Adam Scott – in action today – image USGA
Adam Scott will lead the Australasian challenge into day two of the US Open at Oakmont, his even par morning round (70) on day one leaving him just four behind the first-round leader, J.J. Spaun and in a share of 11th place.
Scott was out at 7.18 along with Ludvig Aberg and Hideki Matsuyama and opened with a bogey when missing the fairway and the green at the 10th hole, but mixed five birdies and two bogeys in a roller coaster front nine to be 2 under making the turn.
Scott would, though, drop two shots on the way in but, just four behind the lead, he has made an encouraging start and is well enough placed heading into tomorrow’s afternoon round with only 10 players breaking par in what were relatively good conditions.
Scott will face an afternoon draw tomorrow, but he has started well in his 26th US Open appearance, with a best finish of 4th at the 2015 edition at Chambers Bay.
Marc Leishman, who managed to earn his start through Final Qualifying ten days ago, is the next best placed of the Australasians following his round of 1 over par 71. Leishman recovered from a sluggish start in which he bogeyed two of his first five holes and at one stage was 1 under through 12 holes before bogeys at his 15th and 16th holes saw him eventually finish tied for 20th and five from the lead.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, fresh from his great win in Canada on Sunday, opened with a round of 72, which, all things considered, was an impressive follow-up to what must have been an emotional few days.
Fox played this opening nine in 1 under par and was still even par through 13 holes but a double bogey would come at the 14th after finding the rough from the tee and then taking two in a greenside bunker.
Cam Davis had 74, Cam Smith 75, Jason Day 76 and Min Woo Lee 77.
The cut appears as if it will fall somewhere between 6 and 8 over, depending on conditions on day two.
The leader, J.J. Spaun, has just one PGA Tour win, and that was three years ago, but he has many impressive finishes, including a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship this year.
“I kind of came out here with no prior history at Oakmont, not really knowing what to expect even U.S. Open-wise,” said the 34-year-old. “This is only my second one.”
“I don’t know if that freed me up in any aspect, but I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalize on any birdie opportunities, which aren’t very many out here. But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a U.S. Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round.
“I’m just overly pleased with how I started the tournament.”
“I don’t know why this is happening already or happening at this point in my career,” added Spaun, referring to his great season to date. “But I guess being kind of put in that spot at THE PLAYERS, I was leading going into the final round of the Sony Open, I finished second at Cognizant, like I’ve been consistently right there. And everyone knows that the more you put yourself there, the better you’re going to have results and the better you’re going to play, eventually it will turn one of those close calls into a win.
“THE PLAYERS was sort of a kind of spring into self-belief because it wasn’t like I faked it. Yeah, you can maybe fake it at the Sony and Cognizant or whatever, but to do that at THE PLAYERS, a course where I’d never done well historically, and to go head-to-head with Rory on Sunday, and then the playoff was great for my confidence.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but it was great for me to kind of lean back on that experience and know that I can perform on the biggest of stages and handle it with the pressure.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure this week, too, and hopefully I can rely on those experiences.”
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J.J. Sapun en route to the US Open lead on day one – image USGA
Adam Scott heads Australasians at Oakmont
Adam Scott – in action today – image USGA
Adam Scott will lead the Australasian challenge into day two of the US Open at Oakmont, his even par morning round (70) on day one leaving him just four behind the first-round leader, J.J. Spaun and in a share of 11th place.
Scott was out at 7.18 along with Ludvig Aberg and Hideki Matsuyama and opened with a bogey when missing the fairway and the green at the 10th hole, but mixed five birdies and two bogeys in a roller coaster front nine to be 2 under making the turn.
Scott would, though, drop two shots on the way in but, just four behind the lead, he has made an encouraging start and is well enough placed heading into tomorrow’s afternoon round with only 10 players breaking par in what were relatively good conditions.
Scott will face an afternoon draw tomorrow, but he has started well in his 26th US Open appearance, with a best finish of 4th at the 2015 edition at Chambers Bay.
Marc Leishman, who managed to earn his start through Final Qualifying ten days ago, is the next best placed of the Australasians following his round of 1 over par 71. Leishman recovered from a sluggish start in which he bogeyed two of his first five holes and at one stage was 1 under through 12 holes before bogeys at his 15th and 16th holes saw him eventually finish tied for 20th and five from the lead.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, fresh from his great win in Canada on Sunday, opened with a round of 72, which, all things considered, was an impressive follow-up to what must have been an emotional few days.
