THE OPEN: Aussies hunting the jug

BY BRENDAN JAMES IN ST ANDREWS

When the 144^th Open Championship tees off tonight, 15 Australians – almost 10 percent of the field – will be vying for the Auld Claret Jug.

In comparison, there are just 22 players from Great Britain, which makes up the second largest contingent from one country outside the United States.

The Australian push for an Open winner – our first since Greg Norman in 1993 – is at its strongest since 2006 when 23 players qualified to play at Royal Liverpool and nine of them finished in top-40, with Adam Scott being the best of them, behind Tiger Woods.

Here’s a guide to the Australians playing in this Open Championship and their tee times for the opening round.

ROD PAMPLING (Group 1, 3.32pm Thursday, AEST)

At 45, he is making his first appearance in the Open since missing the cut at Turnberry in 2009. He takes his place in the field courtesy of his runner-up finish to Jordan Spieth in the Australian Open last November.

Greg Chalmers, Brett Rumford and Rod Pampling won their spot in The Open Championship after finishing second, third and fourth behind Jordan Spieth at The Australian Open. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Found some good form back in May when he shot 25 under to win the BMW Charity Pro Am and is in the top-10 on the Web.com Tour money list with the top-25 earning promotion to the PGA Tour at the end of the season.

Pampling’s past Open Championship form is not fantastic but his game is good and he has plenty of experience on his side. The Queenslander will have the honour of playing the opening tee shot of this year’s championship.

Sportsbet odds: $751.

MATT JONES (Group 5, 4.16pm Thursday, AEST)

The Sydneysider is playing in just his second Open Championship, having debuted at Royal Liverpool last year where he finished tied for 54^th.

His victory in the Shell Houston Open last year propelled him into the top-100 of the world ranking and his continued climb higher in the ranking comes on the back of consistent performances on the PGA Tour in 2015.

His tie for third at the FedEx St Jude Classic last month was a sign his game is in good order but he has little experience on links courses like St Andrews, which might be a telling factor this week.

Sportsbet odds: $301.

JASON DAY (Group 19, 6.55pm Thursday, AEST)

There are two concerns surrounding Jason Day’s performance this week – has his preparation been hampered by lack of play as a result of the vertigo attack at the US Open and will his high ball flight be a problem in the predicted windy conditions.

Jason Day says he's managing his vertigo but there are no guarantees when it will strike again. PHOTO: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

This will be Day’s second visit to St Andrews for The Open, having finished tied 60^th here in 2010. Of the four majors this is the one he is least likely to challenge in simply because of the high trajectory he gets on his shots. If he can adapt to playing in the wind he can put himself in a position to contend.

And, of course, there are his ongoing health problems. The Queenslander went straight from finishing in the top-10 at the US Open, while suffering vertigo, to consultation a neurologist near his home in Ohio.

He is hopeful a six-month medication programme for a virus in his inner ear will eradicate the problem but Day has said there are no guarantees.

“The doctor thought I might need to stay on the medication for life and if that’s the case then that is what I will do. I’ve had it (vertigo) a little bit since the tournament but nothing as severe,” Day said.

“'I might look in a certain direction and my vision will shake a bit but nothing too bad. Hopefully I won’t have to go through another episode here.”

He will open his campaign alongside Tiger Woods and Louis Oosthuizen, who won the last Open Championship played at St Andrews in 2010.

Sportsbet odds: $34.

JOHN SENDEN (Group 20, 7.06pm Thursday, AEST)

The Queenslander is making his ninth Open appearance and his second at St Andrews for the championship.

John Senden and his caddie Josh Cassell discuss playing lines during practice on the Old Course on Wednesday. PHOTO: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

In 2010, the 44-year-old opened with a four under 68 but slipped down the leaderboard gradually over the following three days.

One might argue though that he is in much better form for this campaign than he was five years ago. Top-10 finishes at the WGC Cadillac Match Play and the Players Championship filled the coffers, while his tie for 14^th at the US Open last month was confirmation of yet another solid major championship performance.

If ‘Sendo’ can rattle home some early putts on St Andrews’ difficult greens it will aid his confidence for the remainder of the championship.

Sportsbet odds: $251.

