Australian Open – November 23-26
The prize: The Stonehaven Cup
The purse: $1.25 million
Where’s it being played?
The Australian Open is being played in Sydney again but returns to The Australian Golf Club after last year’s drama-filled edition at Royal Sydney. The Australian is regarded as one of the toughest courses on the Australian Open roster and will provide a real test for the competitors. Put it this way: the bloke who’s holding the Stonehaven Cup will have played some sensational golf.
So high scoring then?
If the wind gets cranking there might be some blowout scores. But Jordan Spieth shot a final round 63 around the course in tough, windy conditions in 2014 and Rod Pampling had a crazy 61 in 2015, so low scores are possible.
What happened last year?
Jordan Spieth beat Ashley Hall and Cameron Smith at Royal Sydney after birdieing the first playoff hole. It was the second Australian Open title for current world No.2 Spieth after he claimed the 2014 tournament.
So who’s playing? Anyone of note?
The aforementioned Jordan Spieth will return to defend his title and seems to enjoy playing the Australian Open. In fact, he has contested the past three Australian Opens and when he has been successful, he has gone on to win a major the following year – in 2014 he won the 2015 US Masters and US Open and last year’s win correlated with his incredible win at the British Open at Royal Birkdale. Spieth won by six shots at The Australian in 2014 after his final round 63 in windy conditions, a round that rates as one of the best ever played in Australia.
Jason Day tees it up in his national open for the first time since 2013 and while injuries have meant 2017 hasn’t been a stellar year for the former world No.1, Day is very keen to have his name etched on the Stonehaven Cup. Day found a bit of form in the WGC HSBC Shanghai tournament last month, finishing tied 11th behind the in-form Justin Rose.
It might be a case of horses for courses this year as Matt Jones returns to the track where he narrowly held out Jordan Spieth to win the 2015 Australian Open.
He was desperate to defend his title last year but made the decision to stay in the US to shore up his prospects of holding on to his US PGA tour card. It ultimately didn’t pay off after he finished 152nd in the FedEx Cup race and lost his playing rights, but he won his card back on the final day of the web.com finals thanks to a fifth in the web.com Tour Championship and will take some momentum into the Australian Open.
Last year’s runner-up Cameron Smith is back to play the Open and struck some hot form during the US PGA Tour’s recent Asian swing. Smith finished fifth in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia behind Pat Perez and was third behind the white-hot US PGA champ Justin Thomas in the CJ Cup in Korea. Smith was a co-winner in the Zurich Classic in April alongside Swede Jonas Blixt, a US PGA Tour member who will play the Australian Open for the first time this year.
That Spieth bloke sounds like a fair player. Are there any other previous winners playing this year?
As well as Spieth and Jones, Greg Chalmers, Geoff Ogilvy, Craig Parry, Robert Allenby, Peter Lonard and Stephen Allen will be teeing it up.
Where’s that Adam Scott fellow this year? Is it just me or has he been quiet of late?
Scotty is on a golfing hiatus to spend time with his family after the arrival of his baby boy in August. Although he’s bypassing the Australian Open, he’ll contest the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast on November 30-December 3.
Where’s the Great White Shark?
Sorry to break it to you but Sharky hasn’t played in the Australian Open since 2011 and won’t be playing this year.
No Scotty, no Great White Shark - are there any overseas stars playing apart from Spiethy?
Fair to say it’s not a bumper year of international talent, apart from Spieth. But it gives the locals better odds of lifting the Stonehaven Cup come Sunday.
Finland’s Mikko Ilonen has scored an invitation and was top five at the Omega Masters in Switzerland this year.
Canadian lefty Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion is also playing although he’s battling for form leading into the Open.
American PGA Tour member Zac Blair tees it up on an invitation as does Spieth's housemate Kramer Hickok, a Texan who was this year's Canadian Mackenzie Tour player of the year.
Might be a year for a smoky to win. Who do you reckon might fly under the radar?
It would be a huge task to knock off Jordan Spieth or Jason Day but there are some players who will be up there at some stage.
Perth’s Curtis Luck is in the Australian Open field for the first time as a professional, after finishing tied-11th in last year’s tournament. The 2016 WA Open winner played in the Masters at Augusta in April as an amateur, making the cut and finishing 46th on debut.
European Tour veteran and World Super 6 winner Brett Rumford will tee it up and recent Australasian PGA Tour winners Stephen Leaney (WA Open) and Michael Sim (Queensland Open) are also in the field.
Big-hitting Lucas Herbert was in it up to his eyeballs in last year’s Open before a final round fizzle and keep an eye on Jarryd Felton, who won this year’s NZ PGA.
James Marchesani has been on a tear, winning his first professional title at the PGA Tour China's Clearwater Bay Open last week after finishing second in the Fiji International in August.
Kiwis Josh Geary and Michael Hendry are also primed for a breakout Australian Open victory after some solid play this year.
It would be wise to not rule out last year’s runner-up Ash Hall andMatty Griffin, who plays the Open after securing his Japanese card.
Jack Wilson, also known as the human pineapplebthanks to his dreadlocked appearance, is another dark horse with serious talent.
Are there any amateurs capable of doing a Badds?
China’s Lin Yuxin, Royal Fremantle’s Min Woo Lee and Royal Melbourne’s Matias Sanchez look the brightest hopes.
As the winner of the Asia Pacific Amateur in New Zealand last month Lin Yuxin was invited to compete in this year’s Australian Open, as well as the Masters and British Open next year.
The 17-year-old left hander is long - he has recorded ball speeds of more than 190mph off his driver (10mph faster than the likes of Bubba Watson, Tony Finau and Gary Woodland) - and looks a star of the future.
Min Woo Lee, the brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee, finished third in the Asia Pacific Amateur and looks to have plenty of game to match his professional counterparts. Min Woo was pipped in the Australian Amateur final by Matias Sanchez, who is another strong hope of matching Aaron Baddeley’s Australian Open wins as an amateur.
Speaking of Badds, American amateur Charlie Reiter earned his Australian Open spot with victory in the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship in California.
And Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya almost did a Badds after finishing second in the Japan Open last month. It's hard to knock that sort of form.
Is the Australian Open a qualification event for next year’s Open Championship?
Yes, the Australian Open is the first of 15 events around the world that offer spots in the major. The top three finishers in the Australian Open who are not exempt for the major will earn a start in the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie. And 72 holes around The Australian course will provide an ideal test for Carnoustie, widely regarded as the toughest course on the Open Championship roster.
Will GolfBox be at the Australian Open?
You bet, Alex will be there on the Saturday and Sunday, so make sure you find him and say hello! He'll be there doing some YouTube and Social Media stuff at the Channel 7 tent.
If you find him, he may have a little freebie for you. If you aren't going, we're hope to bring you some tasty 'inside the ropes' access at the #AusOpenGolf
This is what Alex looks like - https://www.youtube.com/user/GolfBoxAUReviews
I'm a tragic hacker and all this Australian Open talk has inspired me to hit the course and upgrade my gear. Any suggestions?
GolfBox is the place to go for all your equipment needs.