The 153rd Open Championship is set to take place at Royal Portrush, with Australia well represented. Nine Australians and two New Zealanders form the Australasian contingent. Notably, West Australians Ryan Peake and Curtis Luck will make their debut in this prestigious tournament.
Peake earned his spot through strong performances on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, highlighted by his victory at the New Zealand Open. Luck secured his place thanks to a runner-up finish at the 2024 Australian Open, joining veteran Marc Leishman, who returns to The Open after moving to the LIV Golf League.
Elvis Smylie also qualified for his second consecutive Open appearance by topping the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. Experienced players like Jason Day, Adam Scott, and 2022 Champion Cameron Smith will compete alongside Min Woo Lee and Lucas Herbert.
New Zealanders Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox are also part of the field. Fox is experiencing a career-best year with two PGA TOUR titles and returns to Portrush where he achieved a T16 finish in 2019.
Portrush’s Dunluce links course presents a challenging test with its dramatic elevation changes and small greens designed by Harry Colt in the early 1930s. The championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from Thursday afternoon AEST.
Recent champion Xander Schauffele joins past Aussie winners such as Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, and Cameron Smith in seeking victory on this storied course.
Australasians competing include Jason Day (1 major win), Ryan Fox (NZ), Lucas Herbert, Daniel Hillier (NZ), Min Woo Lee, Marc Leishman, Curtis Luck, Ryan Peake, Adam Scott (1 major win), Cameron Smith (1 major win), and Elvis Smylie.
