RBC Canadian Open Round 2 Recap: Champ Leads, Canadians Surge, and Rory Exits
Round 2 of the RBC Canadian Open brought movement, meltdowns, and a leaderboard shake-up. Cameron Champ rose to the top with consistency, while first-round leaders faltered. Meanwhile, Canadian hopefuls surged — but not all hometown favorites survived the cut.
🔝 Cameron Champ Takes the Lead with Steady Brilliance
Starting one shot behind the leaders, Cameron Champ delivered another composed round to take the 36-hole lead. His bogey-free 66 featured four birdies, including both of the par 5s — the only two on the course. With a two-day total of 12-under-par, Champ sits solo atop the leaderboard heading into the weekend.
📉 First-Round Leaders Stumble
It was a tale of two rounds for Day 1 standouts:
- Thorbjørn Olesen, who opened with a 61, struggled to maintain momentum. He made five birdies, but a costly double bogey on the 10th and three additional bogeys erased his gains. He settled for an even-par 70, now Tied 3rd at -9.
- Cristobal Del Solar experienced more turbulence. Two double bogeys on his opening nine left him chasing. Although he salvaged the round with a birdie-eagle stretch capped off at the 18th, a run of late bogeys saw him finish with a +1 round of 71. He’s now Tied 7th at -8.
🔥 Putnam Fires Best Round of the Day
Andrew Putnam surged into second place with the low round of the day — an 8-under 62. His scorecard was flawless: 8 birdies, 10 pars, 0 mistakes. With that momentum, he enters moving day at -11, just one behind Champ.
🇨🇦 Home Crowd Buzz: Taylor & Lee Climb Leaderboard
Canadian fans have plenty to cheer for. Richard Lee carded a brilliant 64 (-6) while Nick Taylor, last year’s champion, followed with a strong 65 (-5). Both sit at -9, Tied 3rd, sharing the spot with Olesen and France’s Victor Perez, who quietly posted two solid rounds.
🐅 Sam Burns Lurking
Keep an eye on Sam Burns, who carded back-to-back rounds of 66 (-4) to sit just four shots back at -8. With plenty of firepower and birdie potential, Burns is positioned to pounce on moving day.
✂️ RBC Canadian Open Cut Claims Big Names
The cut line fell at -3, and the casualty list was headlined by Rory McIlroy. The 4-time major winner endured a nightmare on the par-4 5th — a quadruple bogey after finding trouble in the rough and taking an unplayable drop. His 8-over 78 marked one of his worst rounds in recent memory, and he missed the cut by a wide margin.
Rory spoke to the media post-round, a departure from his silence at the PGA Championship. He acknowledged ongoing struggles with his driver — ever since his club failed a conformity test pre-PGA. “After hole 5, I was behind the eight ball,” he admitted. “By halfway, I’d already resigned mentally to the outcome.”
Other notable names missing the weekend include:
- Brandt Snedeker
- Erik van Rooyen
- Max Homa (missed by one)
- Justin Rose
- Matti Schmid (recent runner-up at the Charles Schwab Challenge)
- Luke Clanton, the PGA Tour University graduate, improved with a 69 but still missed the cut
- Mike Weir, Canadian veteran, posted 71–73 to finish at +4
👀 Moving Day Preview: Tight Race Ahead
With 12 players within 4 shots of the lead, Round 3 promises volatility. Scores of 61 and 62 have already been recorded this week, making a low round from the chasing pack a real threat. Momentum, precision, and putting will define Saturday’s round.
Golf fans — buckle up. The RBC Canadian Open is wide open heading into the weekend.