GREG CHALMERS (Group 22, 7.28pm Thursday, AEST)

Beware the golfer with low expectations. Since winning the Australian PGA Championship last December, Greg Chalmers’ form on the PGA Tour has dropped off to the point where his tie for 69th last week at the John Deere Classic was the first cut he had made in four starts since the beginning of June.

“I haven’t played that well lately. I have expectations of getting to the weekend and then see how it evolves,” Chalmers told Golf Australia.

“I’m just keeping it low key and trying to get my game in shape.”

This will be his third Open in 17 years but his first at St Andrews, although he has played two Dunhill Links Championships here previously.

Sportsbet odds: $751.

SCOTT ARNOLD (Group 24, 7.50pm Thursday, AEST)

The 29-year-old son of a Sydney club pro is making his major debut here after grabbing a spot in a regional qualifying event in England.

Arnold, who plays on the European Challenge Tour, has some Old Course having played the St Andrews Links trophy as an amateur back in 2009 when he shot rounds of 66, 72 and 67.

He has enough belief in his ability this week that he has opted to pay for European Tour membership so that any prizemoney he wins here will count towards winning a Tour card for 2016.

Adam Bland is having the best season of his career and has been asking plenty of questions about the Old Course in the past few days. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Arnold comes from a golfing family with brother, Jamie, and his father, Colin, both professional golfers.

Sportsbet odds: $1,001.

ADAM BLAND (Group 25, 8.01pm Thursday, AEST)

The South Australian left-hander is having the best season of his career, having won on the Japanese Tour back in May and cementing a spot in the top-five of the money list.

His Japanese PGA Championship victory not only secured his playing rights for the next two years but gained him exemption into the Open Championship due to his high position on the Japanese Tour money list.

This will be the 32-year-old’s second visit to the Open, having played at Royal Liverpool in 2006 where he missed the cut. Has the length and short game to at least make the cut.

Sportsbet odds: $1,001.

SCOTT HEND (Group 26, 8.12pm Thursday, AEST)

Scott Hend has developed into a more mature player than the one who missed the cut in the Open at St Andrews in 2005.

Despite winning five times on the Asian Tour between 2012 and 2014, this will be his first major appearance since 2011, so the occasion might be a big step up in class especially considering his recent form has been marred with missed cuts and some high scores.

Sportsbet odds: $501.

STEVEN BOWDITCH (Group 31, 9.17pm Thursday, AEST)

Steven Bowditch has been Australia’s best player on the PGA Tour thus far in 2015. His victory in the Byron Nelson Classic in May came as reward for hard work after he endured a miserable start to the calendar year with five consecutive missed cuts.

His missed cut at the John Deere Classic last week is no real indicator of his form, given his previous eight rounds on the PGA Tour were all in the 60s.

He has only played three major championships before, with the 2003 Open at Royal St Georges being his last showing in this Championship.

What he lacks in experience is made up for with talent. He has length to burn and is capable of tearing a course apart. If he gets in the zone over the first two days and posts a good 36-hole total he could be in the hunt on Sunday.

Sportsbet odds: $251.

GEOFF OGILVY (Group 37, 10.23pm Thursday, AEST)

Has more experience at St Andrews than any other Australian player, having first played here as a teenager on a golfing holiday, then an elite amateur and professional. The US Open Champion rates St Andrews as one of his favourite courses.

A final round 67 at the US Open, his last start, suggests his form is on the rise. Watching him practice and play during the past few days, he’s striking the ball well and already has a handle on the greens.

While much of the discussion surrounding the Australians here in St Andrews has been around Day and Adam Scott, it wouldn’t surprise if Ogilvy plays his way into contention here.

Sportsbet odds: $176.

ADAM SCOTT (Group 41, 11.12pm Thursday, AEST)

There has probably been no more inconspicuous player in St Andrews during the past three days than Adam Scott. He was the first player out on the Old Course on Tuesday morning and was finished his practice round by mid morning, and he was gone.

Adam Scott spent a lot of time with his coach working on his putting yesterday. PHOTO: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images.

