The 2026 Memorial Tournament was one of the most difficult stretches. It pushed every player to their limits, but in the end, it was J.T. Poston who stuck through it all and won in a playoff against Ryan Gerard. Now he’s choosing to sit out of next week’s showdown, and the decision totally makes sense.

Underdog Golf shared that JT Poston has withdrawn from the 2026 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto, scheduled from June 11-14. No official reason has been stated, but just days after an exhausting Sunday, the context is pretty straightforward.

Poston had entered the Memorial without a single top-20 finish all season, and Muirfield tested his grit. His final round was stressful. He entered the final round four shots clear of Gerard, but he stumbled on the back nine. He then birdied the 18th to finish at 12 under and force a playoff against Ryan Gerard.

Both saved par on the 1st playoff hole, and then it was on the second hole; Gerard missed a five-foot putt and handed Poston the fourth win of his career. Now, the 4x PGA Tour winner needs to unwind and take some well-deserved rest before teeing off at Shinnecock Hills for the US Open.

This win also helped Poston with the US Open qualification. He was not qualified to play and was part of Golf’s Longest Day, but a win at the Memorial gave him the spot. He was ranked 94th when he entered the week, but on Sunday, he walked off as a 39th-ranked player in the world. All thanks to the 68.88514 points he earned.

After the tournament, Poston spoke of how difficult that week was.

“Man, very tired. We would have found a way, but I sort of told myself in the playoff that this is my U.S. Open qualifier. This is my chance to get in.”

Other than Poston not being there, the field of the $9.8M event has pretty solid names.

Who are the top contenders at TPC Toronto?

Defending champion Ryan Fox returns to Osprey Valley, having won here in a playoff over Sam Burns last year. The 2024 champion, Robert MacIntyre, is also in the field. European stars Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick are also in the field.

American golfers such as Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, and Brooks Koepka are also in the field. Koepka is still searching for his first win after returning from LIV Golf. Both Morikawa and Clark have had one win each this season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, respectively.

The event offers 500 FedExCup points and carries a $9.8 million purse. This coming weekend will be a perfect tune-up for golfers competing at the 2026 US Open.