Golf: Aussie contenders for the US Open

The 2024 US Open is just around the corner and currently six Australian golfers will tee off dreaming of glory at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Jason Scrivener and Cam Davis will all be hoping to enjoy a successful four days at Pinehurst, which was the scene of victory for New Zealander Michael Campbell back in 2005.

The last time the course hosted the US Open, in 2014, Germany’s Martin Kaymer romped to an eight-shot victory, with Jason Day and Adam Scott both securing top-ten finishes.

Australia have enjoyed just two victories over the years at the US Open, the first coming in 1981 when David Graham was crowned champion and the second arriving in 2006 when Geoff Ogilvy outlasted the field by one shot at Winged Foot.

Scott cleared to continue Major run

2013 Masters champion Scott has three top-ten finishes at the US Open on his CV, but he nearly missed out on a place in the field at Pinehurst.

The 43-year-old Adelaide native has played in an unbelievable 91 consecutive Majors, a run which stretches all the way back to the 2001 Open Championship, with only Jack Nicklaus above him - well in the distance on 146.

Scott recently lost in a play-off at a qualifying tournament, but has now secured a spot in the 156-player field and is 81.00 to triumph at Pinehurst.

His heartbreaking qualifying miss had been all the more disappointing as it was compatriot Davis who edged him out, with the latter 141.00 to win his first Major.

Davis missed the cut on his US Open debut in 2023, before an impressive T12 at the Masters earlier this year, although he again missed out on the weekend action at the PGA Championship last month.

Smith heading to Pinehurst in good form

Smith, of course, plays his golf on the LIV circuit these days and has been preforming well, finishing in second place at the events in both Hong Kong and Singapore

The 30-year-old 2022 Open Championship winner was edged out in a play-off in Hong Kong, meaning his last tournament success came at LIV Bedminster back in August 2023.

Smith finished fourth at the US Open 12 months ago and backed that up with a tie for sixth at the Masters earlier this year, before stumbling to T63 at the recent PGA Championship.

He can be backed at 41.00 to triumph at Pinehurst.

Day and Min dare to dream

Jason Day and Min Woo Lee are not too far behind Smith in the outright betting for the US Open, with both Aussies priced at 67.00 to be crowned champion.

Day won the PGA Championship back in 2015, while his US Open record shows five top-ten finishes in six years between 2011 and 2016, but his more recent showings are not nearly so impressive.

Min showed his quality by finishing in a tie for fifth place at the 2023 US Open, just one place behind fellow Aussie Smith and six shots adrift of winner Wyndham Clark.

Top-30 finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship this year were both solid showings for the 25-year-old Perth native.

Scrivener completes the Aussie pack

The sixth and final Aussie preparing for Pinehurst is Jason Scrivener, who qualified for the US Open at a tournament played at Walton Heath in England.

The 35-year-old will be making just his fourth appearance at a Major, with one of his previous three outings coming at the US Open back in 2018, when he missed the cut.

Scrivener is a 501.00 outsider to win the US Open and become on the third Australian to do so.