The Canadian Open returns to Hamilton Golf and Country Club this week.

The latest: Nick Taylor made history last year when he sank a 72-foot putt to win the title. Taylor was the first Canadian to claim the trophy in 69 years and looks to defend his title. Rory McIlroy — who won at this venue in 2019 with a score of 22-under par — is the betting favourite.

Check out our Canadian Open odds and best bets for the tournament beginning on May 30.

Canadian Open odds

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As of May 27, Taylor is a +6,600 long shot to defend his title.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has been fighting it lately. He has zero top-25 finishes in his last six solo starts and missed the cut at the PGA Championship and Masters.

Corey Conners holds the shortest odds of any Canadian and is tied for the fourth-shortest odds overall. Conners' best finish at the Canadian Open was a solo sixth in 2022. He missed the cut in Hamilton in 2019.

McIlroy is a worthy favourite.

The three-time Canadian Open champ won in consecutive starts at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship before finishing T12 at the PGA Championship.

His partner at the Zurich — Shane Lowry — holds the third-shortest odds to win with Tommy Fleetwood right ahead.

Fleetwood lost in a playoff to Taylor last year.

Picks to win the Canadian Open

Sahith Theegala to win (+2,000): Theegala has been consistently knocking at the door this year thanks to elite iron play and strong putting.

That skill set will play anywhere but should be particularly useful at Hamilton, a short course with difficult par-3s.

Theegala finished T12 at the PGA Championship and four of his five top-10 finishes came at designated events. He was runner-up at The Sentry and RBC Heritage and finished T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 26-year-old ranks fifth in strokes gained: total (+1.338) and is 12th in scoring average (70.329).

Sam Burns to win (+2,500): Burns' showing at Valhalla was bizarre but I expect the five-time PGA Tour winner to rebound this week.

He lost 2.51 strokes putting and 0.83 strokes off-the-tee at the PGA Championship according to DataGolf, despite those usually being his strengths.

Burns was hitting his irons well, though, so I'll bank on some regression with the flatstick.

This course should produce a low-scoring champion and I like Burns' odds of flying into the red numbers. He ranks fourth in birdie or better conversion percentage (36.34%) and third in birdie average (4.54).

Maverick McNealy to win (+3,300): McNealy's experience at the Canadian Open last year wasn't fun.

He was playing through a torn ligament in his shoulder and missed the cut. After the event, he missed six months rehabbing the injury.

But McNealy is back healthy and has my attention.

The 28-year-old finished T23 at the PGA Championship and was T17 at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week. He ranks 11th in strokes gained: total (+1.037) this season and is eighth in scoring average (69.36).

Look for him to have a big week.

Golf picks made at 2:38 p.m. on 05/27/2024.