The final pre-U.S. Open event for the first round of the 2026 RBC Canadian Open began Thursday, with 146 players teeing up north of the border at TPC Toronto. As was the case a year ago when TPC Toronto hosted it, scoring conditions were ideal, with the majority of the field breaking par in the opening round and some of the biggest names in the field taking advantage of scoring opportunities to put themselves in favorable positions after the first round.
Brooks Koepka was one of them, starting the week with a 6-under 64 to join him in a tie for sixth place. Koepka is still looking for a breakthrough win in 2026 to fully assert himself as a true threat in his return to the PGA Tour. He’s had solid play against many top-20 players, but his best finish this season was still a T9 at Cognizant in February, and while he’s shown signs of brilliance, he’s yet to put together elite play throughout the tournament.
Only time will tell if this is that week, but the nine-time PGA Tour winner got off to a strong start and moved into a share of the lead after a competitive back nine with six birdies, including the 17th and 18th holes. Koepka was once again strong with his iron play, as he has been good at it this year, but his putter really came into play this time, as he had a rare top-five finish in strokes gained putts at TPC Toronto on Thursday.
The combination of darts, irons and putter worked together to make a putt of more than 107 feet on Thursday, providing the formula for a 6-under round. Koepka has had a solid run this season and will be eager to finish the weekend at the top of the leaderboard. Winning is the obvious goal, but he has yet to participate in a major event this season. With one game remaining in the Travelers Championship, which will be played the week after the U.S. Open, they will need a big week to earn the FedEx Cup points they need to head to Connecticut and secure a good position for the playoffs.
Also part of the group at the top of the leaderboard, Sam Barnes, who has played very well over the past two months, will be looking for his first tour win since 2023. Burns, fresh off a T4 finish at Memorial, carried that good form into Toronto, matching Koepka with a 64. Koepka’s strong effort on the greens raised some eyebrows, but Burns’ putter form Thursday was not surprising given his strength over the years. game.
The most encouraging thing for Burns lately is that he’s been performing better as a ball-striker in recent months as he’s increased his stroke count off the tee and on his approach. This is a huge improvement for a player who lagged behind with his iron play last year, and his ability to combine quality approach play with his putting prowess has made him a threat once again.
Burns and Koepka will be encouraged by Thursday’s play, but with most of the field under par after the first round and little difference between the lead and the cutline, they will need to maintain their early pace to stay in position going into the weekend.
leader
1. Brooks Koepka, Sam Barnes, Saheeth Segala, Eric Cole, Emiliano Grillo, Matthew Anderson (-6): Koepka and Burns are tied for the top five, but they have strong allies. Seagala started off with a 64 and showed the form that made him one of the hottest players on tour at the beginning of the year, but he has calmed down considerably of late. Cole has been a regular at the top of the leaderboard for the past three weeks and with a string of great plays, he looks ready to stay in contention next weekend. Meanwhile, Grillo was one of the active players to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday and heads into Thursday’s first round at TPC Toronto riding a wave of confidence from a great day at sectionals.
contestant
T7. Shane Lowry, Tony Finau, Adam Svensson, and 9 others (-5)
T19. Ryan Fox, Harry Hall, Aldrich Potgieter, Taylor Pendrith, and 9 others (-4)
T32. Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Taylor and 20 others (-3)
T55. Viktor Hovland, Windham Clark, Max Homa, Alex Fitzpatrick, and 14 others (-2)
T73. Aaron Rye, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, and 22 others (-1)
T98. Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and 20 others (E)
Friday will be a tough battle as most of the field could be sweating it out at the cut line or fighting for a top-10 spot. Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith and 2023 champion Nick Taylor are chasing Anderson early for the Low Canadian honor in hopes of winning the U.S. Open. Finau was desperate to find good form and seemed comfortable letting it rip and bomb around TPC Toronto, producing one of his best rounds in recent memory.
Defending champion Ryan Fox is off to a strong start at 4 under, but pre-tournament favorites Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick aren’t far behind after starting with 67s. Windham Clark has been playing some of the best golf we’ve seen in years in recent weeks, and while he still has work to do to catch up to the leaders, his recent form suggests he’ll continue to climb the leaderboard as the week progresses.
Outside the current cut line were Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose who started in the even-par 70 range. Both players were hoping to find something for the U.S. Open, and after playing 18 holes, the search continues.
Updated RBC Canadian Open odds and picks
Odds by FanDuel
- Sam Burns (11/2)
- Brooks Koepka (19/2)
- Saheeth Segala (15-1)
- Eric Cole (15-1)
- Tommy Fleetwood (16-1)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (16-1)
- Shane Lowry (18-1)
As the odds board shows, there’s still plenty of room in this tournament. Burns has become a popular pick after his performance at Memorial, and on Thursday he showed why he is the favorite to shorten the odds and become a second-round favorite. Cole commands some respect from oddsmakers, and for good reason. They hope that his recent play will keep him in the news until Sunday. Grillo, 40-1, suddenly regained his confidence after his performance in qualifying for the U.S. Open and remains one of the longest hitters among the current leaders.
