Muirfield Village -- two of the PGA Tour's most demanding driving tests -- he gained a combined 2.80 strokes off the tee across eight rounds.

That improvement could be the key to unlocking his full ceiling -- and perhaps his first PGA Tour victory. Osprey Valley presents a similarly stern penalty for errant tee shots, though players are afforded slightly wider landing areas. Last year, competitors lost roughly four-tenths of a stroke to the field for every fairway missed, and each of the top 12 finishers exceeded the field average of 66% driving accuracy.

If these recent gains with the driver prove sustainable, Cole possesses the rest of the toolkit needed to contend. Over his last 20 rounds, he leads this week's field in both Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Putting. With that combination of elite iron play and a red-hot putter, it's easy to envision him giving himself another chance on Sunday afternoon.

Eventually, one of these close calls has to go his way, doesn't it?

No. 9 - Kristoffer Reitan

While Eric Cole outranks many of his contemporaries in recent statistical outputs, Kristoffer Reitan has accomplished in 12 PGA Tour starts what Cole has yet to achieve in 121.

A two-time winner on the DP World Tour last season, the Norwegian hasn't taken long to translate that winning pedigree across the Atlantic. Last month, he captured the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow against a field that featured all but three of the world's top 20 players.

That victory alone would ordinarily define the season of a PGA Tour rookie. But Reitan showed last week that he has no intention of resting on his laurels.

At Muirfield Village—a sterner examination than even Quail Hollow—the 27-year-old posted a T6 finish in another Signature Event while simultaneously displaying a skill set rarely seen during his rise through the European ranks.

Across four rounds at Jack's Place, Reitan gained 7.56 strokes on approach, the third-best mark in the field and more than double the next-highest approach performance of his young PGA Tour career.

That showing continued one of the most encouraging developments in his profile. Reitan has now gained strokes on approach in five of his last six starts, a notable step forward for a player whose reputation was initially built elsewhere.

Last season on the DP World Tour, Reitan ranked seventh in driving and 27th in putting while placing just 60th in Strokes Gained: Approach. His victory at Quail Hollow followed a similar blueprint, as he ranked fifth in the field off the tee and second in putting over four days in Charlotte.

But as the irons continue to improve alongside the power and putting that carried him to this level, Reitan's profile is beginning to resemble that of a genuine world-class player. Between his victory at Quail Hollow, last week's top-six finish at Muirfield Village, and a runner-up result at the Zurich Classic, few players in this field arrive with more momentum.

No. 8 - Alex Fitzpatrick

Alex Fitzpatrick in his second round as a full PGA Tour member:

6 Birdies
0 Bogeys
12/14 Fairways hit
17/18 Greens hit
+4.3 SG: Ball Striking

Chipped in for birdie on the only green missed Friday. pic.twitter.com/NEWsYs6EDE

— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) May 1, 2026

While Matt remains the early frontrunner for Fitzpatrick of the Year honors in 2026, Alex -- four years his junior -- has spent his first full month on the PGA Tour exceeding even the most optimistic expectations.

Since teaming up for victory at the Zurich Classic, Alex has recorded finishes of ninth, fourth, and sixth in three consecutive Signature Events, producing a Strokes Gained pace surpassed only by Truist Championship winner Kristoffer Reitan during that stretch.

From a statistical standpoint, there are few weaknesses to identify in the Englishman's game. He ranks fifth in this field in Good Drive Percentage and third in Strokes Gained: Approach over his last 20 rounds, most recently gaining 5.87 strokes with his irons across four rounds at Muirfield Village.

Like his older brother, Fitzpatrick's short game has long been one of his defining strengths. He ranked seventh on the DP World Tour in Around-the-Green performance last season and gained more than four-tenths of a stroke per round with the putter during his first full campaign at that level in 2024.

Those returns make this recent ball-striking surge all the more intriguing. Unlike many promising young players, Fitzpatrick doesn't need to develop an elite short game to reach another level. If the current iron play proves sustainable, the ceiling rises considerably.

