Six Australians step up to the tee box this weekend at what has been described as ‘the world’s hardest golf course’, as they take on the US Open.
Just two Australians have tasted glory in the 150-year history of the US Open, and none since Geoff Ogilvy in 2006.
Perth’s Min Woo Lee is coming off the bat of his first tour win this year, claiming the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March, and has the tools to succeed.
2023 saw Lee finish tied fifth in the US Open, his only top 10 finish in a major to date.
He will have to be perfect this weekend, the beast of Oakmont golf course is unforgiving with deep roughs, although Lee is known for his long and fast drives, the accuracy leaves something to be desired.
That was evident earlier in the year during his first tour win, when he nearly choked the lead with a wayward tee shot going into the water on the 16th.
Although his short game can more than make up for this, his prowess with a wedge has earned Lee the moniker “Dr. Chipinski”.
Another Aussie who might have a tough time with driving accuracy is Cameron Smith, who has notable struggles for driving accuracy and recent performances in majors since making the jump to the Saudi backed LIV golf.
Jason Day, a two time runner-up for the US Open in 2011 and 2013, will look to finally get over the hump this time around.
Other hot Aussie contenders include Marc Leishman, a Ripper GC teammate of Smith in LIV, and Cam Davis, who finished the first round of the PGA Championship in equal second before dropping back to a T19 overall position.
While Adam Scott would look to pull up a major upset, the former world number hasn’t notched a win on the tour since 2020.
“I’ve played a lot of US Opens now and I feel fairly confident in my ability to get it done, and I like where my game’s at generally,” Scott told AAP earlier in the week.
“I have a quiet confidence.”
The Aussies battlers will have a hard time trumping the favourites, including Scottie Scheffler, who is in a class of his own, coming into the US Open on a heater with three wins in his past four starts that include the PGA Championship.
Fan favourite Bryson Dechambeau has proved that this major is his bread and butter, claiming the choccies twice and enters as the reigning winner.
He gave fans an insight into how brutal the course would be on his YouTube channel, posting his practice round titled “The World’s Hardest Golf Course”, and didn’t undersell its difficulty.
“It wasn’t designed to be fair, it was designed to be feared,” he said in the video.
“This course doesn’t just challenge your game, it challenges your sanity.”
It’s not hard to see why the 2020 and 2024 winner holds the course in high regard, with Pennsylvania’s Oakmont Country Club being donned by many as one of the hardest on the tour.
Hitting fairways will be crucial over the weekend, with the tall rough stifling even the top pros on their best day.
Greens keepers went in like a army of ants earlier in the week, using manual lawnmowers that are adjusted to keep the rough high and leave a lot to be desired for lies when a ball goes wayward.
“From what I’ve seen at Oakmont, if you’re in the rough, you’re going to be hurting your wrists,” Leishman said on Thursday.
Even if the competitors tow the line and keep a clean sheet to avoid the daunting deep rough, it doesn’t get any easier around the cup on lightning-fast greens.
Each hole can bring a new challenge, including the infamous eight, coming in at 289y (264m), it’s one of the longest par threes in the world.
Many of the competition’s top brass have commented on the absurdity of pulling out the big stick on a par 3, including West Aussie Lee, who was one of many who took to social media this week.
“Hey @USGA, someone put a 3 instead of a 4. Driver Pin High,” he said on X.
The organisers clearly believe the Perth boy Lee has been elevated to star status, giving him a marquee grouping – the 26-year-old will play alongside a pair of major winners in Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka in the first two rounds.
Australian’s tee times first two days (AWST):
Adam Scott: 7.18pm Thursday, 1.03am Saturday
Cam Davis: 8.02pm Thursday, 1.47am Saturday
Cameron Smith: 8.02pm Thursday, 1.47am Saturday
Min Woo Lee: 1.02am Friday, 7.18pm Friday
Jason Day: 1.36am Friday, 7.51pm Friday
Marc Leishman: 1.58am Friday, 8.13pm Friday
https://thewest.com.au/sport/golf/six-australians-tee-off-in-tough-conditions-at-the-us-open-with-perths-min-woo-lee-given-a-marquee-grouping-c-19011479
