Although the RBC Canadian Open finds itself in a tricky spot on the PGA Tour calendar, there will be plenty of eyes on TPC Toronto this week, with Rory McIlroy making his first appearance since the PGA Championship.
The RBC Canadian Open has delivered some great finishes in recent years, with Nick Taylor becoming the first Canadian to win the event since the 1950s when he beat Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff in 2023.
Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre produced an amazing performance to claim his first PGA Tour victory 12 months ago. So while it is sandwiched between The Memorial Tournament and the US Open, there is likely to be a lot of interest in what happens in the coming days.
Certainly, it helps that Rory McIlroy is involved. And it seems that the PGA Tour has made an inspired decision as they look to attract as many viewers as possible.
Fans delighted by PGA Tour’s decision concerning Rory McIlroy ahead of the RBC Canadian Open
Of course, this week will see Luke Clanton make his professional debut at long last. Clanton had a remarkable run as an amateur on the PGA Tour, finishing second on a couple of occasions.
And he has been given one of the biggest stages possible this week, with Clanton grouped with McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg for the first two rounds.
Unsurprisingly, plenty of fans were delighted with the news. One wrote on social media: ‘This is so cool‘. Meanwhile, another said: ‘Wow, that’s going to be fun to watch!!‘
Someone else posted: ‘That’s sick‘, while another wrote: ‘That’s a sweet grouping!‘. And one fan claimed: ‘I cannot wait for this‘.
Some are excited to see how Clanton stacks up against two of the best players in the world right now, with one fan writing: ‘Thrown right into the arena, love it.’
It also did not escape the attention of one viewer that the Canadian Open will be battling LIV Golf Virginia this week. It is LIV’s first event since Bryson DeChambeau won in Korea, but one fan believes that the decision to put Clanton, McIlroy and Aberg together will have a big impact.
They wrote: ‘I’d suggest this group will have more viewers following it in Canada than is watching LIV this week.’
How Luke Clanton has performed in his PGA Tour career so far
Obviously, Clanton will have one eye on the big picture whatever happens this week. It would be a surprise if his performance was not impacted by the level of hype surrounding his professional debut.
However, there is reason to believe that he could make a flying start in Toronto. He has played in 13 PGA Tour events so far, and made the cut in 10 of them. Meanwhile, he has four top 10s, including two second place finishes.
He had not made his PGA Tour debut this time last year. So the rise has been a rapid one.
And if he can keep up with the likes of McIlroy and Aberg over the first two days in Canada, then the buzz surrounding Luke Clanton will only continue to grow.
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