The third males’s golf main of the 12 months has arrived, with the 2024 US Open this weekend going down on the notoriously difficult Pinehurst No. 2 course in North Carolina.
It’s exhausting to choose in opposition to runaway favorite Scottie Scheffler, the dominant world primary who this weekend made historical past by turning into the primary man since 1982 to win 5 PGA Tour occasions by this stage of a season.
However there are six Aussies within the combine, together with Adam Scott who yesterday was introduced as one of many final six gamers added to the 156-man subject – preserving alive a outstanding streak that this weekend sees him compete in a 92nd-straight main.
Right here’s the breakdown of all of the Aussie hopefuls.
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Scheffler claims fifth title of the season | 01:11
JASON DAY
The 2015 PGA Championship winner with 13 PGA Tour wins to his identify enters the match in comparatively sturdy type and ranked twenty first on this planet. The 36-year-old tied for fourth on the prestigious Wells Fargo Championship previous to the PGA Championship (T43), one in all 4 top-10 finishes in 14 PGA Tour occasions this 12 months.
Australia’s former US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, who reigned supreme within the 2006 version of the match, believes Day is perfectly-suited to the difficult Pinehurst No. 2 course.
Ogilvy stated on Fox Sports activities’ Aussies on the US Open program this week: “He’s swinging it rather well. He’s taking part in properly. He appears up and about.
“I believe Pinehurst No. 2 is a very good course for him. He’s an awesome ball striker however his actual energy is across the greens.
“And Pinehurst No. 2, it doesn’t matter how properly you hit the ball, you’re going to need to get the ball up and down quite a bit. He’s among the best on this planet at that.
“He has the form of sort of recreation build-out to deal with it at Pinehurst No.2. We’ll see. It’s at all times about the way you get off to a begin – however we’ll see!”
MIN WOO LEE
Australia’s second-ranked participant Win Moo Lee (thirty sixth) loved a breakout 2023 that shot him to superstardom – together with a tied-fifth end on the US Open final 12 months.
This time round, the 25-year-old’s possibilities is likely to be even higher.
As former Aussie professional Paul Gow stated: “I believe they’re good. He likes the limelight and main championships are proper up his alley. (He had a) good US Open final 12 months.
“I believe he’s nonetheless mapping his manner round with the perfect gamers on this planet, he’s rubbing shoulders with them each week.
“He’s second in complete driving on the PGA Tour. Which is nice – he’s straightened up his driver, it does go a good distance. His placing is good and strong.
“If something is missing in the mean time it’s greens in regulation, down at 64 per cent. If he can up that a bit bit this week, hold the ball in play, get the ball to the suitable elements of the greens (he’s an opportunity).
“He’s an actual streaky putter at occasions, but when he will get on a roll, be careful, and people tens and twenty footers rolling in on the proper pace, he’s an actual contender.”
Pinehurst is famend for its difficult ‘turtleback’ greens, which resemble an the wrong way up saucer – miss the center, and your ball simply rolls proper off the inexperienced in every course.
It’s one thing that Lee has particularly ready for, together with engaged on a shot that isn’t often in his repertoire.
He instructed the Aussies on the US Open present: “turtleback greens – there’s plenty of chipping, operating up, bump-and-run pictures that I usually don’t actually follow. I went on the market right now to a course the place I can try this and be ready for it.”
“A lot of the preparation is that bump and run shot, that’s essential,” he added. “There’s not many programs the place there’s too many turtlebacks and I’ve heard there’s quite a bit! I may not hit it as a lot as I believe however simply to have it within the bag is a one percenter.
How Min Woo Lee is primed for US Open | 06:58
Min Woo Lee revealed one other key change in his recreation forward of the US Open – and one which he says was impressed by fellow Aussie Adam Scott.
“I modified my iron shafts final week on the Charles Schwab (Problem, T24th) and I hit it quite a bit higher, and the stats had been exhibiting. It was good to have a change, particularly in one thing I used to be struggling in – it simply obtained to the purpose the place I modified it and it felt fairly good.”
“I’m striving to be a greater ballstriker,” he added.
“It did seem to be it wasn’t that large of a change, only a bit extra spin and a bit extra really feel.
“One thing as small as that. I learnt that from Adam Scott, he’s among the best ballstrikers and it looks as if he modifies irons each week.
“I used to be like: ‘I’m not that good a ballstriker and an iron participant, I’d as properly change and see the way it goes!’”
CAM SMITH
It’s been an up-and-down season in LIV for Smith, with two second-place particular person finishes and an eighth place from eight occasions – earlier than an all-time meltdown this weekend.
Smith entered the third and closing spherical fairly positioned at Houston on four-under regardless of a double-bogey in every of his first two rounds.
Within the third spherical he had three birdies within the house of 4 early holes and was five-under by way of ten. Then issues unravelled in horrible trend. A bogey, then a double two holes later. After a par appeared to regular issues, he had three extra double bogeys in a row – earlier than ending with a surprising triple bogey.
It meant he dropped 12 pictures in eight holes, carding an eight-over 80 for the spherical.
