Rory McIlroy had already decided to skip the RBC Canadian Open for the first time since 2022. So the field at TPC Toronto was already a little weaker. But then, a few days before the tournament, a few golfers withdrew. Now, more have withdrawn as the first round of the $9.8 million is underway.

Three golfers have withdrawn before and during the first round:

• Jeffrey Kang withdrew minutes before the first round on Thursday, June 11, and was replaced by the seventh alternate, Jeremy Paul.
• Paul Waring exited the tournament mid-round due to illness. He had just played the first two holes and was 2 over par.
• Mark Hubbard withdrew before his tee time on Thursday, June 11, and was replaced by the eighth alternate, Ben Kohles.

Ben Kohles would be excited to get the opportunity to play on the PGA Tour. He has already had quite an emotional run in the last few days, winning the BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour and a 2026 U.S. Open Qualifier spot on consecutive days. Considering the amazing form he is in right now, hopefully, he can get a strong finish at TPC Toronto before his trip to Shinnecock Hills.

Jeremy Paul has made 6 starts on the PGA Tour this season and has only made 1 cut. He finished eighth in the Puerto Rico Open. Overall, he has played in 32 events on the PGA Tour. His lowest round was 64 at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld (2025).

Before these three WDs, the RBC Canadian Open had a few more.

Kyoung-hoon Lee withdrew on Friday, June 5, because of a recurring back injury and was replaced by the first alternate, Justin Lower. Then Michael Kim withdrew on Saturday, June 6, and was replaced by the second alternate, Lanto Griffin. Then it was Brandt Snedeker who withdrew on Sunday, June 7, and was replaced by the third alternate, Hayden Springer.

J.T. Poston withdrew on Monday, June 8, after winning the Memorial Tournament. He probably needed some rest before the US Open and was replaced by the fourth alternate, Ben Martin. Eventually, the field size was increased from 145 to 147 to accommodate even groupings, giving place to fifth and sixth alternates, Paul Peterson and David Skinns, who joined the field.

However, the poor, alarming rate of withdrawals does raise a lot of questions about the tournament and the Tour as well. Was the $9.8 million purse not lucrative enough for the pros to skip the event? Seeing so many pros exit the tournament also hinders the viewership, adding to the Tour’s trouble.

After the show Poston put on last week at Muirfield, fans would have been eagerly looking forward to seeing him compete. Kim is someone who fans always love seeing compete. Maybe everyone else must be focused on the same goals McIlroy has going into next week.

What are the PGA Tour pros skipping the 2026 RBC Canadian Open?

The 2026 RBC Canadian Open is certainly a prestigious event. Rory McIlroy has considered it a valuable addition to his schedule. He played it every year from 2022 to 2025, but even he considered skipping because of the challenge at Shinnecock Hills next week.

Both he and Scottie Scheffler paid a visit to the 2026 U.S. Open venue before the Memorial Tournament, and they shared how challenging the course is to play. So much so that the Northern Irishman decided to take some rest before taking on a challenge.

The #1 and #2 warnings must have put everyone on the PGA Tour on their toes. In fact, Brandt Snedeker admitted that he is skipping the trip to TPC Toronto to prepare for the 2026 U.S. Open. Michael Kim is also in the field for the third major of the season.