With two victories, six top-10 finishes, and just one missed cut across his last 20 worldwide starts, Fitzpatrick has quietly become one of the hottest players in professional golf. And after finishing ahead of his brother in two of the three fields they've shared this season, it may not be long before the Fitzpatrick name carries equal weight regardless of which brother you're discussing.

No. 7 - Justin Rose

After the mass hysteria surrounding Justin Rose's sudden switch to McLaren irons -- and his subsequent flop at Doral -- the World No. 6 has responded in emphatic fashion as the PGA Tour has shifted into the Northeast.

Across starts at Aronimink and Muirfield Village, the veteran Englishman has posted finishes of 12th and 10th while gaining 4.04 and 3.29 strokes on approach, respectively. In the process, he's quieted much of the criticism that followed his equipment change in the wake of a T3 finish at Augusta.

Rose will look to carry that momentum into Canada before turning his attention toward next week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Since 2022, he has recorded finishes of fourth and eighth in three starts north of the border. And while the lone missed cut of his distinguished career at the RBC Canadian Open came at Osprey Valley last year, Rose still demonstrated a clear comfort level on these greens, gaining more than 4.3 strokes putting across his two competitive rounds.

His ball-striking told a different story in that debut appearance, but I'm not expecting a repeat performance in 2026. As mentioned previously, Rose arrives with significantly stronger approach numbers than he carried into this event a year ago, while also ranking 14th in this field in Total Driving over his last 36 rounds.

The last time we saw the 45-year-old tee it up in a non-Signature, non-major championship field, he dismantled the competition by seven strokes at Torrey Pines. My numbers suggest his ball-striking remains among the most reliable in this field outside of the handful of players near the top of the betting board, and with two victories already to his name over the last 10 months, his 33-1 outright price warrants serious consideration.

No. 6 - Wyndham Clark

Discussion, process, execution 🤝

Wyndham Clark and his caddie made the better decision and went right at it at the Memorial Tournament.

(Presented by @Aon_plc) pic.twitter.com/ls8dJhvpBh

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 8, 2026

How quickly things can change.

After a frustrating first four and a half months of 2026, Wyndham Clark has thrust himself back into the conversation as both a tournament favorite and one of the hottest players on the planet in the span of just two weeks.

First, he lit up TPC Craig Ranch to the tune of 30-under-par, using a record-setting week on the greens (+12.57) to overcome both World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim. A closing-round 60 ultimately delivered the fourth PGA Tour victory of his career.

Then, at Muirfield Village, Clark proved he's far more than a one-dimensional player. The former U.S. Open champion paced the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+9.34) en route to a solo-third finish, ending the week just one shot shy of the sudden-death playoff contested by J.T. Poston and Ryan Gerard.

For a player who has already climbed to the summit of the sport, the recent convergence of elite iron play and vintage Clark putting suggests something special may be brewing once again.

The fit at Osprey Valley is also difficult to ignore. Last year's playoff participants showcased many of the same characteristics that have fueled Clark's success throughout his career: overwhelming power off the tee in the case of Ryan Fox and the ability to catch fire on the greens in the mold of Sam Burns.

The generous landing areas should also help mask the occasional wide miss that remains present in Clark's profile. And while the last two weeks have easily produced his best finishes of the season, his iron play has been trending in the right direction for much longer. Clark currently sits 10th in the PGA Tour's season-long Strokes Gained: Approach standings.

How long this latest surge lasts remains to be seen. Clark's volatility has always been part of the package. But if history is any indication, few players are more dangerous when everything begins to click at once.

The question for bettors is straightforward: are you willing to pay a premium for one of the highest-upside -- and most volatile -- profiles in professional golf? If the answer is yes, there may be nobody in this field capable of matching Clark's ceiling should he once again find himself in contention on Sunday afternoon.

