Why Smith is ‘built’ for brutal golf test; cult hero’s switch to spark major surge: Aussies at US Open

The third men’s golf major of the year has arrived, with the 2024 US Open this weekend taking place at the notoriously tricky Pinehurst No. 2 course in North Carolina.

It’s hard to pick against runaway favourite Scottie Scheffler, the dominant world number one who this weekend made history by becoming the first man since 1982 to win five PGA Tour events by this stage of a season.

But there are six Aussies in the mix, including Adam Scott who yesterday was announced as one of the last six players added to the 156-man field – keeping alive a remarkable streak that this weekend sees him compete in a 92nd-straight major.

Here’s the breakdown of all the Aussie hopefuls.

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JASON DAY

The 2015 PGA Championship winner with 13 PGA Tour wins to his name enters the tournament in relatively strong form and ranked 21st in the world. The 36-year-old tied for fourth at the prestigious Wells Fargo Championship prior to the PGA Championship (T43), one of four top-10 finishes in 14 PGA Tour events this year.

Australia’s former US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, who reigned supreme in the 2006 edition of the tournament, believes Day is perfectly-suited to the tricky Pinehurst No. 2 course.

Ogilvy said on Fox Sports’ Aussies at the US Open program this week: “He’s swinging it really well. He’s playing well. He seems up and about.

“I think Pinehurst No. 2 is a really good course for him. He’s a great ball striker but his real strength is around the greens.

“And Pinehurst No. 2, it doesn’t matter how well you hit the ball, you’re going to have to get the ball up and down a lot. He’s one of the best in the world at that.

“He has the sort of type of game build-out to handle it at Pinehurst No.2. We’ll see. It’s always about how you get off to a start – but we’ll see!”

MIN WOO LEE

Australia’s second-ranked player Win Moo Lee (36th) enjoyed a breakout 2023 that shot him to superstardom – including a tied-fifth finish at the US Open last year.

This time around, the 25-year-old’s chances might be even better.

As former Aussie pro Paul Gow said: “I think they’re good. He likes the limelight and major championships are right up his alley. (He had a) good US Open last year.

“I think he’s still mapping his way around with the best players in the world, he’s rubbing shoulders with them every week.

“He’s second in total driving on the PGA Tour. Which is great – he’s straightened up his driver, it does go a long way. His putting is nice and solid.

“If anything is lacking at the moment it is greens in regulation, down at 64 per cent. If he can up that a little bit this week, keep the ball in play, get the ball to the right parts of the greens (he’s a chance).

“He’s a real streaky putter at times, but if he gets on a roll, watch out, and those tens and twenty footers rolling in at the right speed, he’s a real contender.”

Pinehurst is renowned for its tricky ‘turtleback’ greens, which resemble an upside down saucer – miss the middle, and your ball just rolls right off the green in each direction.

It’s something that Lee has specifically prepared for, including working on a shot that isn’t usually in his repertoire.

He told the Aussies at the US Open show: “turtleback greens – there’s a lot of chipping, running up, bump-and-run shots that I normally don’t really practice. I went out there today to a course where I can do that and be prepared for it.”

“Most of the preparation is that bump and run shot, that’s very important,” he added. “There’s not many courses where there’s too many turtlebacks and I’ve heard there’s a lot! I might not hit it as much as I think but just to have it in the bag is a one percenter.

Min Woo Lee revealed another key change in his game ahead of the US Open – and one that he says was inspired by fellow Aussie Adam Scott.

“I changed my iron shafts last week at the Charles Schwab (Challenge, T24th) and I hit it a lot better, and the stats were showing. It was nice to have a change, especially in something I was struggling in – it just got to the point where I changed it and it felt pretty good.”

“I’m striving to be a better ballstriker,” he added.

“It did seem like it wasn’t that big of a change, just a bit more spin and a bit more feel.

