It was an 86-year wait before David Graham delivered one of the great ball-striking performances in major championship history to win at Merion Golf Club in 1981.

Twenty years have now passed since Geoff Ogilvy won at Winged Foot, five Aussies tasked with bringing that drought to an end this week at Shinnecock Hills.

Arguably the toughest examination in all of golf, US Opens at Shinnecock Hills have not been without their drama.

Corey Pavin delivered one of the great final-hole shots on his way to winning in 1995; USGA officials were questioned for watering the baked-out greens mid-round on the final day of the 2004 championship, and in 2018, Phil Mickelson created a firestorm when he deliberately hit a moving ball on the 13th green during Round 3.

Four of the Aussies in the field this week – Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith – played that 2018 US Open at Shinnecock, all four failing to advance to the final two rounds.

Cam Smith has found some form at the majors. PHOTO: Getty Images.

That week was the 68th straight major championship for Scott, the 45-year-old Queenslander joining Jack Nicklaus as the only players to contest 100 straight majors this week.

“If you’re a Grand Slam winner, you can have years or two-year periods where you don’t play great and you fall outside the qualification process, but you get your way into the tournaments because you’re a past winner,” said Herbert.

“But other than The Masters, obviously, Adam’s not a past winner.

“To be in form to meet the qualification process for every one of them for 25 years, that to me is the most impressive bit.

“That shows why he is the phenomenal player that he is and why we talk about him in the way that we do, because he’s just had such a consistently high-level career pretty much since everyone knew his name.”

Herbert makes his return to Shinnecock on the back of his first LIV Golf win at Virginia in May, Ripper GC teammate Cameron Smith buoyed by a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.

Min Woo Lee practices at Shinnecock on Monday. PHOTO: Getty Images.

All four rounds of the US Open will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports, with live coverage beginning at 8:30 pm Thursday night AEST.

U.S Open

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York

Recent champion: JJ Spaun

Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1981), Geoff Ogilvy (2006)

TV times: Live 8:30 pm-10 am Thursday, Friday; Live 12 am-10 am Sunday; Live 11 pm-9 am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports.

Australasian Player Profiles

Jason Day

Age: 38

World ranking: 47

Previous US Opens: 13

Best US Open finish: T2 (2011, 2013)

Best finish in 2026: T2, The American Express (PGA TOUR)

How he qualified: Top 60 points leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking, as of May 18

Ryan Fox (NZ)

Age: 39

World ranking: 55

Previous US Opens: 7

Best US Open finish: T19 (2025)

Best finish in 2026: T7, The Genesis Invitational (PGA TOUR)

How he qualified: Top 60 points leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking, as of May 18

Kiwi Ryan Fox had a solid week at the Canadian Open last week, he is New Zealand's only player at the U.S Open. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Lucas Herbert

Age: 30

World ranking: 88

Previous US Opens: 4

Best US Open finish: T31 (2020)

Best finish in 2026: Won, LIV Golf Virginia (LIV Golf)

How he qualified: Top 3 players in the 2026 LIV Golf Individual Standings not otherwise exempt as of May 18.

Min Woo Lee

Age: 27

World ranking: 35

Previous US Opens: 4

Best US Open finish: T3 (2023)

Best finish in 2026: T2, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (PGA TOUR)

How he qualified: Top 60 points leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking, as of May 18

Adam Scott

Age: 45

World ranking: 49

Previous US Opens: 24

Best US Open finish: T4 (2015)

Best finish in 2026: 4th, The Genesis Invitational (PGA TOUR)

How he qualified: Top 60 points leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking, as of May 18

Cameron Smith

Age: 32

World ranking: 136

Previous US Opens: 10

Best US Open finish: 4th (2023)

Best finish in 2026: T5, LIV Golf Andalucia (LIV Golf)

How he qualified: Winner of the 2022 Open Championship