2023 RBC Canadian Open: Top 10 Power Rankings at Oakdale
The Canadian Open is in its 117th edition in 2023. None of the previous 116 editions have been held at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.
Oakdale is set to become the 37th different course to host Canada’s national championship.
The club opened in Toronto, Ontario, in 1926 as a nine-hole course designed by Stanley Thompson. An additional nine holes were added by Thompson shortly after.
Nine more holes were added in 1957 by Thompson’s protege, Robbie Robinson.
A composite of all three nines will be used this week at the Canadian Open.
It will measure between 7,200-7,400 yards and is a tree-lined, parkland-style course.
Oakdale is not a bomber’s paradise, though there are some holes where length can help. It seems like a week where any style of player can win.
There’s a decent field this week, especially considering it’s the week before a major that will be played three time zones to the west in Los Angeles.
Based on the May 28 Official World Golf Ranking, four of the top 25 and nine of the top 50 are present.
The weather forecast looks dry for the week until rain could come Sunday. Temperatures should be in the 50s-70s Fahrenheit and winds sneaking into the low double digits in miles per hour.
Let’s dig into this week’s top 10:
Tommy Fleetwood eschewed last week’s designated event at the Memorial Tournament to rest up in advance for Canada and the U.S.’s national opens.
Some time to practice could be just what the doctor ordered for a man looking to shake off a missed cut in his last start at the Charles Schwab Challenge. It was Fleetwood’s first MC since February.
Since then, the Englishman piled up five top-20s, including T-3rd at the Valspar Championship and T-5th at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Conventional wisdom says his first PGA Tour win is coming eventually. A week like this where he’s one of the heavy favorites is the time to strike.
This will be Fleetwood’s second RBC Canadian Open appearance. He debuted in 2018 when he finished T-6th at Glen Abbey.
The 32-year-old ranks 10th on the PGA Tour this season in total strokes gained per round (1.624) and 12th in scoring average (69.748). Fleetwood’s getting it done with his ball striking, also sitting 10th in SG tee-to-green (1.303).
He’s also a magician around the greens, leading the way in SG around-the-green (.529).
In fact, Fleetwood is in the positive in all SG categories.
The par-5s at Oakdale seem to be pretty gettable. Fleetwood is first in birdie or better percentage when going for the green (71.58%).
The only blip is his final-round scoring average (70.9), which ranks 140th. If he can summon his Ryder Cup self on Sundays, Fleetwood could pick off wins by the handful.