Fox played this opening nine in 1 under par and was still even par through 13 holes but a double bogey would come at the 14th after finding the rough from the tee and then taking two in a greenside bunker.
Cam Davis had 74, Cam Smith 75, Jason Day 76 and Min Woo Lee 77.
The cut appears as if it will fall somewhere between 6 and 8 over, depending on conditions on day two.
The leader, J.J. Spaun, has just one PGA Tour win, and that was three years ago, but he has many impressive finishes, including a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship this year.
“I kind of came out here with no prior history at Oakmont, not really knowing what to expect even U.S. Open-wise,” said the 34-year-old. “This is only my second one.”
“I don’t know if that freed me up in any aspect, but I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalize on any birdie opportunities, which aren’t very many out here. But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a U.S. Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round.
“I’m just overly pleased with how I started the tournament.”
“I don’t know why this is happening already or happening at this point in my career,” added Spaun, referring to his great season to date. “But I guess being kind of put in that spot at THE PLAYERS, I was leading going into the final round of the Sony Open, I finished second at Cognizant, like I’ve been consistently right there. And everyone knows that the more you put yourself there, the better you’re going to have results and the better you’re going to play, eventually it will turn one of those close calls into a win.
“THE PLAYERS was sort of a kind of spring into self-belief because it wasn’t like I faked it. Yeah, you can maybe fake it at the Sony and Cognizant or whatever, but to do that at THE PLAYERS, a course where I’d never done well historically, and to go head-to-head with Rory on Sunday, and then the playoff was great for my confidence.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but it was great for me to kind of lean back on that experience and know that I can perform on the biggest of stages and handle it with the pressure.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure this week, too, and hopefully I can rely on those experiences.”
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Ryan Fox joins six Australians in the Oakmont field
Oakmont’s 18th hole – image courtesy of USGA
Ryan Fox’s victory in Canada this morning brings to seven the number of Australasians in the field for this week’s US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.
Fox’s victory moved him to 32nd in the world ranking and inside the final qualifying criteria available available to those players inside the top 60 by today’s date.
Fox plays the event as the now leading world-ranked player amongst the group ahead of Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Cam Smith and Marc Leishman.
Ryan Fox plays the event for the 7th occasion, his best being when 39th in 2018 but in 2025 he is a very much improved, and more experienced and confident player than in his previous attempts and he starts the events as a genuine chance to contend for a title New Zealanders have won on one previous occasion when Michael Campbell was successful in 2005 at Pinehurst. There is no mistaking the quality of Fox’s recent play.
Min Woo Lee will play his 4th US Open, having debuted in 2022 and made the cut on each occasion, including when finishing a best of 5th at the Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. A couple of months ago, Lee impressed with his win at the Houston Open but his form since has been only average.
Jason Day will play his 13th U.S. Open when he tees it up at Oakmont and his second at that venue having tied for 8th in 2016. Day recorded five top tens in his first six attempts at the US Open, including when runner-up on debut in 2011, but has not been better than 21st since.
Day has shown signs of his best on occasions this season, but he missed the cut at the PGA Championship at his last start and was only 49th at Hilton Head.
Adam Scott plays his 26th US Open with a best of 4th at Chambers Bay in 2015. He has played two US Opens at Oakmont, finishing 18th in 2016 and missing the cut in 2007. Scott continues to play well at the age of 44, but he has been struggling to contend at the pointy end of tournaments this season.
Cam Davis has missed the cut at his two US Open attempts, and, having missed the cut in his last two starts this season, it is hard to get excited about his chances this week.
Cam Smith has fallen off the map as far as profile is concerned as he continues to play the LIV Golf league where he has struggled to contend in most of the events he has played this season. He is a proven big event performer however, with his high finishes in events such as the Masters and the Open Championship. He will play his 11th US Open with a best of 4th when on debut at Chambers Bay in 2015, a finish which essentially earned him his PGA Tour playing rights.
Smith missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship this year, so he will need a significant turnaround if he is to do well this week.
Marc Leishman earned the right to play his 12th US Open via the gruelling final qualifying process a week ago. Leishman has a best of 14th in those starts, that coming in his last appearance in the event in 2022. His form and record in the event leave a lot to be desired in terms of whether he has a chance of a good week, although he did win an event on the LIV Tour recently.
Australasians have won three US Opens, namely David Graham, Geoff Ogilvy and Michael Campbell. Whether there is any chance of that number being improved this week remains to be seen but Ryan Fox’s impressive rise towards the elite of the game gives him some chance of at least contending.