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No. 5 - Collin Morikawa

I'll readily admit there's more uncertainty attached to Collin Morikawa's profile than most players ranked this highly. But even with those concerns, his presence casts a long shadow over nearly everyone in this field.

After nearly a month away from competition, Morikawa arrives in Canada considerably fresher than many of his peers. With no injury-related explanation provided for his absence at last week's Memorial Tournament—only a precautionary leave ahead of the birth of his first child—there's reason to believe this could be the healthiest version of Morikawa we've seen since his back issues first surfaced at TPC Sawgrass.

Even while managing those physical concerns, Morikawa remains one of the premier ball-strikers in the game. Over his last 24 rounds, he ranks sixth in this field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 11th in Good Drive Percentage.

The fit at Osprey Valley is equally compelling. On a golf course that places an equal demand on creating birdie chances with scoring clubs and weathering a multitude of long, demanding par 3s and 4s, Morikawa ranks inside the top 15 in this field in proximity both from inside 150 yards and beyond 200 yards -- the only player in the tournament with those accolades.

There's also a bit of history here. Morikawa's first professional start came at Hamilton Golf & Country Club, the former home of the RBC Canadian Open located just an hour south of Osprey Valley. He finished T14 that week before claiming his first PGA Tour victory only six weeks later.

The lingering question, of course, is health. If Morikawa arrives fully recovered, his statistical profile suggests he belongs much closer to the very top of this list than the middle of it. If not, the concerns that have followed him throughout the spring remain difficult to ignore.

But if there's one thing I know about Collin Morikawa, it's that he'll already be imagining what a first victory as a father might look like. Should the body cooperate, I wouldn't expect baby Morikawa to wait very long for that walk onto the 18th green.

No. 4 - Aaron Rai

Aaron Rai, golf shotpic.twitter.com/mmI4waQ3gi

— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) May 17, 2026

I'm not quite sure what Aaron Rai has to do to earn the respect of the marketplace, but as I sit here on a Tuesday afternoon, the reigning PGA Champion still sits outside the top 15 on an odds board that includes just six of the world's top 20 players.

Rai has done little since his breakthrough major victory to suggest that skepticism is warranted. Last week at Muirfield Village, he recorded a T19 finish -- his best result by far around Jack's Place -- while gaining more than six strokes on the field from tee to green: right behind the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim for the week.

Even before his ascension into golf's most exclusive club, Canada had quietly been one of Rai's most productive stops. Across four career starts at the RBC Canadian Open, he posted finishes of T3, T13, and T14.

While he elected to skip Osprey Valley's debut as host venue, the fit on paper is difficult to ignore. Rai leads this field in Fairway Percentage over the last 24 rounds and ranks eighth in Strokes Gained: Approach during that same span. Few players combine driving accuracy and elite iron play more effectively, making him an ideal candidate for the ball-striking test that Osprey Valley demands.

And if there were ever lingering questions about his ability to close tournaments, they should have disappeared at Aronimink. Rai stared down one of the strongest fields assembled all season and emerged with the game's biggest prize.

That victory also wasn't an outlier. Since 2017, he has added six more professional wins worldwide, defeating many of Europe's biggest names -- including Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick -- along the way.

At some point, the market has to catch up. I see little reason why Rai can't continue his excellent run of form this week, and if my numbers are anywhere close to correct, his status as a relative afterthought on betting boards won't last much longer.

While results have become slightly more staggered since Fitzpatrick captured three wins and a runner-up finish through March and April, nothing in the underlying numbers suggests this is anything more than a brief pause in what has already been a career year for the 31-year-old Brit.

His T36 finish at Muirfield Village was certainly a disappointment given his strong historical record at Jack’s Place, but Fitzpatrick continues to profile as one of the most reliable tee-to-green players in the game.

