2026 RBC Canadian Open leaderboard: Ben James leads after Round 2

Ben James leads the 2026 RBC Canadian Open at 10 under par after a stunning second round of 63, the lowest score of the tournament, in his professional debut at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The 23-year-old holds a one-shot edge over a crowded chase pack of five players tied for second at 9 under, headlined by 2025 runner-up Sam Burns.

James, who finished atop the PGA Tour University Ranking out of the University of Virginia, opened with a 3 under 67 on Thursday and then poured in his 63 on Friday to take the 36 hole lead heading into the weekend in Caledon, Ontario.

RBC Canadian Open 2026 Round 2 standings

Ben James sits alone in front at 10 under par, one clear of a five-way tie for second at 9 under that includes Sam Burns, Jackson Suber, Haotong Li, Jesper Svensson, and Keith Mitchell. A large group sits two back at 8 under, where defending champion Ryan Fox put up back-to-back rounds of 66 alongside in-form names Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood. Here is the top of the leaderboard after Friday.

Position	Player	Score to par
1	Benjamin James	-10
T2	Sam Burns	-9
T2	Jackson Suber	-9
T2	Haotong Li	-9
T2	Jesper Svensson	-9
T2	Keith Mitchell	-9
T7	Ryan Fox	-8
T7	Brooks Koepka	-8
T7	Tommy Fleetwood	-8
T7	Bud Cauley	-8
T7	Brice Garnett	-8
T7	Jimmy Stanger	-8

Canadian hopes still live further down the board. Matthew Anderson of Mississauga and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill share a tie for 13th at 7 under, keeping the home crowd engaged on Saturday.

Key storylines and leaderboard news

The story of the week is Ben James, who is leading a PGA Tour event for the first time in his career and in only his 10th career start. He eagled the par 5 opening hole on both Thursday and Friday, including a 22-foot putt to start his second round, then stacked birdies on a day when the field averaged close to even par. He was a four-time All-American at Virginia and played on the United States Walker Cup teams in 2023 and 2025.

James kept it light when asked about sleeping on the 36-hole lead. He said he has never been in this position, so he is excited to find out how it feels. On his round he said the putter was good, he was hitting fairways, he had good numbers, and he was able to capitalize.

The chase pack is dangerous. Sam Burns lost a four-hole playoff to Ryan Fox at this event in 2025. He is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour, and a soft, scorable TPC Toronto plays into his hands. Defending champion Ryan Fox is right back in it at 8 under, and Brooks Koepka, who is making his first Canadian Open start since 2019, is using the week as a tune-up before next week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The cut fell at 2 under par, with the field trimmed to the low 65 and ties for the weekend, and it produced some notable casualties. Justin Rose, who entered as one of the higher-ranked players in the field, went home early at 2 over. Reigning 2026 PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai missed by a single shot at 1 under, and top-ranked Canadian Corey Conners missed his national open after rounds of 71 and 69. Eric Cole, a popular longshot pick this week, also failed to reach the weekend at even par.

Betting and DFS angle for Round 3

The setup favors aggressive scorers and elite putters, not survivors. TPC Toronto played as one of the easiest tests on tour a year ago; the greens are large, the fairways are wide, and the par-5 first and par-5 last reward players who can keep pressing. That profile is why the chase pack is so deep, and why the 36-hole lead feels far from safe with a debutant in front.

Among the chasers, Sam Burns is the most proven closer in the group. He entered the week as a co-favorite around +1275 in the pre-tournament market; he was runner-up here last year, and his putter travels to any surface. Tommy Fleetwood, also a pre-tournament co-favorite near +1200, is the best driver in the field and sits just two back at 8 under, a classic spot for a player who rarely beats himself. Ben James will draw plenty of live support after his 63, but he has never held a Tour lead, so the question is whether he can repeat it rather than whether he can do it once.

For DFS, the live build still leans on the in-form ball strikers near the top, with Burns, Fleetwood, Koepka, and Keith Mitchell offering the cleanest mix of form and ceiling, while James is the high-variance leverage piece who could either run away with it or come back to the field.

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RBC Canadian Open 2026 weekend FAQ

Who leads the 2026 RBC Canadian Open after Round 2?

Ben James leads at 10 under par after a second round 63 in his professional debut. He is one shot clear of a five way tie for second at 9 under that includes Sam Burns, Jackson Suber, Haotong Li, Jesper Svensson, and Keith Mitchell.

What was the cut line at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open?

The cut came at 2 under par, with the field reduced to the low 65 and ties. Notable players to miss the weekend included Justin Rose, Aaron Rai, Corey Conners, and Eric Cole.

Who is the defending champion at the RBC Canadian Open?

Ryan Fox is the defending champion after winning in 2025 in a four-hole playoff over Sam Burns. Fox is well-positioned to defend, sitting at 8 under and two shots off the lead entering the weekend.

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