Prior to last year, a Canadian had not won their national championship since 1954! Can it happen in back-to-back years? Six strong Canadian PGA Tour players including defending champion Nick Taylor have pre-tournament odds under 80-1 at the RBC Canadian Open. The Read The Line/Golf Digest experts think there’s a strong chance of a winner from above the border, but which one? They’ll all have to contend with the betting favorite Rory McIlroy (+400).

McIlroy will catch a lot of attention mainly because the last time Canada’s national championship was played at Hamilton Golf and Country Club outside of Ontario, Rory won by seven strokes. The Canadian Open has been played at Hamilton six times before this week. The average winning score (-12) doesn’t really tell the whole story. The last two results (McIlroy -22, Piercy -17) depict a better picture of what we can expect. Scoring will be priority No. 1 as the world’s best compete for Canada’s golf crown.

McIlroy looked great at Wells Fargo, but upon returning to Valhalla finished nine strokes behind Xander Schauffele. He’s no doubt the best player at Hamilton, but the odds are just too short. They books are giving Rory Scottie-like numbers and he’s just not there. Not to mention a divorce and rumors running rampant about his social life. Another favorite you’ll hear plenty of pull for is Tommy Fleetwood (18-1). Fleetwood lost in the playoff last year at a different course to Taylor’s amazing eagle.

Fleetwood has finished runner-up four times and has yet to close a PGA TOUR win. At sub-2000s, that’s a very low number on a guy who has yet to prove he can win on TOUR. Let’s get back to those natives from up north. Corey Conners (25-1), Mackenzie Hughes (50-1), Adam Hadwin (55-1), Taylor Pendrith (66-1), Nick Taylor (70-1), and Adam Svensson (80-1) are all competing for a coveted spot on the Presidents Cup international team.

Don’t forget, those matches are in Montreal. Pendrith probably has an invite after his win last month in Dallas. The other five can seal their spot with a Canadian win. Taylor has four wins on tour, but his form has fallen off since the WMPO win in February. Conners and Hughes both have two wins to their credit. I like Hughes at double the odds as his countryman Conners. Mac’s putting and recent run of ball-striking makes his very capable of picking up this Canadian title. Hughes started Monday at 50-1 and has already dropped to 45-1.

We discuss the best and worst value bets of the week for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open below:

Bet Mackenzie Hughes now before those odds drop any more. Just as Stephen Hennessey said in the Odds Drop video, Taylor’s win has taken away tons of pressure on these guys. Both Pendrith and Hughes fit the course, and the narrative. Get on board for another champagne celebration north of the border!

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Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith’s winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com