Add Category
The oldest major in golf is set for its 152nd edition, as the best players in the world descend on Scotland for one of the toughest tests in the game.
The Open Championship returns to Royal Troon for the first time since 2016, with six Australians comprised of a strong field filled with past champions and major winners hunting the Claret Jug.
Woods, Nicklaus, Norman, Mickelson and Ballesteros are some of the famous names to win the game's only major on a links course, while Australian Cameron Smith also joins that small list of greats to call themselves an Open Champion.
Here is everything you need to know about this week's Open Championship at Royal Troon. You can click the links to go to the information you want.
Where is Royal Troon?
Royal Troon Golf Club is located in the town of Troon, in the Scottish area of South Ayrshire on the country's western coast.
The club is roughly 50km south-west from the centre of Glasgow, the nearest major city to the golf course.
Royal Troon, like all Open Championships courses, is a links golf course.
Links golf is the oldest style of golf, played in courses situated along the coastline with sandy soil underneath the grass.
According to Golf.com, the term links comes from the Old English word hlinc, meaning "rising ground or ridge and refers to sandy area along coast".
Royal Troon runs along Scotland's south-west coastline by the Firth of Clyde, a body of water that is home of dozens of Scottish islands.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
What is Troon's most famous hole?
Of all the mighty holes Royal Troon has to offer the golfing world, it is the course's shortest hole that captures the bulk of attention.
The Par 3 eighth hole at Royal Troon is the shortest hole of any Open Championship course.
The hole's length on average is about 112m (123 yards), but what it lacks in length it makes up for with beauty and danger.
The green is guarded by four deep bunkers that have caught out many golfers over the years.
Troon also holds the longest hole of any Open Championship course.
Named Turnberry, the Par 5 sixth hole is a gargantuan 550m (601 yards) which requires an accurate tee shot to a narrow fairway protected by bunkers on either side.
Troon's 11th hole, The Railway, is marked as the most difficult hole on the course.
The Par 4 that runs parallel along a railway line is 441m (483 yards) and has danger at every shot from tee to green.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Who are the past winners of the Open Championships at Troon?
- 2016 — Henrik Stenson (Sweden)
- 2004 — Todd Hamilton (United States)
- 1997 — Justin Leonard (United States)
- 1989 — Mark Calcavecchia (United States)
- 1982 — Tom Watson (United States)
- 1973 — Tom Weiskopf (United States)
- 1962 — Arnold Palmer (United States)
- 1950 — Bobby Locke (South Africa)
- 1923 — Arthur Havers (England)
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Which Australians are contesting this year?
Cameron Smith
Best finish at the Open: Champion (2022)
Best finish at a major: 2022 Open Championship — Winner
Cameron Smith is the only Australian who has won the Claret Jug, securing a famous win at St Andrews in 2022.
Smith currently sits seventh on the players leaderboard in the LIV Golf league, with a pair of second place finishes this season.
The Queenslander is one of the best putters in world golf, a valuable asset in any tournament — let alone a major.
While he may not be in the same form he had in 2022, Smith is a proven champion who will have his sights set on another Open Championship crown.
Adam Scott
Best finish at the Open: Runner-up (2012)
Best finish at a major: 2013 US Masters — Winner
Adam Scott has not won on the PGA Tour in four years, but came agonisingly close last weekend.
The 43-year-old finished second at the Scottish Open, losing out to Scotsman Robert MacIntyre who birdied the 72nd hole to win the tournament.
Despite the disappointment of falling short of a breakthrough win, it is a welcome return to form for Scott who historically has performed well at Open Championships.
His best finish was in 2012 when he finished second, but held a four shot lead with four holes to play. Scott would bogey each of the final four holes to lose by one stroke to South African Ernie Els.
Jason Day
Best finish at the Open: Runner-up (2023)
Best finish at a major: 2015 PGA Championship — Winner
Former world number one Jason Day has started to find his best golf over the past two years.
After struggling with a back issue for a few seasons, Day's victory at the 2023 Byron Nelson, followed by a tie for second at the Open Championship, signified the Queenslander was near his best again.
Day has not won on the PGA Tour in 2024, but he has enjoyed four top 10 finishes and will fancy his chances after a great performance at the Open last year.
Min Woo Lee
Best finish at the Open: 21st (2022)
Best finish at a major: 2023 US Open — Fifth
Min Woo Lee's rise up the world of golf has continued in 2024, reaching a career high world number 31 this year.
The West Australian has achieved six top-10 finishes since earning a PGA Tour card in 2023.
Lee has three career wins on the European Tour, including the 2021 Scottish Open on the links course of The Renaissance Club.
Lee is one of the longest drivers of the ball in on the PGA Tour this season, but at times has struggled with his approaches to the putting surface.
Elvis Smylie
Best finish at the Open: N/A
Best finish at a major: N/A
Elvis Smylie makes his major championship debut this weekend at Royal Troon.
The Queenslander, who is the son of former Australian mixed-doubles tennis Wimbledon and US Open Champion Elizabeth Smylie, earned his spot in the draw through qualifying.
The 22-year-old has achieved three runners-up finishes on the Australasian Tour and has competed in European Tour events.
Jasper Stubbs
Best finish at the Open: N/A
Best finish at a major: 2024 US Masters — Missed Cut
Amateur Jasper Stubbs's fantastic year continues with his maiden appearance at the Open Championship.
Stubbs played his first major championship this year when competed in the US Masters.
The 22-year-old earned his spot at both majors after winning the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last October at Royal Melbourne.
Making it to the weekend at Royal Troon would be a terrific achievement for the up-and-coming Australian.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Who is the defending Open champion?
American golfer Brian Harman is the defending Open Champion.
The left-hander won his first major, and third tournament since joining the PGA Tour, with a six-shot win at Royal Liverpool.
The then 36-year-old played near flawless golf over the 72 holes, always being around the top of the leaderboard.
He shot a four-under 67 to be one shot back after the opening round, before blitzing the leaders with a six-under 65 in the second round.
His five shot lead at the end of the second round was maintained at the end of the third, giving him a great cushion heading into the Sunday.
He played steady golf to shoot a one-under 70 to win.
Australian Jason Day finished in a four-way tie for second, six shots behind Harman.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Who are the favourites to win this year?
World number one Scottie Sheffler will go into the Open Championship (and pretty much every tournament) as the favourite.
Sheffler has won six tournaments in 2024 including the US Masters, Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and US PGA champion Xander Schauffele will also be fancied to win after triumphs in the year's earlier majors.
Northern Irish legend Rory McIlroy will be a popular man with punters as he tries to end a decade-long major drought.
McIlroy has finished tied-sixth and third in the previous two Opens, and placed second at this year's US Open.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
How can I watch the Open Championship?
Broadcaster Foxtel has the television rights to the Open Championship.
Foxtel has a dedicated channel to the tournament on their channel 503, while subscribers to streaming service Kayo will also be able to watch the Open Championship.
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Key tee times for round 1
Australians
- Min Woo Lee — 4:19pm
- Adam Scott — 4:30pm
- Jasper Stubbs — 4:41pm
- Elvis Smylie — 8:04pm
- Jason Day — 1026pm
- Cameron Smith — 11:59pm
Rest of the world
- Bryson DeChambeau — 6:47pm
- Rory McIlroy — 7:09pm
- Phil Mickelson — 11:04pm
- Tiger Woods — 11:37pm
- Xander Schauffele — 11:37pm
- Scottie Scheffler — 12:10am (Friday)
All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time
Click here to return to the top of the page.
Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.