That combination of darts with the irons and a putter cooperating in the form of more than 107 feet of made putts on Thursday is the formula for a 6-under round. For as solid as Koepka’s been this season, he is desperate to spend a weekend at the top of a leaderboard. A win is the obvious goal, but he’s yet to play his way into a signature event this season. With just one remaining at the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open, he needs a big week to rack up the needed FedEx Cup points to make his way to Connecticut and secure a strong position ahead of the playoffs. 

Also part of the group tied atop the leaderboard is Sam Burns, who has been playing extremely well over the past two months but is also looking for his first Tour win since 2023. Fresh off a T4 finish at the Memorial, Burns has carried that form to Toronto, where he matched Koepka with a 64. Where Koepka’s strong effort on the greens raised eyebrows, Burns looking great with the putter on Thursday comes as no surprise given that’s long been the strength of his game. 

What’s been most encouraging for Burns lately is the way he’s performed as a ball striker, as he’s been gaining strokes off the tee and on approach for a couple of months now. That’s a significant improvement for a player who lagged behind last year with his iron play, and being able to pair quality approach play with his putting prowess has made him a threat once again. 

Both Burns and Koepka will be buoyed by their play on Thursday, but with the majority of the field under par after the first round and little separation between the lead and the cut line, they will have to maintain their early pace to hold their positions entering the weekend. 

Leaders

1. Brooks Koepka, Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole, Emiliano Grillo (-6): Koepka and Burns headline the five tied at the top, but they’ve got strong company. Theegala was the first to post 64 and showed the form that made him one of the hottest players on the Tour early in the year before cooling off considerably of late. Cole has been a fixture at the top of leaderboards for the past three weeks and seems poised for another weekend in contention as his excellent stretch of play continues. Grillo, meanwhile, is one of those in the field who qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday, and he rode that wave of confidence from a great day at sectionals into TPC Toronto for Thursday’s first round. 

Contenders

T6. Shane Lowry, Tony Finau, Adam Svensson and others (-5)
T16. Ryan Fox, Harry Hall, Aldrich Potgieter, Taylor Pendrith and others (-4)
T31. Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Taylor and others (-3)
T53. Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa, Alex Fitzpatrick and others (-2)
T74. Aaron Rai, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin and others (-1)
T98. Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and others (E)

Friday is going to be a wild battle as the vast majority of the field could be sweating the cut line or battling for a top 10 position. The low Canadian currently is Adam Svensson with Taylor Pendrith and 2023 champ Nick Taylor in pursuit early as they look to capture their national open. Finau has been desperate to find some good form and seemed comfortable letting it rip and bombing it around TPC Toronto, producing one of his best rounds recently. 

Defending champion Ryan Fox is off to a strong start at 4 under, while some of the pre-tournament favorites in Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick aren’t far behind after opening 67s. Wyndham Clark is playing the best golf we’ve seen from him in years over the past few weeks, and while he has some work to do to catch the leaders, his recent form suggests he’ll keep climbing the leaderboard as the week goes on. 

Outside the current cut line are Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose after treading water to even-par 70s to start. Both were hoping to find something heading into the U.S. Open, but are still left searching after 18 holes of play. 

Updated RBC Canadian Open odds, picks

Odds via FanDuel

• Sam Burns (11/2)
• Brooks Koepka (19/2)
• Sahith Theegala (15-1)
• Eric Cole (15-1)
• Tommy Fleetwood (16-1)
• Matt Fitzpatrick (16-1)
• Shane Lowry (18-1)

This tournament is still wide open, as evidenced by the odds board. Burns was a popular pick coming in off his showing at the Memorial and proved why on Thursday to shorten his odds and become the favorite entering the second round. Cole is getting some respect from the oddsmakers, and for good reason: Expect him to remain in the conversation through Sunday with the way he’s been playing of late. Grillo at 40-1 is live as a longer shot among the current leaders with the sudden surge of confidence he’s feeling after his performance at U.S. Open qualifying.