A +2.65 Strokes Gained: Approach mark last week extends a run of seven consecutive starts in which he has gained at least two strokes on approach. Over the course of the 2026 season, only Aaron Rai can match his consistency off the tee, with Fitzpatrick ranking 10th in Driving Accuracy and 6th in Good Drive Percentage.

Those ball-striking foundations make him one of the safest bets in the field from a pure consistency standpoint. While he doesn’t carry quite the same recent spike results as the two players ahead of him on this list, his recent history in Canada remains encouraging, with finishes of 10th (2022) and 20th (2023) in his last two appearances.

The putter will ultimately determine whether Fitzpatrick can replicate the stretch that initially propelled him into the top five in the world rankings. But historically, there is little concern. He has ranked inside the top 30 on Tour in putting in each of his last four seasons, and his performance in the Northeast (+0.41 strokes per round over his last 35 rounds) suggests a favorable environment for a rebound.

The recent finishes may not leap off the page, but Fitzpatrick remains one of the most complete and dependable players in this field—and very much still in the mix this week.

For a player best known for his proficiency on Bermuda grass, Sam Burns has quietly found himself a second home north of the border.

Across four career starts at the Canadian Open, the Louisianan has recorded finishes of T10 and T4, and came agonizingly close at Osprey Valley last year--- rolling in a final-round 62 before missing a five-foot putt on the 18th green that would have secured a sixth PGA Tour victory.

Instead, Burns fell in a playoff a few holes later to Ryan Fox, but the underlying takeaway is clear: Canada has been one of the most consistent stages of his career.

He arrives this week on the back of another strong showing, this time at Muirfield Village. Despite not profiling as a natural fit for Jack’s Place, Burns finished T4 at the Memorial -- his best result of the season -- and backed it up with one of his strongest iron performances in recent memory, gaining 5.93 strokes on approach. That continues a trend of positive ball-striking in six of his last seven starts.

That resurgence with the irons is particularly notable given what already exists in his profile. Osprey Valley demands long-iron precision, with nearly one-third of approach shots last year coming from beyond 200 yards, an area where Burns has steadily improved.

And as always, the putter provides a major weapon. Burns leads this field in Strokes Gained: Putting over the last three seasons on comparable bent/poa surfaces, averaging 0.90 strokes gained per round.

It has now been over three years since his last PGA Tour win at the WGC Match Play, but his status as a top-15 player in the world remains intact. With top-10 finishes already this season at the Masters, Memorial, and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the results are still very much there.

Given his history north of the border -- and the form he brings in this week -- it doesn’t take much imagination to see Burns contending for a sixth career PGA Tour title.

For a brief moment after Tommy Fleetwood rolled in a short eagle putt on the 15th green at Muirfield Village, his long-awaited breakthrough felt within reach.

Ultimately, as it has too often in recent summers, the closing stretch on Sunday afternoon didn’t quite go the Englishman’s way. Still, a T4 at Jack’s Place will provide a level of optimism his supporters haven’t felt since the weeks leading up to his maiden PGA Tour victory at East Lake just nine months ago.

Heading into this week, the World No. 7 has now strung together a T4 and T5 in Signature Events around a missed cut at the PGA Championship. And for the first time since a T10 in San Antonio prior to Augusta, Fleetwood tees it up in a field devoid of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, and much of the game’s elite tier.

He also returns to a region where he has consistently thrived. In Canada, Fleetwood owns two top-six finishes in three career starts dating back to 2018, including the memorable playoff loss to Nick Taylor three years ago.

His elite driving accuracy -- sixth in this field -- along with a reliable short game profile, should translate well to another demanding test. And while his approach numbers haven’t quite matched his usual standards in recent weeks, he did produce one of his best iron performances of the season (+4.65) the last time he faced a similarly beleaguered field.

If that version of his ball-striking returns this week, Fleetwood will once again find himself in contention on Sunday. And after what we saw at Muirfield Village, it feels less like a question of if -- and more a question of when the breakthrough arrives.