Eight Australians – and a couple of Kiwis – this week put their skills to one of the toughest examinations in golf when they line up in The 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Here is the complete rundown of how they got there, their recent performances and prospects of being the Champion Golfer of the Year.

Jason Day (Queensland)
How he qualified: The PGA Champions for 2013-2017
Best Open finish: T4 at St Andrews (2015)
World ranking: 9
Round 1 tee time: 10.37pm AEST with Shota Akiyoshi, Haotong Li

Formline: Australia’s only winner on the US PGA TOUR this year Day has two titles to his name in 2018, the Farmers Insurance Open and Wells Fargo Championship. Top-20 at The Masters and tied for fifth at The Players, Day failed to make the cut at the US Open. Has not played since tied for 12th at the Travelers Championship a month ago.

TW says: Day’s soaring ball flight would not usually be considered ideal for contending at The Open but the determined 30-year-old is yet to miss the cut in seven previous Open appearances. His best finish to date is a tie for fourth at St Andrews in 2015 and he has been top-30 in the past two Opens at Royal Birkdale and Royal Troon. Being ranked first on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained around the green and strokes gained-putting are strong statistics to carry into a major.

Marc Leishman (Victoria)
How he qualified: Top 10 finish at 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (2017)
Best Open finish: T2 at St Andrews (2015)
World ranking: 18
Round 1 tee time: 9.53pm AEST with Rory McIlroy, Thorbjorn Olesen

Formline: With three finishes inside the top six in the past four Open Championships the Warrnambool wind wizard arrives at Carnoustie comfortable that his game is suited to golf’s grandest major. Boasting six top 10s on the PGA TOUR’s wraparound schedule, Leishman was ninth at The Masters and fought through the demons at Shinnecock to finish tied for 45th at the US Open. Was tied for 13th in his most recent start at the Quicken Loans National at the start of the month.

TW says: Still sporting splinters in his fingers from knocking on the door of a maiden major triumph so consistently over the past five years. Two top 10s at the Masters and three top 10 finishes at The Open are evidence of his game – and perhaps most importantly his temperament – are built for the majors. After his tie for sixth at Royal Birkdale last year Leishman stated that it “would be nice to walk up (the 18th hole) with a four-shot lead and enjoy it more”. Perhaps this will be the year.

Cameron Smith (Queensland)
How he qualified: Ranked inside the top 50 on Official World Golf Ranking
Best Open finish: MC at Royal Birkdale (2017)
World ranking: 44
Round 1 tee time: 11.59pm AEST with Ian Poulter, Brooks Koepka

Formline: The Australian PGA champion, Smith catapulted himself into a tie for fifth with a final round 66 at The Masters but missed the cut at the US Open due largely to an opening round of 79. His only start since Shinnecock was last week’s Scottish Open where he was under par in all four rounds to finish in a tie for 42nd.

TW says: Failed to qualify for the matchplay section of the 2012 British Amateur at Royal Troon but has shown he has the temperament to succeed in major championships. Has shown an ability to adapt to almost all conditions and his scrambling percentage of 62.22 percent (36th on PGA TOUR) and three-putt avoidance (ninth on PGA TOUR) are good weapons to carry around Carnoustie.

Adam Scott (Queensland)
How he qualified: Playing member of 2017 Presidents Cup team
Best Open finish: T2 at Royal Lytham & St Annes (2012)
World ranking: 82
Round 1 tee time: 10.15pm AEST with Zach Johnson, Brendan Steele

Formline: It’s a familiar storyline for Scott in 2018 to his most recent years, good without being great. Without a win since the WGC-Cadillac Championship more than two years ago, Scott has recorded four top-20 finishes on the PGA TOUR this year, his best result a tie for ninth at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. Given the pain of his runner-up finish at Royal Lytham in 2012 there is unfinished business for Scott at The Open where he has finished inside the top 10 in four of the past six championships.

TW says: The only Aussie in the field with Open experience at Carnoustie, Scott has spent the past month in Scotland reacquainting himself with the ways of the links and has enlisted the help of caddie Fanny Sunesson. The former looper for Nick Faldo and Henrik Stenson, Sunesson steps into the breach this week after Scott recently parted ways with David Clark. They say class is permanent so it would be foolish to believe Scott can’t contend again.

Ryan Fox (Auckland)
How he qualified: Runner-up at the 2018 Irish Open
Best Open finish: T49 at St Andrews (2015)
World ranking: 84
Round 1 tee time: 12.32am AEST with Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley

Formline: If he was a horse being set for the Melbourne Cup he’d be among the favourites with the bookmakers. A runner-up finish at the Irish Open – a tournament stolen from him by a 40-foot bomb drained by winner Russell Knox – was followed by a tie for sixth at the Scottish Open and with all the right momentum heading into Carnoustie. The more than E840,000 he has won in the past fortnight has vaulted him into ninth in the Race to Dubai standings and a career high of 84th on the Official World Golf Rankings.

