PGA betting: We're fading Rory McIlroy at the RBC Canadian Open

Former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is going through it right now. On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced a merger with the controversial LIV Golf. After being a vocal opponent of the league for so long, McIlroy said Wednesday he felt like a “sacrificial lamb.” Now, he’ll need to shift his focus to compete in this week’s RBC Canadian Open in Toronto. He’s worth a fade. Full tournament head-to-head matchups are 12-6-2.

The bet: Tyrrell Hatton +120 vs. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy is highly inconsistent right now. Yes, he has back-to-back top-10 finishes. However, his irons and putting is an issue at the moment. In last week’s Memorial Tournament, the Irishman finished 3-over in his final round after losing strokes in both metrics to rank outside the top 40 in both. He had seven bogeys that day. That comes after ranking outside the top 35 for bogeys in the PGA Championship just the week before — once again losing strokes with his irons and putting in the final round. McIlroy needs to show he can play four complete rounds of golf.

Meanwhile, Hatton is on the verge of ... something. He’s been on a betting card weekly for a reason. Consistency. Hatton has five straight Top 20 finishes, including a best T3 in the Wells Fargo Championship. The improvements he’s made in his short game is what's most impressive, gaining strokes in all five after losing strokes in his previous three. Certainly that’s been a factor and on a course like this, where the score is sure to be low, that short game (particularly putting) will come in handy. It also helps that Hatton doesn’t have the pressure of the LIV merger on his shoulders.

Fade McIlroy. It’s a good week to do so.