US OPEN / Australian tee times and player previews
The 156-man field is all set for the US Open this week at Shinnecock Hills including nine Australian golfers.
Of the nine, four will be making their debut at a major championship with a few others returning to the major scene for the first time in a while.
Here is a quick form guide to the nine Aussies in the field and tee times for each player’s group below.
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MARC LEISHMAN looks ready to win one week, then not the next. Check out his form in strokeplay events this year starting at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in January – T7, T47, T8, T31, MC, T37, T7, 9, MC, T63, 2, T62.
Leishman is yet to record a top-10 at the US Open but his short game and scrambling has been good this year which will be vital this week.
ADAM SCOTT has opted for a local caddie in his quest for a second major at Shinnecock Hills. Scraping in via qualifying and playing in his 69th consecutive major, Scott’s form is rusty.
We would love to see Scotty back in contention on Sunday in a major but he’s going to need to putt well. And the greens at Shinnecock are lightning fast.
JASON DAY looked in fine form until a couple of bad rounds to finish off the Memorial Tournament but the 30-year-old is built for US Open’s finishing in the top-10 in his seven appearances.
Can win. Might win. A very good chance to win around this demanding Shinnecock Hills layout.
AARON BADDELEY told SEN during the week that he’s hitting the ball as well as he ever has at the moment as he tees up in his first US Open since 2014. Baddeley is not exactly rolling in good form though with three missed cuts in his last four starts but a decent performance at the St.Jude Classic might propel Badds into better form this week.
MATT JONES earned his spot in the field via qualifying and you can never quite discount him from contending anywhere. Jones is a streaky player and gets hot when you’re least expecting it.
A T13 at the Byron Nelson a few weeks back was the one shining light in a patch of poor form of late but you just never know with Matt Jones. You could argue he’s due.
Of the first-timers in a major, JASON SCRIVENER would be our pick of the bunch this week at Shinnecock Hills. Scrivener’s form has been patchy with missed cuts mixed in with some decent results.
Scrivener’s best finish was tie for sixth place at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic earlier in the year. Can hit the ball long and straight and a very smokey, smokey chance to surprise this week.
CAMERON SMITH is having a bad run of form at the moment missing his last three cuts largely because of his short irons. Smith has struggled to find the greens in the last month but there were signs he was returning to form at the Memorial Tournament.
LUCAS HERBERT is another making his major championship debut after earning his place in the field via qualifying. A solid top-5 finish at the Sicilian Open on the European Tour a few weeks ago should give the 23-year-old some confidence.
DAVID BRANDSON qualified for his first major championship via qualifying in Japan where he regularly plies his trade. Bransdon’s best performances in the last 12 months have been a tie for fourth place at the New Zealand Open and at the Australian PGA Championship.
AUSTRALIAN ROUND 1 TEE TIMES – Local time (Australian EST)
6.56am (8.56pm) Trey Mullinax, Matt Parziale, Jason Scrivener
7.07am (9.07pm) David Bransdon, Eric Axley, Tyler Duncan
7.18am (9.18pm) Garrett Rank, Mackenzie Hughes, Aaron Baddeley
7.40am (9.40pm) Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka
8.13am (10.13pm) Hideki Matsuyama, Marc Leishman, Rickie Fowler
12.30pm (2.30am) Matt Jones, Ryan Fox, Shota Akiyoshi
1.36pm (3.36am) Cameron Smith, Kyle Stanley, Pat Perez
1.47pm (3.47am) Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer
2.20pm (4.20am) Lucas Herbert, Brian Stuard, Stewart Hagestad
