It was a memorable 20 foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2015 RBC Canadian Open that launched Jason Day’s run to the top of the game and the 28-year-old will be looking for a repeat performance when play gets underway Thursday in Ontario.

Day comes to Canada after disappointment at the Open Championship though with Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson running away with the tournament there was no close call for the Queenslander this year.

However with the defence of his PGA Championship coming up next week, Day will be motivated to be at the pointy end of the tournament come Sunday and he’s in good enough form to do it.

While he finished T22 at Troon, his Friday score of 1-under 70 was one of the best rounds of the week in some of the worst conditions; testament to the all around strength of his game.

Day spearheads an 11 strong Australian challenge at Glen Abbey Golf Club and one of four Australians to make the trip from Scotland to Canada.

Barracuda Championship winner Greg Chalmers tees up on US soil again for the first time since his breakthrough victory three weeks ago and despite a poor last round at The Open he will be comfortable with the state of his game after three solid scores.

Chalmers finished fourth at this course in 2000 and while he hasn’t managed better than T40 in two visits since he will fancy his chances this week.   

Rod Pampling is also backing up from Scotland and will be smarting after making back-to-back bogies on his last two holes to miss the cut at Troon.

Pampling was just one shot out of playing the weekend and will no doubt be keen to make amends in Canada.

Steven Bowditch also made the trip from Scotland but is still searching for something to spark his game.

He was well outside the cut at Troon and while expectations won’t be high in Canada he is too good a player not to turn things around at some point and this week would be as good a place as any.

The other Australians teeing up in Canada are Geoff Ogilvy, Cameron Smith, John Senden, Rhein Gibson, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby and Cameron Percy.

Percy qualified on Monday to get into the tournament and was T13 at the Barracuda behind Chalmers, so despite missing the cut at the Barbasol tournament last week he is showing signs of form.

The Canadian Open has seen more than its fair share of Australian success over the years with Day becoming the sixth player from Australia to hoist the trophy last year.

Joe Kirkwood was the first in 1933 with Jim Ferrier twice a champion in 1950 and 1951. Kel Nagle was victorious in 1964 while Greg Norman took the title in 1984 and 1992.

Nathan Green won his lone PGA TOUR event here in 2009 in a playoff over two-time US Open champion, Retief Goosen.