PGA DFS: Top Cash Game Picks for the RBC Canadian Open

For the final event before the U.S. Open, the RBC Canadian Open will be played at the North Course (par 70, 7,389 yards, bentgrass/POA mix greens) of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario. This is the second straight year that TPC Toronto is hosting the RBC Canadian Open. TPC Toronto made its PGA TOUR debut last year, and Ryan Fox (-18) defeated Sam Burns in a playoff to take home the top prize.

The PGA DFS Breakdown offers data-driven analysis for each week’s slate, using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics to highlight notable golfers.

I’ll be highlighting the best cash game/single-entry plays on the DraftKings main slate, but these players are often great options in any contest.

My analysis will frequently reference Strokes Gained, a set of proprietary metrics generated by the PGA TOUR using millions of data points to calculate how many shots, on average, it takes a player to get the ball in the hole from every distance and situation.

Strokes Gained is now available in the FantasyLabs PGA Models.

There are a variety of Strokes Gained-related metrics, but the six main categories you need to know include:

• Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (SG: Off-the-Tee)
• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: Approach)
• Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (SG: Around-the-Green)
• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: Putting)
• Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking (SG: Ball-Striking), which is SG: Off-the-Tee + SG: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (SG: Tee-to-Green), which is SG: Ball-Striking + SG: Around-the-Green

Don’t forget to check out two key metrics in our models — Perfect% and SimLeverage. You can find an explainer on those metrics here.

The Cliffs Notes version is that you can use SimLeverage to quickly find leverage plays in tournaments, while Perfect% is great for finding the best price-considered plays for cash games.

And don’t forget to utilize our various PGA DFS tools like our Lineup Optimizer, Lineup Builder, PGA Correlation Dashboard, and our Trends tool.

The following players listed are based on DraftKings scoring and pricing.

PGA DFS Cash Game Thoughts

DraftKings $10,000 Range

Sam Burns ($10,100)

Of the three players priced over $10,000 this week, Burns is my preferred option and a strong starting piece for cash game lineups. The LSU product has made eight straight cuts with six finishes of T26 or better during this cut streak, most recently with a T4 at the Memorial last week. Burns gained strokes across the board at the challenging Muirfield Village. In fact, he ranked top 10 in both SG: Approach and SG: Putting. This is Burns’ best finish of the season, and he will look to keep his foot on the gas at TPC Toronto this week, where he finished runner-up last season when he lost in a playoff to Fox. Burns forced the playoff by carding an 8-under 62 in the final round, which is one stroke shy of his career low. This marked Burns’ third top-10 finish in four starts at the RBC Canadian Open, and he ranks third in this field in Strokes Gained per round at venues in Canada. Burns loves competing north of the border, and he should contend at TPC Toronto for the second year in a row.

Now available: our PGA DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

DraftKings $9,000 Range

Wyndham Clark ($9,700)

Clark finished a mediocre T59 at TPC Toronto last season, but he was in poor form at the time, whereas now, he is flourishing. Clark’s performance here last season was his fourth straight finish of T50 or worse. Conversely, he returns to TPC Toronto this week with four top-25 finishes in his last five starts. His last two times out, Clark won THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and finished T3 at the Memorial last week. At Muirfield Village, he led the Signature Event in SG: Approach, and he carded two 5-under 67s. Clark ranks second in SG: Total when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he shouldn’t slow down at the vulnerable TPC Toronto.

DraftKings $8,000 Range

Kristoffer Reitan ($8,800)

Reitan is on a terrific run, making seven consecutive cuts and finishing inside the top 15 five times during this span. The Norwegian captured his first PGA TOUR win at the Truist Championship last month, and he just finished T6 at the Memorial last week, despite it being his first start at Muirfield Village. Reitan made his move up the leaderboard in the final round, when he posted a 5-under 65, which tied for the lowest number of the Signature Event. Reitan ranks third in SG: Total when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, and he should make some noise in his RBC Canadian Open debut this week.

