Canadian Open first-round preview and free golf betting tips: In-form Swede could set the early pace

Where to watch the Canadian Open

Tournament starts 11.45am Thursday. Live on Sky Sports Golf, from 5pm

Best bets

Alex Noren first-round leader
1pt each-way 40-1 general

Adam Scott top Australasian
2pts 23-20 bet365

Aaron Rai to win 5pm threeball
2pts 23-20 Hills

Canadian Open first-round preview

Two-time winner Rory McIlroy starts his bid for a third Canadian Open title at 12.40pm UK and Ireland time when he tees off alongside two home hopes in Taylor Pendrith and defending champion Nick Taylor at Hamilton Country Club.

McIlroy surged to a seven-shot triumph at the Ontario venue in 2019 and will hope to make a fast start from his early tee time before forecast stronger winds arrive to make life more difficult for the afternoon starters.

The Northern Irishman tops the first-round leader market but a better bet comes in the form of Alex Noren, who has been in superb form on the PGA Tour in recent months and also benefits from a morning start.

The Swede has finished no worse than 24th in eight appearances since the beginning of March and he has fired opening rounds of 64, 67 and 67 in his last three PGA Tour starts.

Another veteran, Adam Scott, is also enjoying a consistent campaign and he looks a rock-solid favourite in the top Australasian market.

The 43-year-old missed the cut at the US PGA Championship but he was 12th behind Davis Riley at the Charles Schwab Challenge last week, his fifth top-30 finish since the start of April.

He can get the better of Kiwi Ryan Fox, who probably lacks the control which tree-lined Hamilton demands, and out-of-form duo Aaron Baddeley and Harrison Endycott.

First-round threeball punters can consider backing Aaron Rai to outperform Eric Cole and Ryan Palmer in the 5pm match.

Rai is well suited to Hamilton. He finished second at another Harry Colt design – Wentworth's West Course – in last season's BMW PGA Championship and his form is much more solid than that of his playing partners.

Click for more free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.