RBC Canadian Open Pick and Preview: Can We Trust Cameron Smith?
RBC Canadian Open Pick and Preview: Can We Trust Cameron Smith
It was Billy Horschel’s tournament to lose down the stretch last weekend at The Memorial, as the veteran golfer won and received the coveted handshape from Jack Nicklaus on the 18th green as his family rejoiced around him. This week, as the golf world’s attention is divided with the LIV Golf Series kicking off in England, the PGA Tour heads north to Toronto.
In what will be the final week before the season’s third major (US Open) next week in Massachusets, let’s take a closer look at this week’s event and see how things might shake out in an event we’ve missed for two straight years due to the pandemic.
Let's dive into my preview for the RBC Candian Open and the odds.
Click Here for Complete RBC Canadian Open Odds
Past Winners of the RBC Canadian Open
- 2021: N/A
- 2020: N/A
- 2019: Rory McIlroy
Course Preview: St. George's Golf and Country Club
Unlike most tournaments, the RBC moves around quite a bit and this will be the first time we’re at St. George’s since the 2010 season and just the sixth time here in general. Playing just over 7,000 yards, St. George’s plays just below the Tour average making distance a large non-factor this week.
Located 11 miles from downtown Toronto, St. George’s is known for its uneven terrain and thick rough, making players' accuracy off the tee and approach critical for success this week. Redesigned in 2014 following an ice storm, bentgrass is now the greens of choice, and the bunkers have also been redone using the Better Billy Bunker Method (gravel underneath the sand).
It’s also worth noting that the practice area for players is actually located at a different golf club (Islington) down the road, where players will have to shuttle back and forth. While the En-Joie Golf Club that hosts PGA Tour Champions events has this caveat, this will be a first for many Tour professionals.
Relevant Betting Course Metrics
- SG: Approach
- SG: Off-the-Tee
- Putting: Bentgrass
Outright Picks
Cam Smith (+1000) (Bet $100 to win $1000)
*Odds available at DraftKings at time of publishing*
No. 1 on Tour in adjusted scoring coming into the week, Cam Smith is playing some of the best golf of anyone teeing it up this week and is primed heading into the US Open next week. With two wins already on the season, Smith enters into the week with three consecutive top 25s and was in contention to win the Memorial last week before a Sunday 77.
The No. 4 golfer in the OWGR, Smith also enters the week dialed when it comes to the second shot, a metric critical for success here as St. George’s is largely forgiving when it comes to the distance which he lacks. As of this week, Smith ranks No. 2 on Tour in SG: Approach the Green and No. 19 in SG: Around the Green.
His putting is also second to few, ranking No. 8 on Tour with a Scoring Average (69.3) and Birdie Average (5.05) both good enough for No. 1 on Tour. While he’s a good enough player that much of this week will just be prep for next week’s major, I think Smith’s recent form and this course line up well for a high finish from the Aussie.
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Johnny has been covering the sports betting markets and handicapping games for the better part of the past decade. Along the way, he has written for publications such as All-In Magazine, Blitz Predict, FantasyPros, Betting Pros, Sportsbook Review, and most recently, OddsChecker. In addition to giving out picks on Twitter, Johnny is the host of the podcast The Daily Sports Bet -- a 10 minute or less listen with actionable insights and no fluff or BS. Starting the podcast in June, he closed out 2021 up 26 units with a winning percentage of 55%.