“Something as small as that. I learnt that from Adam Scott, he’s one of the best ballstrikers and it seems like he changes irons every week.

“I was like: ‘I’m not that good a ballstriker and an iron player, I might as well change and see how it goes!’”

CAM SMITH

It’s been an up-and-down season in LIV for Smith, with two second-place individual finishes and an eighth place from eight events – before an all-time meltdown this weekend.

Smith entered the third and final round reasonably placed at Houston on four-under despite a double-bogey in each of his first two rounds.

In the third round he had three birdies in the space of four early holes and was five-under through ten. Then things unravelled in horrible fashion. A bogey, then a double two holes later. After a par seemed to steady things, he had three more double bogeys in a row – before finishing with a stunning triple bogey.

It meant he dropped 12 shots in eight holes, carding an eight-over 80 for the round.

Perhaps it was just an off weekend – and Smith has the pedigree to compete in the majors. He finished T6 at the Masters this year, and of course won the 2022 Open Championship as well as the Players Championship that year.

The tricky conditions at Pinehurst are custom-built for the 30-year-old, Ogilvy believes.

Ogilvy said: “Clearly his game is built for Pinehurst No.2. If you were going to design a golfer for Pinehurst No. 2, you would say Cam Smith.

“He drives the ball well, his iron play is solid, but just like Jason – even more so – he’s an incredible scrambler around the greens. That’s what is going to be required to win at No.2.”

“He’s going there to win,” he added. “He’s a major winner. In his head, he wants to go there and contend. He wants to prove to everyone that the decision to go to LIV isn’t going to affect his career in the majors. I’m sure he’ll be motivated … it’s hard to know the form, because we don’t have quite as much form for the LIV guys.

“But he shows up at the big ones. I’m sure he’ll be there or thereabouts.”

CAMERON DAVIS

29-year-old Davis, ranked 68th in the world, had to battle his way into the field for this weekend through qualifying at Springfield Country Club in Ohio – and did so by beating his childhood hero Adam Scott.

The pair were matched at seven-under at the end of the 36 regulation holes. Scott birdied the first sudden-death playoff hole, before Davis matched him – and then birdied the third playoff hole to reach the US Open.

He said afterwards: “I’m glad I’ve got the opportunity and I’d love to take it with both hands.”

This will be just his second US Open after missing the cut last year, but hopes are high that he can begin to deliver consistently at the elite level.

Ogilvy said: “Cam’s got the most envied swing on tour, I think. He just swings beautifully. He hits the ball really, really well. He does everything well, really.

“He just needs to put it all together in the bigger tournaments. There’s no pieces missing from his game. He was a great performer at the Presidents’ Cup last time, so we know he can handle the big moments.

“It’s just sort of waiting for the time … the time that a game of his level starts performing regularly at the majors.”

ADAM SCOTT

Australia’s third-ranked player is world number 61 Adam Scott, whose incredible 23-year streak of playing in every major was kept alive at the last minute thanks to a call-up from the USGA.

He had been on the brink of missing out after losing to Davis in that wild qualifying playoff, and that 61st ranking was just outside the top-60 rankings places that gain an exemption to compete. But 59th-ranked Grayson Murray, whose parents said he took his own life a fortnight ago, has been removed from the top-60 list – meaning Scott sneaks in.

Scott will now play in his 23rd US Open and his 92nd-straight major.

The 43-year-old has been in solid form this eyar, with 10 made cuts from 12 appearances including one top-10 finish. And he’s played at Pinehurst No. 2 in the two previous times it hosted the US Open: finishing ninth in 2014 and sharing 28th in 2005.

Gow said: “There’s a lot of good parts of Adam’s game. We always talk about his ball striking and his driving of the ball, but his putting this year has been top notch.

“When you’ve got other professionals talking about your putting it must be pretty damn good!

“He’s wielding his wand very nicely and hitting a lot of good shots. At 42 years of age, he’s not stopping one bit!”

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