​  The final event before the U.S. Open got underway on Thursday as 146 players teed it up north of the border at TPC Toronto for the first round of the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. As was the case a year ago when TPC Toronto hosted, scoring conditions were ideal, with the majority of the field breaking par in their opening rounds, and some of the biggest names in the field took advantage of the scoring opportunities to position themselves well after the first round. Brooks Koepka is among those, as he began his week with a 6-under 64 to join the six-way tie for the lead. Koepka is still searching for his breakthrough win in 2026 to fully assert himself as a real threat in his return to the PGA Tour. He’s played solid with a number of top 20s, but his best finish of the season is still a T9 at the Cognizant back in February, and while he’s shown flashes of brilliance, he’s yet to put together a full tournament of elite play. While time will tell if this is that week, the nine-time PGA Tour winner is off to a fantastic start after a blistering back nine that featured six birdies, including on the 17th and 18th holes, to climb into a share of the lead. Koepka was strong with his iron play once again, as that’s been his calling card all year, but this time his putter showed up as he made a rare appearance in the top 5 in strokes gained putting on Thursday at TPC Toronto. That combination of darts with the irons and a putter cooperating in the form of more than 107 feet of made putts on Thursday is the formula for a 6-under round. For as solid as Koepka’s been this season, he is desperate to spend a weekend at the top of a leaderboard. A win is the obvious goal, but he’s yet to play his way into a signature event this season. With just one remaining at the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open, he needs a big week to rack up the needed FedEx Cup points to make his way to Connecticut and secure a strong position ahead of the playoffs. Also part of the group tied atop the leaderboard is Sam Burns, who has been playing extremely well over the past two months but is also looking for his first Tour win since 2023. Fresh off a T4 finish at the Memorial, Burns has carried that form to Toronto, where he matched Koepka with a 64. Where Koepka’s strong effort on the greens raised eyebrows, Burns looking great with the putter on Thursday comes as no surprise given that’s long been the strength of his game. What’s been most encouraging for Burns lately is the way he’s performed as a ball striker, as he’s been gaining strokes off the tee and on approach for a couple of months now. That’s a significant improvement for a player who lagged behind last year with his iron play, and being able to pair quality approach play with his putting prowess has made him a threat once again. Both Burns and Koepka will be buoyed by their play on Thursday, but with the majority of the field under par after the first round and little separation between the lead and the c  CBS Sports Headlines