After his second round at the RBC Canadian Open, Ben James sees himself as the leader. James told the media he has “no clue” why he’s atop the leaderboard of the tournament after his round.
He said, “I’ve never been in this position, so I’m very excited to find out.”
James just earned his PGA Tour card by finishing a top of PGA University this season at the University of Virginia. He is one of five college players all time to receive All-American honors in all four years in college.
Following his round, James finished in first place at 10-under after a 7-under 63. He began his day with an eagle after being in great position off the tee. Five birdies and no bogeys later, that’s a good recipe for a terrific round of golf.
RBC Canadian Open Leader Takes Advantage of ‘Tricky’ Positions
James plays in his first PGA Tour event of 2026 at the Canadian Open.
Friday’s conditions at TPC Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open proved to be much more difficult than Thursday. The average round is close to even par, where yesterday’s average score was closer to two-under. However, James posted the lowest round of the day thus far, making him a deserving leader after a three-under round to begin the tournament.
He said, “It all kind of came together today. It was just one of those days, the putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”
James showcased why he’s such an acclaimed talent. At age eleven, he committed to the University of Connecticut. He also was an elite prospect with similar regard as players like Nick Dunlap, Caleb Surratt, and Luke Clanton. Not to mention, James played on the Walker Cup team in 2023 and 2025, enjoying a victory at St. Andrews. His status as leader at the Canadian Open should not be a huge surprise.
James said, “I wasn’t really thinking about really results at all this week. Just worried about getting comfortable, making new friends and having fun, and just seeing where everything kind of falls, just seeing where my game stacks up. Obviously, I have some stuff to work on, just trying to see where everything goes because this is just the baseline, it’s my first professional debut.”
What’s Next for Ben James After Canadian Open?
Ben James should be a regular on tour now that he’s a professional golfer.
With James now a professional golfer, expect him to be a regular on the PGA Tour. James is also in the field at the US Open next week at Shinnecock Hills. DataGolf ranks James as the 143rd golfer in the world coming into this week. James also played in the US Open the last two years, but he missed the cut in both of those seasons. DataGolf gives James the second best odds (10.1%) of winning the Canadian Open behind Sam Burns (13.9%). Even though being the leader doesn’t make sense for James, his history as a player should give him a ton of confidence as a professional.
RBC Canadian Open Leader Has ‘No Clue’ Why He’s Atop the Leaderboard