RBC Canadian Open Picks and Predictions: Look for Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton to Find Success

RBC Canadian Open Picks and Predictions: Look for Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton to Find Success

It's time for some RBC Canadian Open picks!

Fresh off an exciting week in Ohio at the Memorial, the PGA Tour heads north to Ontario for the 110th iteration of the Canadian Open. Due to the COVID pandemic and a changing schedule, this will be the first Canadian Open since 2019, which Rory McIlroy won emphatically. Despite being the week before the U.S. Open, this event has drawn a remarkably strong field, headlined by Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith, and Sam Burns, among others. Let's take a closer look at the venue before we center on which players have my attention for my RBC Canadian Open picks.

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RBC Canadian Open Course Preview: St. George's Golf & Country Club

St. George's Golf and Country Club is located in the west end neighborhood of Islington in Toronto, Ontario. The iconic Stanley Thompson design has hosted the Canadian Open five times, most recently in 2010 when Carl Pettersson won at 10-under par. A lot has changed since the Swede's victory over a decade ago. In 2014, Tom Doak and Ian Andrew rebuilt all of the greens, which now feature pure Bent-grass instead of the prior Bent/Poa blend. The course measures just a half over 7,000 yards on the scorecard, but do not be fooled, St. George's packs plenty of punch. The course features five par threes, and four of them measure over 200 yards. St. George's also boasts seven par fours measuring over 450 yards. It's a unique layout that I believe will play a lot longer than the scorecard suggests.

Overall, the course is characterized by its narrow, tree-lined fairways, luscious rough, elevation changes, crowned greens, and deep bunkers. It's been described before as "quirky," and players will be faced with blind approach shots, and find themselves in tricky positions around the greens. Ultimately, St. George's reminds me a great deal of TPC Potomac. Muirfield Village, Colonial, and Innisbrook are other corollary courses that may help us identify players whom are best suited for the task at hand this week. Without further ado, let's dive into my outright selections.

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RBC Canadian Open Picks: St. George's Key Stats

• Fairways Gained
• Proximity 175 yards plus
• Sand Saves

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RBC Canadian Open Picks and Predictions - Outright Winner

Matthew Fitzpatrick (+2000) (Bet $100 to Win $2,000)

*Odds available at BetMGM at time of publishing

I've alluded to my interest in a TPC Potomac comparison, so let's begin my RBC Canadian Open picks with an endorsement on the recent runner-up at the Maryland venue. The seven-time European Tour winner should be able to deploy the same strategy he did at Potomac to find success north of the border. Fitzpatrick has turned into one of the best drivers of the ball in the world. He's not only accurate, but sneaky long as well. His iron play continues to improve, and he remains one of the best bunker players and Bent-grass putters in the world. I am not deterred by a missed cut at the Memorial, as he gained 4.9 strokes ball-striking and fell victim to a faulty putter. I expect the Englishmen to bounce back this week in a big way.

Tyrrell Hatton (+3300) (Bet $100 to Win $3,300)

*Odds available at BetRivers at time of publishing

My second selection for my RBC Canadian Open picks involves another European Ryder Cupper with a penchant for more challenging tests. Hatton has had a sneaky strong season, and he is a coming off a 13th place finish at the PGA Championship where he gained strokes in all four major categories, including 4.2 ball-striking. A 37th at TPC Potomac, 8th at Colonial, 17th at the Travelers, and 21st at the Valspar leaving me feeling confident that the six-time PGA Tour winner has what it takes to find success on another narrow, tree-lined track that reward patience and steady ball-striking. I anticipate that Hatton will be firmly in the mix come Sunday afternoon.