Defending Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy aims for 3rd event title in June | CBC Sports

Rory McIlroy will be going for a three-peat at the RBC Canadian Open.

McIlroy was one of several golfers named Monday afternoon to the field of the June 6-11 men’s national championship.

He won the tournament in 2019 and again last year after COVID-19 twice forced the cancellation of the event.

McIlroy will be joined at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in North York, Ont., this June by some of the biggest names in men’s golf.

Tommy Fleetwood and RBC Heritage winner Matt Fitzpatrick were also named to the field.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., are some of the Canadians who were announced.

The Canadian Open was first held in 1904 and is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the world. A Canadian hasn’t won it since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.

It has also become a cultural event, with a concert series dubbed RBCxMusic held on the second and third nights of the tournament.

Six-time Grammy Award winners the Black Eyed Peas were announced Monday as one of the musical acts as part of the concert series.

Canadian rock superstar Alanis Morissette had previously been announced as the headliner for the Saturday night of tournament week.

WATCH | McIlroy defends Canadian Open title in 2022 with big final round:

Rory McIlroy successfully defends Canadian Open title

The 33-year-old finished 19-under to claim the championship, 3 years after winning the previous competition. The 2020 and 2021 installments were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.