More was involved than a move from late July to early June in giving the RBC Canadian Open one of its best fields ever.
Dustin Johnson is an RBC ambassador and the defending champion. Brooks Koepka likes playing the week before a major. That gave the field the top two players in the world ranking. Rory McIlroy hasn’t fared well in the U.S. Open in recent years, so he decided to mix it up and play the week before.
And then Justin Thomas missed the cut at the Memorial.
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Thomas, who had not played since the Masters while recovering from a bone bruise in his right wrist, entered the Canadian Open on Friday, giving the fourth-oldest championship in golf four of the top six in the world ranking.
“It obviously was a late add. It wasn’t exactly in the plans,” Thomas said Tuesday. “I definitely need to get more reps going into the Open. I was a little rusty last week from not playing for a while. But I’m excited to be here.”
Asked what he wanted out of the week, Thomas said, “Playing four days would be a good start.”
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“The more time in competition, the quicker I’ll get out of the rust,” he said.
Last year’s event was held at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Ontario. The RBC this year will be staged at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.
The leading three players from the top 10 at the Canadian Open not already exempt for the British Open will earn spots at Royal Portrush.
