Inside the Canadian Open’s future in PGA Tour’s radical 2028 plan

The tour will be split into a top-tier and a second-tier, with only a finite amount of dates and a hefty price tag for elite tournaments.

Published Jul 16, 2026  •  Last updated 23 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Nick Taylor of Canada plays his second shot on the 10th hole during a practice round prior to The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Getty Images

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SOUTHPORT, England — With major changes coming to the PGA Tour in 2028, the future of the RBC Canadian Open is one of many balls still in the air as plans begin to come into focus.

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It’s now official that the tour will be split into a top-tier Championship Series and a second-tier Challenger Series, with only a finite amount of calendar dates and a hefty price tag for tournaments looking to maintain elite status.

Reports also indicate there likely will be no bouncing between the two series for players hoping to play in their hometown or in a sponsor’s event.

“RBC has been a great partner and great for the game of golf all around the world, but especially for the Canadian Open,” Corey Conners told the Toronto Sun at Royal Birkdale. “It would mean a lot if it was on the Championship Series on the PGA Tour.”

There are no easy answers for the third-longest continuously running tournament on the PGA Tour. In order for it to land a spot on the top-tier it will require a major financial sponsor investment, reportedly in the $30-million US range.

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Current Canadian Open sponsor RBC also sponsors the RBC Heritage, which has been an elevated event on tour since such a designation began. Being a double-title sponsor of two Championship Series events is undoubtedly a big ask for any company.

“I don’t think the Tour’s made too many decisions yet,” Conners said. “But I’d definitely fight for the Canadian Open to remain on the PGA Tour top schedule and attract the top players to play there. I think it’d be great for the event and help keep its history intact.”

How will schedule affect plan?

Then, there is the issue of tournament dates. The current spot on the schedule sees the RBC Canadian Open in early June sandwiched between Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Open, with the elevated Traveler’s Championship the week after that.

Keeping its history intact might be the elephant in the room because should the Canadian Open become a Championship Series event, there could be just two or three Canadians in the field instead of the current 20 or so. If it become a Challenger Series event, top players such as Conners wouldn’t be allowed to play. In either scenario, the idea of open qualifying likely gets tossed out the window.

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“It’s great the way it currently is, giving opportunities — as an amateur and as a young pro — to play against the best players in the world. I think that’s a pretty cool opportunity for young Canadians. And anyone can play in the qualifier and play their way in. I certainly like that aspect,” said Conners, who made his PGA Tour debut at the Canadian Open in 2013. “But it’s inevitably not going to be the case.”

Some might ask whether the Canadian Open can even be called the Canadian Open without open qualifying.

“I think it kind of nets out as a positive if we can attract a lot of the top players to come and play in front of the Canadian fans,” Conners said.

It’s a tough question, but Conners’ opinion likely falls in line with the wider consensus of Canadian golf fans, who like the idea of their national open attracting the highest-profile players possible and remaining a world-class event.

Is there third option?

Recent speculation offers a potential third option that for many seems the most palatable. The memo the PGA Tour sent outlining its plans mentioned a limited International Series in the fall. It was a small note toward the bottom of the document, but it caught the eye of many astute observers.

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“Following the Tour Championship, the top players from the PGA Tour Championship Series will also be eligible for a limited series of elevated international events, played in the fall,” the memo reads.

It goes on to say these events would not count toward the season-long points race, but would allow top players to showcase their game around the world.

They would include “prominent national opens” and would be played in conjunction with Europe’s DP World Tour.

“It sounds like that could be the best-case scenario,” Nick Taylor told the Sun. “It would be Track One, but even then you’re going to miss out on a lot of Canadians.

“That could be a scenario where it’s possibly still an Open, it’s still a big event. It’s not necessarily part of the PGA Tour schedule, but it still is, in a sense,” he added.

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There are still major items to be decided and unveiled in coming months about how this new-look PGA Tour will play out, but for a handful of players on tour and millions of golf fans in Canada the future of their national open sits right at the top of the list.

“The Canadian Open obviously has a soft spot in my heart,” Conners said. “Growing up, attending it, watching the pros play, and now being able to play in it myself. It’s really important event.

“I know a lot of guys love coming to Canada and love coming to play there. I’m not sure — we’ll have to see.”

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