3 Golf Drills Inspired by the Canadian Open: Irons, Putting and Scrambling

It’s been a scoring frenzy through 36 holes at the RBC Canadian Open. With the tournament serving as final preparation ahead of next week’s U.S. Open, the leaderboard remains volatile heading into the weekend, with little separation among the top contenders at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North). Players such as Sam Burns, Brooks Koepka, and defending champion Ryan Fox have moved into contention by taking advantage of soft conditions Thursday and during Friday morning’s round, while also converting scoring opportunities. In these conditions, the course has rewarded quality ball-striking, with consistent positioning leading directly to repeated chances to score. Here are three coaching takeaways amateur golfers can learn from the world’s best.

Coming off a playoff loss to Ryan Fox last season, Burns has moved back into contention this week. His iron play has set the foundation for his scoring through two rounds. After an opening-round 64, Burns followed with a 67 on Friday, hitting 14 of 18 greens in regulation while birdieing three of the four par 3s. He has hit just over 77% of greens in regulation, giving him ample birdie looks.

Here’s how you can get dialed with your irons like Burns:

Next time you’re on the range, don’t just fire at flags. Pick targets that represent the safe side of a green. Train yourself to hit the ball into certain sections of the green, not just at pins. To build distance control, alternate clubs and vary different trajectories and swing speeds.

After multiple putter switches since returning to the PGA Tour, Koepka’s current flatstick is heating up at the right time as he looks to claim his third U.S. Open title next week. After two rounds, he leads the field in strokes gained putting (6.871) and ranks third in the field with an average of 110 feet of putts made.

In soft early conditions where birdie looks are available across much of the leaderboard, Koepka has consistently converted his chances to reach eight under and remain firmly in contention.

Next time you are on the practice green, use a “ladder” putting drill to build distance control and conversion under pressure. Start at 3–4 feet and work your way back in increments out to 15 feet. You must make each putt before moving to the next distance. If you miss, reset back to the start.

As the defending champion, Fox understands that success at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North) requires more than just making birdies. He has stayed in contention by combining scoring with the ability to recover. Fox has scrambled successfully on 72.73% of greens missed in regulation, ranking among the better players in the field.

In a week where soft conditions are creating plenty of scoring opportunities, his ability to mitigate damage gives him a great chance to defend his title. Even the best players miss shots.

Place a towel or alignment stick as a landing target and hit multiple chips and pitches with different clubs while cycling through different lies and trajectories. Before each shot, go through the same routine: assess the lie, pick a landing spot, and choose the club and shot that gives you the best margin for error.