TW says: Paired with major champions Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley, this could be the week Fox announces himself as a player of similar standard. A prodigious pounder of the ball off the tee, Fox will find himself with plenty of short clubs for his approach shots and plenty of chances to make birdies. Ranked second for driving distance, fourth in greens in regulation and 15th in putts per green in regulation on the European Tour this year; it’s a formula that will soon yield considerable success.

Cameron Davis (New South Wales)
How he qualified: Winner of the Australian Open, the first event of The Open Qualifying Series.
Best Open finish: N/A
World ranking: 125
Round 1 tee time: 8.36pm AEST with Brandt Snedeker, Sam Locke

Formline: Winner of the Web.com Tour’s Nashville Open in May, Davis has missed the cut in his past three tournaments. Winner of the 2015 Australian Amateur and individual honours at 2016 Eisenhower Trophy, Davis qualified for the round of 32 in the 2016 British Amateur at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

TW says: After a difficult few weeks on the Web.com Tour a change of scenery could be just the tonic Davis needs to restart his season. The excitement of playing in his first major will add to the challenge but provide another important step in his development as a professional.

Lucas Herbert (Victoria)
How he qualified: Tie for eighth at SMBC Singapore Open, part of The Open Qualifying Series
Best Open finish: N/A
World ranking: 177
Round 1 tee time: 11.37pm AEST with Min Chel Choi, Jason Kokrak

Formline: Despite possessing cards on both the Mackenzie Tour in Canada and PGA Tour China Herbert has used top 10 finishes at the co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth to earn five further starts on the European Tour. He was tied for third at the Sicilian Open in May and made his major championship debut at the US Open where he missed the cut. Played Carnoustie in the 2015 British Amateur where he shot an even-par round of 72 but failed to qualify for the matchplay section.

TW says: Although making his British Open debut Herbert has a history of going low at famous courses. In 2014 he equaled the course record at Metropolitan Golf Club during the Australian Masters and a year later broke the course record with a round of 65 at the now 129-year-old Moray Golf Club in Scotland. The experience of having played Carnoustie in the British Amateur three years ago should help settle the nerves somewhat.

Michael Hendry (Auckland)
How he qualified: Runner-up at The Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open on Japan Golf Tour
Best Open finish: MC at Royal Birkdale (2017)
World ranking: 228
Tee time: 9.20pm AEST with Kelly Kraft, Lee Westwood

Formline: The towering Kiwi timed his run to perfection with his runner-up finish at The Gate Way to The Open Mizuno Open his only top-20 finish in nine starts on the Japan Golf Tour this year. He qualified for The Open in the same manner last year where he missed the cut at Royal Birkdale.

TW says: Been a largely difficult year for the 38-year-old who has missed more fairways than he has hit in the 29 rounds he has played in Japan this year. It doesn’t get much better when he reaches the green, ranked 94th in putting with an average of 1.84 putts per hole.

Matt Jones (New South Wales)
How he qualified: Runner-up at the Australian Open as part of The Open Qualifying Series
Best Open finish: T30 at St Andrews (2015)
World ranking: 277
Round 1 tee time: 1.16am AEST with Curtis Thomas, Bronson Burgoon

Formline: Was right in the hunt going into the final round of the John Deere Classic last week on the PGA Tour before fading on the final day to finish tied for 12th, his best finish this season. Has recorded top-20 finishes in four of his past eight starts to be ranked 145th in the FedEx Cup. Has made the cut in each of his three Open Championship appearances to date.

TW says: A fine ball-striker, Jones has been hampered by a misbehaving flatstick in 2018, currently ranked 177th in total putting and 158th in strokes gained putting on the PGA Tour. Australian Open champion in 2015 and runner-up last year, Jones possesses the type of game that should transfer well to the challenges posed by major championships.

Brett Rumford (Western Australia)
How he qualified: Winner of the 2017 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit
Best Open finish: 16th at Royal Liverpool (2006)
World ranking: 393
Round 1 tee time: 1.05am AEST with Masanori Kobayashi, Jack Senior

Formline: Played on the weekend just twice in his past eight starts after finishing in a tie for fifth at the Spanish Open back in April. Missed the cut in both the Irish and Scottish Opens the past fortnight, tournaments he has traditionally struggled with. Last played The Open in 2015 where he finished in a tie for 74th at St Andrews.

TW says: The wizard with a wedge will appreciate a fast-running Carnoustie that will reduce the impact of his lack of distance with the driver. Ranks 260th on the European Tour in strokes gained off the tee and 218th in strokes gained tee to green, Rumford will place an even greater reliance on his short game mastery where he is ranked seventh in strokes gained around the green.