The Punter's Debrief: Cauley claims the spoils in Canada

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08:50 - June 15, 2026 - Last week's golf results

Before we move on to the year's third major championship - the US Open - which I've previewed here, here's a quick recap on last week's action.

The 36-year-old Floridian, Bud Cauley, who was generally a 60.059/1 chance before the off, was matched at as high as 430.0429/1 to win the RBC Canadian Open after a missed cut looked more likely than a victory following his opening one-under-par 69 around the North Course at TPC Toronto on Thursday.

The world number 68, who was in search of his first win on the PGA Tour in what was his 239^th start, made a huge move on Friday afternoon, posting a seven-under-par 63 to climb from outside the cut line on day one to tied seventh at halfway.

Having been trading at 20.019/1 at halfway, Cauley looked to be treading water in round three, but he made four birdies in five holes after a bogey at the par three 11^th to end the day trailing the 54-hole leader, Jackson Suber, by a stroke.

Sitting solo second, the veteran was a 6.411/2 chance with 18 to play but another slow start on Sunday saw him drift out to 12.011/1 as yesterday's 80.079/1 pick, Jimmy Stanger, made a huge move, birdying the first four holes.

Stanger was matched at a low of 4.131/10 but he fell out of the lead when he bogeyed the par three 14^th as Cauley assumed command.

Cauley hadn't looked convincing through the front nine but after tap in birdie at the tough par three 11^th, this holed third shot, when he looked in trouble at 12, gave him a huge boost.

One of the biggest shots of his career

Bud Cauley takes the lead @RBCCanadianOpen!

CBS pic.twitter.com/TmyUJ1IRaa

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 14, 2026

He followed the chip-in at 12 with birdies at 13 and 15 that saw him ease four clear with just three holes to play.

Cauley, who is now up to number 40 in the Official World Rankings, played his last three holes in one-over-par which saw his margin of victory over Matt Fitzpatrick reduce to just two strokes, but he never looked like getting beat.

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12:25 - June 14, 2026

On a tricky, windy day in Toronto yesterday, we witnessed plenty of change on 'moving day' at the RBC Canadian Open.

The halfway leader, Ben James, suffered badly, posting an eight-over-par 78 that saw him tumble from first to tied 58^th and at one point, as many as 10 players were tied for the lead but at the end of the third round, it's the pre-event 130.0129/1 chance, Jackson Suber, that shows the way.

Here's the 54-hole leaderboard with prices to back at 12:10.

Jackson Suber -13 4.67/2
Bud Cauley -12 6.411/2
Tommy Fleetwood -11 7.06/1
Wyndham Clark -11 8.07/1
Jesper Svensson -11 21.020/1
Brice Garnett -11 36.035/1
Sam Burns -10 14.013/1
Sudarshan Yellamaraju -10 27.026/1
Ryan Fox -10 30.029/1
Billy Horschel -10 48.047/1
Jimmy Stanger -10 80.079/1
Matt Fitzpatrick -9 34.033/1
Robert MacIntyre -9 48.047/1
Viktor Hovland -9 55.054/1
Shane Lowry -9 60.059/1
Jacob Bridgeman -9 60.059/1
Sahith Theegala -9 75.074/1
David Skinns -9 220.0219/1
-8 and 300.0299/1 bar

This is still wide open and a very difficult tournament to predict.

This is only the third event to be staged at the North Course, TPC Toronto, so we have very little to go on historically.

The winner of the Fortinet Cup Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, Will Cannon, was three off the lead after 54 holes and last year's winner of this event, Ryan Fox, was tied for the lead with 18 to play but sitting in a tie for 16^th and four off the lead, the runner-up, Sam Burns, was a 60.059/1 chance.

After a slow start, Fox drifted all the way out to 42.041/1 in-running before rallying to get into a playoff and Burns was matched at just 1.141/7 when it looked like his eight-under-par 62 was going to be enough to take the title.

The fourth round started with 15 players separated by four strokes last year and this time around four strokes separate the top 11 so it's not quite as condensed at the top but it's still very hard to call and we're likely to see plenty of drama again.

It's almost impossible to work out how well the leader will cope today. He's never led on any Tour after 54 holes before and the closest he's been to the front with 18 to play was tied fifth and four back at the Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024. He finished sixth.

And he also finished sixth at the Rocket Classic on the PGA Tour last year having sat seventh and three back with a round to go.

Bud Cauley, who sits alone in second, is now 36 and his sole success came on the Korn Ferry Tour 12 years ago, so he looks opposable.

Despite finishing the third round with a pair of fives, Tommy Fleetwood is bang in-contention but at a point bigger, I prefer the chances of Wyndham Clark, who shot a final round 60 to win the Byron Nelson CJ Cup three weeks ago.

He followed that victory with a very good third in the Memorial Tournament and if I hadn't backed him before the off, I'd be getting onboard now at 7/18.00 on the Betfair Exchange.

Yesterday's in-play pick, the defending champ, Fox, is still on the premises but I have added one more.

