Danny Lee’s roller-coaster season looks set to take a turn for the better with a return to the scene of his best 2017 finish this week at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

Lee was T3 last year at TPC River Highlands, just two shots out of the memorable play-off between Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger, with four sub 70 rounds and a 10-under total.

The Korean born New Zealander has endured a stop-start season to date after starting nicely in late 2017 ahead of a run of missed cuts and high finishes in the early part of 2018.

He looked to have turned things around in May with a top 10 at The PLAYERS and some good golf in Texas but back to back missed cuts in his last two starts, and a drop to 123^rd on the FedEx Cup standings means he needs to turn things around quickly.

Armed with good memories from last year Lee will be looking forward to getting underway this week and after not qualifying for the US Open will be fresh from a week’s break.

He is one of eight Australasians in the field, among them top US Open finisher Aaron Baddeley as well as Greg Chalmers, Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy, Matt Jones, Rod Pampling, Geoff Ogilvy and 2012 champion Marc Leishman.

Baddeley has a mixed bag of results at TOC River Highlands with a 4^th place finish in 2014 his best result though his form at Shinnecock Hills, particularly his iron play, was impressive.

Long considered one of the game’s best putters the two-time Australian Open champion has struggled with the flatstick in 2018 but if he finds something on the greens this week could be dangerous.

Another who could be dangerous this week will be Jason Day who will still be simmering after missing the cut at Shinnecock Hills.

His opening round 79 was particularly uncharacteristic for the 2015 PGA winner and backing up with a second round 73 would have done little to improve his mood.

Making just his fourth start at this event there is little in his record to suggest a liking for the course however it would be a surprise if he doesn’t improve on his previous best of T18 which came four years ago.

Matt Jones and Marc Leishman are the last of the Australasian US Open qualifiers to tee up, Jones missing the cut last week and yet to post a top 10 here in seven starts while Leishman is a former winner whose play in New York was better than his eventual finish position suggested.

The 2012 champion was well in the mix at Shinnecock before falling victim, alongside many others, to Saturday’s brutal afternoon conditions.

A deflating triple bogey at the eighth hole, courtesy of a four-putt on the super slick greens, was the beginning of his undoing and an understandably flat Sunday followed his 8-over effort.

Leishman is too good a player, however, for that to linger and having never missed the cut in seven appearances here will likely be among the contenders Sunday.

The last three in the field, Greg Chalmers, Geoff Ogilvy and Rod Pampling, are yet to post a top-10 between them in a combined 29 starts though at this level that can change any given week.