Eighth-Alternate Cameron Champ Leads RBC Canadian Open After Years of Struggles

It could be one of the best victory stories of the season.

Cameron Champ wasn’t supposed to be at the RBC Canadian Open—and heck, he wasn’t supposed to be leading. He was the eighth alternate. He doesn’t have his Tour card anymore. And he hasn’t had a top 10 since 2023.

But after 36 holes at TPC Toronto, he heads into the weekend with a two-stroke advantage.

“I definitely didn't think I was getting in, especially (as the eighth alternate),” said Champ, who sits at 12 under after two rounds. “I know the deadline, some guys will withdraw over the weekend, something like that, but eight, I was like, ‘Yeah, probably not getting in.’”

On Tuesday, the call he had been hoping for came. Sahith Theegala, who has been dealing with a neck injury, withdrew. So Champ raced North of the Border from South Carolina, where he had been preparing for this week’s Korn Ferry Tour event, and got in after 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Thankfully, he had his passport with him.

“That’s just the position I’m in,” he said. “That's really all I can do. It’s been a grind. It’s been a mental battle, that’s for sure, going back and forth and having limited starts. For me now, it’s just more so kind of embracing it, embracing the situation I’m in and just try to take advantage of every opportunity I can."

Despite being a three-time PGA Tour winner, Champ’s status is limited. Since winning the 3M Open in 2021, the 29-year-old has dropped to No. 420 in the world. He lost his card last year after making just seven cuts in 26 starts. Now, he’s mostly playing on the Korn Ferry Tour; however, he has made five Tour starts this year, three of them in alternate-field events.

“The last couple years for me, it’s mostly been off the course stuff,” Champ said. “It’s been a little rough for me to even be out here. I just finally kind of accepted that and finally got some help and slowly working towards that, which has been nice.

“Again, for me it’s just a refresher to kind of be free in a sense, to feel somewhat of a freedom. I could care less what I shoot. Really, like I said, going through all this and looking back, the result is really not what was bugging me.”

But now he’s in a position for a unlikley victory in Canada.

“These last two days was just a nice—not sigh of relief, but it was just a joy for me to be able to play like that,” he said. “I know it's there. I just have to get out of my own way and keep progressing.”