Aaron Rai ($8,300)

Rai has never competed at TPC Toronto before, but he has flourished at other tracks in Canada. In his three starts at the RBC Canadian Open, Rai has finished T13, T3, and T14. The Englishman is playing the best golf of his career right now, and he is way too cheap at only $8,300. Rai sits at a career-best No. 13 in the world golf rankings, making him the fifth-highest-ranked player in this field, but he is just the 18th-most-expensive player on DraftKings this week. Rai has finished T5, first, and T19 in his last three starts, with that win, of course, coming at the PGA Championship at Aronimink GC. Rai ranks 19th in SG: Approach this season, which bodes well for TPC Toronto, as Fox ranked sixth in the metric when he won here a year ago.

Eric Cole ($8,000)

While Cole missed the cut at TPC Toronto last season, he is on a serious tear right now and should redeem himself at the par 70. When we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, Cole ranks first in SG: Total. The 37-year-old has finished T6, T31, runner-up, and T8 in his last four starts, with those last two performances coming the past two weeks. Cole gained strokes in every major category in each of these last two starts, and he ranks 21st in par 4 performance this season, setting him up well for a classic par 70 like TPC Toronto. When Fox won here last season, he finished the event fourth in par-4 performance.

DraftKings $7,000 Range

Ryan Fox ($7,800)

Fox has a prowess for courses in Canada. Prior to winning at TPC Toronto last season, he finished T7 at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open played at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Fox ranks first in this field in strokes gained per round at Canadian venues, and at this sub-$8,000 salary, he is a strong target in his title defense. This season, Fox has made 9 of 11 cuts with seven top-30 finishes, most recently with a T27 finish at the Memorial last week.

Tony Finau ($7,400)

Finau has advanced through the cut in 10 of his last 11 solo starts, and he is coming off a solid T29 finish at the Memorial last week. Finau will look to build off this at TPC Toronto, and while this will be his debut at the par 70, Finau has been great at Canadian tracks in the past. The six-time PGA TOUR winner has never missed a cut in five tries at the RBC Canadian Open, including a T5 in 2017 and a runner-up in 2022. In this field, Finau ranks ninth in strokes gained per round in Canada.

Andrew Putnam ($7,400)

Putnam was in the mix at TPC Toronto last season, finishing T6, including an 8-under 62 in the second round. Now, he returns to TPC Toronto in compelling form, making 10 straight solo cuts with five finishes of T32 or better over this time. Putnam just finished T17 at the Charles Schwab Challenge his last time out, and he ranks 15th in both SG: Approach and SG: Putting when we compare this field’s last 24 rounds. Another top-10 finish at TPC Toronto isn’t out of the question for Putnam, and he is one of the best values on the board.

Tom Kim ($7,200)

Kim has been reliable this season, missing only one cut in 12 solo starts with four finishes inside the top 35. The 23-year-old has gained strokes on approach at three straight events, and he ranks 25th in SG: Approach this season. Kim missed the cut at TPC Toronto last season, but he was in worse form then, and he did finish T4 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in his RBC Canadian Open debut in 2024. Kim and his strong iron play should lead him to at least a made cut in his second attempt at TPC Toronto this week.

DraftKings $6,000 Range

Emiliano Grillo ($6,800)

The $6,000 range is thin on appealing plays this week, and Grillo is the lowest I’d go in cash games. The 33-year-old has fared well in Canada throughout his career. Grillo is 4 for 4 in made cuts at the RBC Canadian Open with three top-30 finishes, including a T24 at TPC Toronto a year ago. Grillo shot a 5-under 65 in his final round at the par 70, and he brings similar upside this week. In his last two starts, Grillo has finished T38 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and T42 at the Charles Schwab Challenge while gaining strokes on approach at both events.

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Pictured: Sam Burns
Photo credit: Imagn