Sitting alongside Fox in a tie for seventh, Jimmy Stanger, looks fractionally big at 80.079/1.

On the two occasions he's been within a couple of strokes of the lead through three rounds on the PGA Tour, at the Puerto Rico Open two years ago and the Cognizant Classic in March this year, he's finished third and 32^nd so his latest effort was particularly disappointing, but he's won on the Korn Ferry Tour, in 2023, and he's a brilliant putter so I was happy to chance him at a big price.

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08:25 - June 13, 2026

After two rounds of the RBC Canadian Open, we have a surprise leader in the shape of 23-year-old, Ben James, who's playing in his first event as a pro.

This is James' 10^th appearance on the PGA Tour, and this is only the third time he's made the cut, but he was nicely backed before the off, going off at around 260.0259/1 having been matched at 1000.0999/1 on the Betfair Exchange on Monday when the market first opened.

James qualified for the PGA Tour by finishing No. 1 in the PGA Tour University rankings having ranked number one throughout the entire 2025-26 college season.

How was your first week on the job?

In his first start as a professional, 23-year-old Ben James leads @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/P9bLxHM7C1

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2026

Here's the 36-hole leaderboard with prices to back at 08:10.

Ben James -10 12.011/1
Sam Burns -9 6.25/1
Keith Mitchell -9 13.525/2
Jackson Suber -9 18.017/1
Haotong Li -9 20.019/1
Jesper Svensson -9 27.026/1
Tommy Fleetwood -8 8.27/1
Brooks Koepka -8 15.014/1
Bud Cauley -8 20.019/1
Ryan Fox -8 24.023/1
Jimmy Stanger -8 110.0109/1
Brice Garnett -8 130.0129/1
Harry Hall -7 44.043/1
Sahith Theegala -7 48.047/1
Aldrich Potgieter -7 48.047/1
Taylor Pendrith -7 55.054/1
Emiliano Grillo -7 85.084/1
Matthew Anderson -7 260.0259/1
-6 and 50.049/1 bar

We've only had two events around this week's venue, the North Course at TPC Toronto, but both course winners started slowly.

The winner of the Fortinet Cup Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024, Will Cannon, sat tied for 50^th and eight off the lead after round one and he was still four adrift at halfway and three back after 54 holes.

Whether we can give that result too much credence is debatable given the event was played out in windy conditions but last year's playoff protagonists at this event, the winner, Ryan Fox and the runner-up, Sam Burns, who are back in-the-mix this year, both sat tied for 18^th and five back after round one and tied seventh and four off the lead at the midway point.

Just two tournaments is a very small sample size but if what limited history we have is worth taking any notice of, this event is wide open.

James may show the way but it's last year's beaten playoff protagonist, Burns that heads the market, closely followed by Tommy Fleetwood, who trails by just two.

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US Open market takes shape

With the likes of Burns, Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka all in the mix, attention is inevitably drawn to next week's US Open.

Having been matched at as short as 1.141/7 to win here, Burns was subsequently matched at just 1.564/7 to win the US Open at Oakmont the following week so it's interesting to see that he's hit form again at the same time of year (finished fourth in the Memorial Tournament last week) and the presence of Koepka and Fleetwood is also eye-catching.

Next week's US Open is at Shinnecock Hills where Koepka successfully defended the title in 2018, with Fleetwood finishing the week in second place.

Koepka has shortened up in the US Open market on the Betfair Exchange from a high of 55.054/1 to around 30.029/1, Burns' price has contracted to 44.043/1 from a high of 95.094/1, but Fleetwood's price has held firm so far this week, although plenty would argue that 23/124.00 is short enough about the world number seven.

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Defending champ the halfway play

Back to this week and although it looks a tough tournament to call, I can't let the defending champion, Fox, go unbacked at 23/124.00 on the Betfair Exchange.

Jim Furyk, Jhonnatan Vegas and Rory McIlroy have all won the Canadian Open back-to-back in the last 20 years and the Kiwi looks very generously priced to repeat the feat.

No bigger than 18/119.00 on the High Street, Fox is nicely placed to kick on over the weekend, although he could do with finding a few more fairways and greens.

At the midway point he ranks fifth for Putting Average and fourth for Strokes Gained: Putting, which is very handy in what is effectively a putting contest (the top five last year ranked fourth, eighth, first, third and 13^th for PA) but he only ranks 61^st for Driving Accuracy and 62^nd for Greens in Regulation.

Fox plays with Koepka for the third day running today and that looks like a positive. The two appeared to get on nicely yesterday, congenially chatting away throughout the second round, and being in a relaxed pairing on 'moving day' can only be a plus.

Fox is my only play at halfway and Eric Cole, who I backed before the off at 50.049/1, has managed to miss the cut after being tied for the lead after round one (shot 64=76!) but two of my Find Me a 100 Winner picks, 300.0299/1 chance, Austin Eckroat, and 450.0449/1 shot, Kevin Roy, are hanging on in. Both sit tied for 19^th and just four back at halfway.

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