The next major arrives this week when the US Open heads back to Pinehurst No.2 after a decade. Six Aussies and one Kiwi will tee it up, including Adam Scott whose amazing streak of playing in major championships continues, and here is all you need to know.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Wyndham Clark (US)
PRIZEMONEY: US$24 million
LIVE SCORES: www.usopen.com
TV COVERAGE: The US Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo with Fox Sports 503 a dedicated US Open channel the entire week.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Thursday 8:30pm–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Two: Friday 8:30pm–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round Three: Sunday 12am–10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 11pm–9am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
CAM DAVIS
World ranking: 68
Age: 29
Professional wins: Four
Best finish at the US Open: MC (2023)
The lowdown: Davis was one of the final names into the US Open via Final Qualifying and the New South Welshman did it in style, defeating childhood hero Adam Scott in extra holes in Ohio.
The PGA TOUR winner’s form to get his start here shows why Davis is a chance to breakthrough at a major, while his course suitability also augers well.
The Melbourne Sandbelt qualities suit Davis’ ball striking strength, as shown in his 2022 Sandbelt Invitational victory, while his straight driving is a valuable asset at any US Open.
JASON DAY
World ranking: 21
Age: 36
Professional wins: 19
Best finish at the US Open: Runner-up (2011 & 2013)
The lowdown: Day continues to top the Aussie men on the world rankings, and this week shapes as arguably his best chance at claiming another major title.
Already with five top-25s to his name in 2024, Day owns the same number of top-10s at the US Open, including a share of fourth at Pinehurst No.2 back in 2014.
Off the tee and on the greens has been where Day has been at his best this year, with the combination will suited to the layout this week, however, the Queenslander’s iron play will need to be a little sharper with the constant danger awaiting around the turtleback greens.
RYAN FOX
World ranking: 60
Age: 37
Professional wins: 17
Best finish at the US Open: T41 (2018)
The lowdown: The Kiwi has been showing signs of just what he is capable of in America of late, with Fox sharing seventh at the Canadian Open after ties for fourth at the Myrtle Beach Classic and Zurich Classic.
Missing more cuts than he has made at the US Open, Fox will arguably never find a venue that is a better match for his game than Pinehurst, which has a strong national connection as the site of Michael Campbell’s 2005 US Open triumph and Danny Lee’s US Amateur victory in 2008.
Long off the tee, Fox’s proximity to the hole has been one of the reasons for his good play of late, yet it is the putter that has arguably been the most valuable club in his bag. If the flatstick continues to behave, Fox could add another chapter to the Kiwi history at the cradle of American golf.
MIN WOO LEE
World ranking: 36
Age: 25
Professional wins: Four
Best finish at the US Open: T5 (2023)
The lowdown: Min Woo’s form line into this week suggests he is primed for perhaps his biggest moment in a young career that continues to impress.
Tied for 22nd at The Masters, Lee has not finished worse than a share of 26th at the PGA Championship and will be rested having made his last start at the end of May.
Known to love the big stage, the West Aussie’s best major result came at last year’s US Open and he is yet another of the Australasian contingent that should find Pinehurst very much to his liking.
The driver has been a weapon for Min Woo so far this year, which will be an important ingredient for the winner this week, while Lee will surely be inspired by the play of older sister Minjee two weeks ago at the US Women’s Open.
ADAM SCOTT
World ranking: 61
Age: 43
Professional wins: 32
Best finish at the US Open: T4 (2015)
The lowdown: Barely missing the world ranking cutoff to earn a spot in the lead up to the US Open, Scott went back to Final Qualifying only to miss out thanks to Davis’ play in a play-off. Fortune has favoured Scott though, and now in the field he will play his 92nd consecutive major championship.
Now that the storyline of consecutive majors is done, expect Scott to be all business at a venue he knows well and has brought some of his best to previously.
Tied for 28th in 2005 and sharing ninth in 2014, Scott is clearly comfortable at Pinehurst that will remind him of the courses at home where he has had success, and he has been on site since last week getting reacquainted.
The Queenslander’s play at qualifying showed his form is trending in the right direction, with his iron play the only statistical category that is currently holding him back from winning again.
JASON SCRIVENER
World ranking: 369
Age: 35
Professional wins: One
Best finish at the US Open: MC (2018)
The lowdown: Playing just his fifth major, Scrivener will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Michael Campbell who also qualified at Walton Heath and went on to win at Pinehurst No.2.
It has been an inconsistent year to date for the South African born West Australian, yet Scrivener’s accuracy off the tee and strong ball striking will hold him in good stead this week.
Having never played Pinehurst, Scrivener has been studying old US Open film to prepare and a missed cut in Sweden last week will have allowed an early arrival. Playing an all Aussie practice round Tuesday will have been a nice change for Scrivener, who has spent much of the past 12 months as the lone Australian at DP World Tour events.
CAM SMITH
World ranking: 72
Age: 30
Professional wins: 12
Best finish at the US Open: Fourth (2014 & 2023)
The lowdown: After bursting onto the global stage at this event in 2015, Smith largely struggled at the US Open until last year when finishing fourth at Los Angeles Country Club.
Recording his eighth major championship top-10 at this year’s Masters, Smith has shown signs of his best this year, including with two second place LIV Golf finishes among three top-10s.
Arrives after a final round 80 in Houston last week, the Queenslander’s last start can be ignored when considering his chances this week based on course suitability and his ability to rise for the majors.
Continues to be one of the finest putters in the world, and the creativity that Pinehurst encourages will challenge and excite our most recent major winner.
THE COURSE
Hosting its fifth men’s major championship, Pinehurst No.2 will once again be one of the key players this week when it measures 7,548 yards and plays to a par of 70.
Donald Ross not only designed No.2 (Pinehurst has nine 18 hole courses), but the renowned American golf course architect lived on site and continued to work on and refine the layout over many years.
Commonly known as “The Cradle of American Golf”, Pinehurst is located in North Carolina, with the No.2 course renovated in 2011 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to incorporate sandy waste areas and tufts of wild grasses that make driving a key element to success.
Settling in even more since Martin Kaymer won here in 2014, the course will be firm and fast this week, with the turtleback greens set to repel any shots played to the incorrect section.
A closing four-hole stretch consisting of two long par-3s and stern par-4s will be the ultimate examination of any potential champion.
HEADLINERS
Scottie Scheffler – Reigning Masters champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner in 2024
Xander Schauffele – 2024 PGA Championship winner and six-time top-10 US Open finisher
Brooks Koepka – 2023 PGA champion and five-time major winner
Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship winner and 2011 US Open champion
Tiger Woods – Three-time US Open winner
Wyndham Clark – 2023 US Open winner
Bryson DeChambeau –2020 US Open winner and 2024 PGA Championship runner-up
Dustin Johnson – Two-time major winner and T4 at 2014 US Open
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