For a player that has finished second, tied 3^rd and tied 5^th in his last three Open Championships, there was no formal press conference for the Queenslander, nor has there been a seemingly endless number of official engagements he’s had to attend. This has allowed him the freedom to just concentrate getting ready for his tilt at this championship, which is not unlike the same build up he had at Royal Lytham in 2012.

His form is good, if his tied 4^th at the US Open is any indication and he has Steve Williams back on the bag. Williams will loop for the seventh time in an Open Championship at St Andrews, where he was the man beside Tiger Woods when he won the title in 2000 and 2005.

Woods always adopted a strategy of giving bunkers a wide berth in Open Championships and Scott will be using a similar game plan this week.

“It is such a strategic course, so avoiding the fairway bunkers is key,” Scott said.

“Being smart or aggressive or whatever it is to not go in a fairway bunker is huge around here because essentially that is just a chip out every time and you’re struggling for par.

“The greenside bunkers you can sometimes get away with it and work around it but the fairway bunkers you can’t and if you don’t hit it in a fairway bunker all week you’ll have a lot of looks at birdie.”

Coach Brad Malone has been working with Scott on his putting in recent days, holing a lot of putts from six feet, which are common on the huge putting surfaces of the Old Course.

Sportsbet odds: $21.

MARC LEISHMAN (Group 47, 12.18am Friday, AEST)

Marc Leishman’s final round 65 to climb into a share of fifth place behind Rory McIlroy last year at Royal Liverpool suggested the ‘boy from Warrnambool’ is edging closer to winning a major championship.

Will he do it here at St Andrews? He’s more than confident he can do well and contend.

Marc Leishman watches his drive from the 2nd tee as he practices in the rain yesterday. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“This is pretty special being at St Andrews,” he told Golf Australia.

“I mainly take confidence knowing that I can contend in a British Open.

“Last year it wasn’t super firm early in the week either. I know the forecast here this week is for rain and it’s a little wet, but it’s still bouncy and you can get quite a bit of run.

“I hit a 2-iron off the 1^st in a practice round and it must have hit a downslope and ran out to 280 yards (255m).

“So it still runs out, it’s not like it’s hitting and burying. I take a lot out of (last year), but it’s a new tournament and you have to play well again.”

And if the weather turns nasty as predicted, there are few players more adept at handling windy and rainy conditions, having learned the game on the Shipwreck Coast of western Victoria.

Sportsbet odds: $176.

BRETT RUMFORD (Group 50, 12.51am Friday, AEST)

Much has happened to Brett Rumford since he played his way into the Open with a third place finish at the Australian Open last November.

The 37-year-old was playing in South Africa in March when he was forced to withdraw from a tournament because of illness. He finished up in hospital and underwent surgery for a blocked intestine. The surgery and recovery put him out of the game for two months and he has only played two events since returning in May, missing the cut in both.

What he does have on his side is plenty of experience playing St Andrews as a regular entrant for the past decade in the Alfred Dunhill Links event where he’s accumulated three top-20 finishes.

Sportsbet odds: $751.

SCOTT STRANGE (Group 51, 1.02am Friday, AEST)

Scott Strange played his way into this Open with a runner-up finish in the Mizuno Open on the Japanese Tour.

The 38-year-old, who has won twice on the European and Asian Tours, has not played in a major championship since 2008 but he has some St Andrews experience.

“I have played the Old Course a few times at the Dunhill Links but never The Open,” Strange said. “Last time in 2008, I played under the duress of my sister passing away so I don’t really recall too much.

“This time, I’m really looking forward to it.”

His form has been good in Japan but whether that translates into a good links golf campaign, time will tell.

Sportsbet odds: $1,001.

MARCUS FRASER (Group 51, 1.02am Friday, AEST)

Marcus Fraser finished tied second with Martin Kaymer and one shot behind Lee Westwood at the Thailand Golf Championship earlier this year, which earned him a spot in this week’s Open.

His Open Championship record is not a great one with four starts for two missed cuts and a high finish of tied 36^th at Royal Liverpool in 2006. What he does bring to St Andrews is a wealth of knowledge about the Old Course (through playing the Dunhill Links for the past decade) and the kind of game that can do well here.

Accuracy from the tee, to find the correct angles into the greens, and a solid putting stroke are paramount and Fraser has both in spades.

Sportsbet odds: $501.