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The fourth and final mens Major of the golfing season is upon us as the world's best get set to descend on Scotland for The Open Championship at Royal Troon this week.
It's the 152nd Open Championship and Australia will be hoping to make it two Claret Jugs in three years after Cam Smith claimed the spoils at St Andrews in the landmark 150th anniversary in 2022.
Peter Thomson (5), Kel Nagle, Bob Charles and Greg Norman (2) were the previous Aussies to find the answers to the greatest test in links golf down the years.
As the field prepares to tee off on the South Ayrshire coast at Royal Troon GC this week, we're looking at some of best Aussie bets for the tournament.
Scott in fine fettle for Troon
There are six Aussie contenders in the confirmed field, barring any late alternates, and the 2022 winner Smith is favourite at 3.00 to finish best of the Oz-pack.
Smith's form hasn't been scintillating of late, though he is very capable of raising it for the major occasions. His St Andrews win is the only time in six Opens he has finished better than 20th.
Adam Scot meanwhile is 3.60 to finish as Top Australian and that is certainly all the more intriguing following the week he enjoyed at the Renaissance Club in the Scottish Open.
Rounds of 67-65-64-67 saw him finish on 17-under par, only to be denied by the flying finish of home favourite Bob MacIntyre as he carded eagle-par-birdie down the stretch to deny Scott a first win since the 2019 Australian PGA Championship.
The 43-year-old Adelaide native will therefore be buzzing for his 93rd consecutive start in major championship golf – a record bettered only by the great Jack Nicklaus, who played in 146 consecutive majors from 1962 to 1998.
Scott so nearly won the Claret Jug in 2012 when four closing bogeys handed it to Ernie Els. He's got valid claims of being the leading Australian at Troon and, given his efforts last week, will tempt plenty as an outsider of note at 61.00 to win overall.
Lee capable of challenging in Scotland
Min-Woo Lee has already tasted success in Scotland with his 2021 Scottish Open win at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick and the 25-year-old Perth native is a name that has been checked by many as a future major champion.
It's a big summer for Lee, who is set to make his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, where his elder sister Minjee Lee will compete at a third Summer Games.
He has sampled contending at a major when finishing fifth at the 2023 US Open and he comes here in good form after finishing runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classic late last month behind another Aussie, Cam Davis.
Lee's social media savviness makes his a popular player and he has been dubbed The Chef. He's got the short game to cook up a challenge at Troon where his imagination around the green is perfect for links golf and his power off the tee is a real asset. If he can enjoy a good week on approach to the greens, Lee looks a solid each-way contender at 56.00 to win his first Open Championship.
Day looks to build on silver medal
Jason Day enjoyed a career-best at The Open last summer when he tied-second as American left-hander Brian Harman ran away with the Claret Jug by six shots.
Alongside Day in a share of second was Sepp Straka, months before his Ryder Cup debut for Europe in Rome. Day is 2.00 to get the better of Straka in a 72-hole match at Troon this year.
The 2015 USPGA winner fourth at St Andrews in 2015 and 22nd here in 2016 and comes into the final major of the year in solid form with four top 10s on the PGA Tour this season and a top 25 on his latest start at the John Deere Classic.
Straka was T61 at the John Deere before missing the cut at the Scottish Open last weekend. Day may well eclipse the Austrian at Troon.
