Nine Australians and two of our New Zealand neighbours make up the Australasian contingent, with two West Australian’s making their first appearance in the sport’s oldest major.

Ryan Peake and Curtis Luck both earned their place this week courtesy of strong performances on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this past summer, with Peake one of the first on site in Northern Ireland and the prospect to finally cash-in the biggest prize from his New Zealand Open win.

Meanwhile, Luck earned his ticket to Portrush thanks to his runner-up finish at the 2024 men’s Australian Open alongside Victorian veteran Marc Leishman who has his national Open finish to thank for his return to The Open for the first time since crossing to the LIV Golf League.

Also thanks to his hot summer of golf down under, Elvis Smylie secured his second-straight Open appearance thanks to topping the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

Major Championship stalwarts Jason Day, Adam Scott and 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith all return, alongside Min Woo Lee and Lucas Herbert – Herbert securing his place at final qualifying just weeks ago.

Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox are the New Zealanders in the field, with 39-year-old Fox playing the finest golf of his career in 2025 managing two PGA TOUR titles under his belt as he returns to the site of his best Open finish, a T16 in 2019.

That year – the last time Portrush hosted the Open – it was Irishman Shane Lowry who tamed the rugged links which borders the North Atlantic Ocean and is considered by many one of the finest examples of links golf in the world.

Home to 36-holes, it is Portrush’s Dunluce links that hosts the world’s best players this week as it did in 2019 and 1951, with the dunes providing dramatic elevation changes that can send golf balls into the long natural grasses that border the fairways.

Named for the Dunluce Castle that overlooks the course, Portrush is one of the more exacting tests on The Open Rota with its small greens nestled perfectly into the landscape a feature of Harry Colt’s redesign in the early 1930s.

With the whole town of Portrush taken over by the championship, a winner will not be comfortable until they have safely found their way onto, or near the 18^th green, with a closing stretch of three holes that starts with the aptly named ‘Calamity Corner’ par-3 16^th enough to test anyone’s mettle.

All four rounds of The 153rd Open Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo. Round 1 coverage begins at 3:30pm Thursday AEST.

The 153rd Open Championship

Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland

Recent champion: Xander Schauffele

Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965), Kel Nagle (1960), Greg Norman (1986, 1993), Ian Baker-Finch (1991), Cameron Smith (2022).

Prize money: US$17 million

TV times: Live Thursday and Friday 3:30pm-5:30am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Saturday 7pm-11:15pm Fox Sports 505 and Kayo. Saturday 11pm-5am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 6pm-4am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Australasians in the field

Jason Day

Major wins: 1

Previous appearances: 12

Best finish: T2 (2023)

2024 result: T13

Best result in 2025: T3, The American Express, PGA TOUR

Ryan Fox (NZ)

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 8

Best finish: T16 (2019)

2024 result: T25

Best result in 2025: Win, RBC Canadian Open, PGA TOUR

Lucas Herbert

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 4

Best finish: T15 (2022)

2024 result: DNP

Best result in 2025: Win, International Series Japan, Asian Tour

Daniel Hillier (NZ)

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 3

Best finish: T19 (2024)

2024 result: T19

Best result in 2025: 2, Hero Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Tour

Min Woo Lee

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 4

Best finish: T21 (2022)

2024 result: MC

Best result in 2025: Win, Texas Children’s Houston Open, PGA TOUR

Marc Leishman

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 11

Best finish: T2 (2015)

2024 result: DNP

Best result in 2025: Win, LIV Golf Miami, LIV Golf League

Curtis Luck

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 0

Best finish: N/A

2024 result: DNP

Best result in 2025: T3, The National Tournament, Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia

Ryan Peake

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 0

Best finish: N/A

2024 result: DNP

Best result in 2025: Win, New Zealand Open, Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia/Asian Tour

Adam Scott

Major wins: 1

Previous appearances: 24

Best finish: 2 (2012)

2024 result: T10

Best result in 2025: T12, US Open

Cameron Smith

Major wins: 1

Previous appearances: 7

Best finish: Win (2022)

2024 result: MC

Best result in 2025: T5, LIV Golf Mexico City, LIV Golf League

Elvis Smylie

Major wins: 0

Previous appearances: 1

Best finish: MC (2024)

2024 result: MC

Best result in 2025: T8, New Zealand Open, Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia/Asian Tour