Despite Winning RBC Canadian Open, Nick Taylor Trails Corey Conners as U.S. Open Favourite

The RBC Canadian Open was one thing when talking PGA golfers who came north to play in the tournament this past weekend. The U.S. Open is another thing entirely.

Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka will tee off together in the opening round of the 123rd U.S. Open, which gets going at the Los Angeles Country Club on Thursday. 

Those two have been bitter rivals in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf dispute, which came to a head last week during the Canadian Open with the announcement that the two tours would merge.

U.S. Open Picks and Predictions

Canada's Still Buzzing Over Nick Taylor's Canadian Open Win

On the Canadian front, the nation is still abuzz over a Canadian Open for the ages, which wrapped at the Oakdale Golf & Country Club on Sunday on a 72-foot putt in the fourth playoff round by Winnipeg’s Nick Taylor to capture the title – the first Canadian Open win by a Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

But like the classy Tommy Fleetwood said after he lost to Taylor in the playoff, congratulations, and I will see you at work. Both golfers were on a flight to Los Angeles soon after.

Odds are shaping up for Thursday’s Round 1. McIlroy was the only Top 10 PGA Tour player who showed up at Oakdale. In Los Angeles, most of the top players in the world, for both tours, are gathering. 

How the Sportsbooks See the U.S. Open

Over at BetMGM Sportsbook, Scottie Scheffler is 17.0 to emerge as first round leader, followed by Jon Rahm (21.0), Koepka (21.0), McIlroy (23.0), Viktor Hovland (29.0), and Patrick Cantlay (29.0).

To win the tournament? It’s Scheffler at 8.0 (he opened at 13.0), Rahm (11.0), Koepka (12.0), McIlroy (13.0), Hovland (17.0) and Cantlay (17.0), according to BetMGM.

Taylor? BetMGM has him at 151.0 to win the tournament. Fellow Canuck Corey Conners is the better bet, despite Taylor’s Canadian Open momentum – 56.0 to win the U.S. Open (he opened at 81.0, Taylor opened at 201.0).

Also on the Canadian side, Adam Hadwin is 201.0 to win the U.S. Open, Adam Svensson is 301.0, Mackenzie Hughes is 301.0, and Taylor Pendrith is 301.0.