Five Aussies, three spots.

That’s the equation facing the Australians contesting this week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open who are yet to secure their place in the field for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Courtesy of claiming the 2018 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, Jake McLeod is the only Australian playing at The Renaissance Club already confirmed for The Open with Adam Scott, Jason Day, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Dimi Papadatos also guaranteed starts in the final major of the year.

Hoping to join them this week are Scott Hend, Wade Ormsby, Sam Brazel, Jason Scrivener and Lucas Herbert who are vying for one of the three places reserved for players not otherwise exempt who finish inside the top 10.

In a field boasting six Major winners including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Henrik Stenson, Hend will be hoping to shake a recent spate of missed cuts and improve on his showing of 12 months ago when he was tied for 14th.

Although he has struggled at the Scottish Open in the past, Ormsby enters the tournament buoyed by a top-20 finish at last week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open where he took advantage of an early start to sit just one shot off the lead through the opening round.

Despite finishing the week tied for 55th, Lucas Herbert can also bring some positive momentum into the Scottish Open having closed out his week with a 5-under 65 while Sam Brazel showed a fondness for links golf in finishing tied for 50th at Lahinch Golf Club.

Aussie legends Craig Parry and Peter O’Malley were back-to-back winners of the Scottish Open in 1991-1992 but we haven’t enjoyed victory in 24 years when Wayne Riley triumphed at Carnoustie.