One of the hottest golfers on the planet is sure to be a fan-favourite at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto as world no. 6 Matthew Fitzpatrick will compete in the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.
Competing in his third RBC Canadian Open, the 28-year-old Englishman is having a stellar 2023 season with three top-10 finishes including a victory at the recent RBC Heritage and a T10 finish at The Masters. Currently ranked no. 22 on the 2022 FedEx Cup, Fitzpatrick, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, six-time winner on the DP World Tour, and two-time Ryder Cup team member will compete in Canada’s National Open Championship before defending his U.S. Open title the next week at L.A. Country Club.
“I am really looking forward to returning to Canada and competing in the RBC Canadian Open in front of the amazing Canadian golf fans,” said Fitzpatrick. “Having won the RBC Heritage last month, I am hopeful to play well at Oakdale and keep that momentum going into the U.S. Open.”
Fitzpatrick joins an emerging field headlined by two-time defending champion and world no. 3 Rory McIlroy who will be looking to become the first player to win three consecutive RBC Canadian Open titles. A victory for McIlroy would make him only the fourth three-time champion, joining Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino. Leo Deigel’s four victories are the most in the tournament’s storied history.
McIlroy and Fitzpatrick will be joined by fellow European stars Tommy Fleetwood as well as Shane Lowry. The world no. 23 ranked Lowry is a two-time PGA TOUR winner and a past Open Championship winner while Fleetwood, who has two top-10 PGA TOUR finishes this season, has won seven international titles, and is ranked no. 25 in the world.
The group will compete alongside Team RBC ambassadors Sam Burns (world no. 13), Cameron Young (world no. 16), Sahith Theegala (world no. 24), seven-time PGA TOUR winner Webb Simpson, and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar.
A full Canadian contingent will also challenge for the national championship led by PGA TOUR winners Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (world no. 30), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (world no. 57), Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (world no. 56), Nick Taylor of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 65), and Adam Hadwin of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 71) as well as fellow PGA TOUR members Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.
A trio of Canadians have also accepted tournament exemptions to compete at Oakdale including Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill who is currently ranked 24th on the DP World Tour as well as Thornhill, Ont. native Ben Silverman who won on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year to sit second on the Tour’s 2023 Points List.
Also accepting an exemption to compete is Canadian golf icon and President’s Cup International Team Captain Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. who will be competing in his 31st RBC Canadian Open, one back of fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George Cummings who had a record 32 starts in Canada’s National Open Championship.
In addition to world class golf, fans at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will be treated to the two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country with Grammy Award-winning pop group, the Black Eyed Peas performing on Friday, June 9 and Canadian Grammy Award-winning icon Alanis Morissette performing on Saturday, June 10.
“We are less than 40 days away from the RBC Canadian Open and extremely excited to get the tournament started,” said Bryan Crawford, Tournament Director, RBC Canadian Open. “Oakdale Golf and Country Club in the heart of Toronto joins our host club rotation for the first time and will present a great test of golf for the world’s best players. Our partners have leaned into our National Open Championship in a major way to deliver a truly immersive fan festival experience as a kickoff to summer.”
Tickets for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.