Cauley, catalyzed by pair of miraculous back nine shots, captures 2026 RBC Canadian Open

Young Canadians Yellamarju and Anderson were in contention on Sunday at TPC Toronto

By Jim Stewart

Despite valiant efforts by a pair of rising home-grown golfers, the RBC Canadian Open was won by American Bud Cauley on a rainy Sunday afternoon at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon.

After a miraculous shot out of the lush rough while precariously perched above the last 18th hole fairway bunker, the intrepid Cauley dialed in a 119-yard approach from the fairway and dropped it on the green. His shot rolled slowly back towards the pond and came to rest just inches above the same slick downslope that delivered ten errant pro shots on Sunday to aqueous calamity.

With a precarious two-shot lead and his approach teetering on disaster, the resident of Jupiter, Florida, jogged to the green instead of enjoying a prospective champion's “walk up 18” and marked his ball in timely fashion to prevent it from rolling into the water.

Cauley's ensuing putts were anticlimactic as he rolled his fourth shot a foot below the hole and tapped in for par to earn his first career PGA Tour win—joining the legendary and much-loved Arnold Palmer whose first PGA win was also at the Canadian Open.

The 2026 champ finished -17 under and carded a 65 in rainy and cool 14-degree conditions that felt like mid-October rather than mid-June.

Every Open has a “TSN Turning Point” and Cauley got the miracle shot he needed to pull away from the pack when he chipped in on 12—a timely effort he described as “the shot of his career.” But Cauley's hooded wedge shot above the bunker off the 18th fairway was the tournament “saver” as the 36-year-old avoided a meltdown on the final hole to preserve the heart-warming win.

Cauley was joined by his wife and two children on the 18th green and tears of joy and relief were shed by the University of Alabama product.

In the Media Centre post-round conference, Cauley delineated the challenges of playing the soaked golf course, the key to his victory, and the emotional moment he had on the eighteenth green.

“It was playing difficult with the wind and rain—conditions so different from the first three days, but I knew the back nine was kind to me all week. I started tearing up when I saw my family running toward me.”

Cauley also described his connection to the Canadian Open: “It feels amazing to win and I'm well aware of the past champions on this trophy.  I've watched this championship since the early 90s.. This week, I was able to back up birdies with more, and kept my momentum going.”    

Strong Canadian contingent

For a brief shimmering moment, a Canadian golfer gave the rain-soaked gallery much to cheer about.

As Mississauga's Matt Anderson strode to the 10th tee box on Sunday afternoon, he held the outright lead at -14 under. However, a few errant shots on the back nine caused the valiant Canuck to drop three shots in his final nine holes and he finished tied for 11th at -11—the second-best showing by a Canadian at the 2026 national championship.

The best finishing score by a Canadian belonged to Sudarshan Yellamaraju who carded a 68 on Sunday, finished tied for 8th, and won the Rivermead Cup by accruing a four-round total of -12.  

Nick Taylor won the venerable consolation prize in 2025—two years after winning the Canadian Open in 2023 with his legendary 72-foot putt. Taylor's legendary feat was promoted throughout the week at the north Caledon course.

It was evident at Osprey Valley that Mike Weir's legacy, created by his remarkable Masters win in 2003 and his eight PGA championships, manifested itself through the fine play of so many Canadians on the turf of TPC Toronto.

Strong finishes by Yellamaraju and Anderson as well as the play of amateur Justin Matthews--who shot a closing round of -1 and finished tied for 29th at -8-- revealed how Weir's stellar results at the turn of the century ushered in the current Golden Age of Canadian Golf.  Similar to Steve Nash's impact on the 26 Canadian players currently starring in the NBA, Weir's proteges put on a show for four days in Caledon.

Other notable scores by Canadians included Taylor Pendrith and AJ Ewart who both finished at -8 along with Matthews. Adam Hadwin slipped to +1 on Sunday, but finished at -6 and tied for 40th. Ben Silverman and Adam Svensson rounded out the Canadians who finished under par for the four-day tournament. Nick Taylor fired a sizzling -6 on Sunday to finish at even par for 72 holes.

But foremost among this group of established and rising stars is Yellamaraju who has leapt into national prominence so far this season. The athletic lefty is the top-ranked Canadian in the 2026 FedEx Cup Standings. Remarkably, Yellamaraju donned a white toque for the first part of his round on Sunday to ward off the daunting conditions and switched to a white golf cap by the time he strode up to the 18th green.

Alas, the rising star was one of ten pros who dunked their approach in the water after rolling off the slick undulating target. The rare miscue cost Yellamaraju a share of fourth-place.

Deluge of rain creates modified start times and Sunday trios rather than pairings

Instead of postponing the final round for better weather on Monday, tournament organizers pushed the final round start times to 10:30 a.m. and traditional final round pairings were morphed into trios to funnel golfers through the 10th and 1st tee blocks to facilitate maximum movement of competitors through the sloppy conditions.