Maybe it was simply an off weekend – and Smith has the pedigree to compete within the majors. He completed T6 on the Masters this 12 months, and naturally gained the 2022 Open Championship in addition to the Gamers Championship that 12 months.
The difficult situations at Pinehurst are custom-built for the 30-year-old, Ogilvy believes.
Ogilvy stated: “Clearly his recreation is constructed for Pinehurst No.2. If you happen to had been going to design a golfer for Pinehurst No. 2, you’d say Cam Smith.
“He drives the ball properly, his iron play is strong, however similar to Jason – much more so – he’s an unimaginable scrambler across the greens. That’s what’s going to be required to win at No.2.”
“He’s going there to win,” he added. “He’s a significant winner. In his head, he needs to go there and contend. He needs to show to everybody that the choice to go to LIV isn’t going to have an effect on his profession within the majors. I’m positive he’ll be motivated … it’s exhausting to know the shape, as a result of we don’t have fairly as a lot type for the LIV guys.
“However he exhibits up on the large ones. I’m positive he’ll be there or thereabouts.”
CAMERON DAVIS
29-year-old Davis, ranked 68th on this planet, needed to battle his manner into the sphere for this weekend by way of qualifying at Springfield Nation Membership in Ohio – and did so by beating his childhood hero Adam Scott.
The pair had been matched at seven-under on the finish of the 36 regulation holes. Scott birdied the primary sudden-death playoff gap, earlier than Davis matched him – after which birdied the third playoff gap to succeed in the US Open.
He stated afterwards: “I’m glad I’ve obtained the chance and I’d like to take it with each arms.”
This can be simply his second US Open after lacking the minimize final 12 months, however hopes are excessive that he can start to ship persistently on the elite degree.
Ogilvy stated: “Cam’s obtained probably the most envied swing on tour, I believe. He simply swings superbly. He hits the ball actually, rather well. He does all the pieces properly, actually.
“He simply must put all of it collectively within the larger tournaments. There’s no items lacking from his recreation. He was an awesome performer on the Presidents’ Cup final time, so we all know he can deal with the large moments.
“It’s simply form of ready for the time … the time {that a} recreation of his degree begins performing frequently on the majors.”
Clutch Davis delivers after Scott magic | 00:52
ADAM SCOTT
Australia’s third-ranked participant is world quantity 61 Adam Scott, whose unimaginable 23-year streak of taking part in in each main was stored alive on the final minute because of a call-up from the USGA.
He had been getting ready to lacking out after dropping to Davis in that wild qualifying playoff, and that 61st rating was simply exterior the top-60 rankings locations that acquire an exemption to compete. However 59th-ranked Grayson Murray, whose dad and mom stated he took his personal life a fortnight in the past, has been faraway from the top-60 checklist – which means Scott sneaks in.
Scott will now play in his twenty third US Open and his 92nd-straight main.
The 43-year-old has been in strong type this eyar, with 10 made cuts from 12 appearances together with one top-10 end. And he’s performed at Pinehurst No. 2 within the two earlier occasions it hosted the US Open: ending ninth in 2014 and sharing twenty eighth in 2005.
Gow stated: “There’s plenty of good elements of Adam’s recreation. We at all times discuss his ball putting and his driving of the ball, however his placing this 12 months has been prime notch.
“Whenever you’ve obtained different professionals speaking about your placing it have to be fairly rattling good!
“He’s wielding his wand very properly and hitting plenty of good pictures. At 42 years of age, he’s not stopping one bit!”
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JASON SCRIVENER
The underdog within the Australian contingent is 35-year outdated Scrivener, presently ranked 369th on this planet. He’s been battling away on the DP World Tour this 12 months, taking part in throughout the globe in a bid to earn his spot on the PGA Tour.
He hasn’t been in red-hot type this 12 months, failing to complete within the prime 10 in any of his 10 occasions in 2024. However he performed on the US Open final 12 months (missed minimize) and can be higher for the expertise.
A robust efficiency this weekend might do wonders for his world rating – and his hopes of constructing the Tour.
Gow stated: “He’s simply a type of guys, the gentle man that simply turns as much as the golf course and does his job. He’s a really methodical participant, maps his manner across the golf course properly. Very affected person together with his recreation.
“He’s 35 years of age, he moved to the USA a lot of years in the past together with his household to try to get onto the US Tour. He’ll get there ultimately – he’s only a workhorse, he works actually exhausting on the sport.
“You by no means can inform with all these weeks if it’s your week or not.
“A whole lot of fairways hit. He’s a great ball striker. He’s a type of guys that simply goes beneath the radar each time. You by no means know, however it’s an enormous stage.”
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BROADCAST SCHEDULE (all occasions AEST)
Friday, June 14
Spherical 1 — from 8:30pm Thursday to 10am
Saturday, June 15
Spherical 2 — from 8:30pm Friday to 10am
Sunday, June 16
Spherical 3 — from 12am to 10am
Monday, June 17
Closing spherical — from 11pm Sunday to 9am
‘Makes you nervous’ Pinehurst reviewed | 01:33