It keeps getting better for Ryan Fox
Ryan Fox – image courtesy of RBC Canadian Open
Just four weeks after his breakthrough PGA Tour win in Myrtle Beach, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox has won a second and more significant PGA Tour title with a playoff victory over Sam Burns at the RBC Canadian Open at the TPC Toronto in Ontario. Both tournaments have been won in a playoff, further highlighting the grit of the 38-year-old Aucklander.
In doing so, Fox secured the biggest ever cheque by a New Zealander in tournament golf (US1.764 million), but it is not only the huge purse that goes to the winner, it is the significant additional benefits including full PGA Tour exemption until the end of 2027, guaranteed starts in the Masters and the PGA Championship in 2025, a jump into the top 35 in the world ranking, (still short of his previous best of 23rd but significant all the same) and a start at next week’s US Open.
Fox, who had essentially chosen not to attempt final qualifying for next week’s US Open, now has a start as a result of his improved ranking and must now start the event as a chance to record his best finish in a major (his previous best is 16th at the 2018 Open Championship) given the confidence and self-belief he will now own as a result of his success in such an important event.
Fox joins Sir Bob Charles as the only male New Zealanders to win the Canadian Open.
Fox, who led into today’s final round along with Italy’s Matteo Manassero, took some time for his round to build momentum today, a two-putt birdie at the drivable 6th his only reward in his opening 13 holes. A missed chance from short range at the 10th appeared as if it might prove costly as did another missed opportunity at the 16th but he holed a 20 footer at the 72nd hole for birdie (which just sneaked in the side door) after laying up, to join Burns who has finished his round nearly two hours earlier with a round of 62.
It took four holes to separate the pair, Fox breaking the deadlock with a stunning three wood into the wind at the 4th hole, a shot he would later describe as the best shot of his life. It set up a two-putt birdie from 8 feet, and with Burns three putting from 50 feet, the title was Fox’s.
“It was tough,” said Fox.”I hit some great shots down the stretch in regulation. Probably got a little lucky on that putt on 18 in regulation, snuck in the left door.
“To be honest, Sam and I had a bit of a pillow fight there for three holes. It was some pretty average golf from both of us, some average putting. But that shot I hit on 18 with the 3-wood was probably the best shot I ever hit. It would have been nice to make it, but hey, I’ll take it.”
“Sam let me off the hook big time there that first playoff hole. I’d almost given him that. We had a couple scrappy holes there, and then to hit the shot I hit on 18 on the fourth playoff, it was pretty surreal. It’s the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life. There’s nothing close to that.
“Now, again, Sam probably let me off the hook three-putting there, but I felt like I put pressure on him with that shot. It was pretty cool to have a nice little tap-in there and kind of soak it all in.”
Fox had played well at the Canadian Open last year recording one of his best finishes until his win at Myrtle Beach.
“It’s such an iconic tournament, so much history here. To get my name on that trophy is amazing. I remember watching it years ago when I was playing on the Aussie Tour and thinking it looked like a really awesome event.
“To get a chance to play in it and have a couple good weeks last year and this year — obviously this year is a little better — is amazing. To see some of the names that are on that trophy and to have my name on it is amazing.”
Fox will now play in his 7th US Open at Oakmont next week, and given his current form, he is likely to enter the calculations to emulate Michael Campbell’s magnificent win at Pinehurst in 2005, and certainly beat his previous best finish of 39th in 2018.
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US Open door remains open for Ryan Fox
Ryan Fox – very much in contention in Canada – image Masters Tournament
Ryan Fox finds himself in a share of 7th place through 36 holes of the Canadian Open in Toronto, adding a second consecutive round of 66 to be at 8 under par and four off the lead of Cameron Champ.
If Fox is to play next week’s US Open at Oakmont, he will likely need to finish inside the top three this week to improve from his current 75th in the world ranking to inside the top 60, the final criteria available for him to make the field.
Fox decided to withdraw from the final qualifying at his venue in Canada on Monday, citing the need for a break, but he has made such a good start this week that the door is still open to play his 6th US Open Championship.
Fox recorded eight birdies in his round of 66 and begins the weekend in great shape to challenge for the lead as he chases a second PGA Tour title in the past month.
“It was two really nice days out there for golf to be honest,” said Fox, referring to the conditions. “The golf course handled the rain really well, and obviously we got the nice side of the draw, missing out on the rain yesterday morning. Very happy with the two days so far.
“It’s obviously a golf course you can make a lot of birdies on. It’s going to require two more good scores on the weekend, so I’ve played it pretty aggressively so far for the first two days. Sort of no change there.
“I think the rain definitely impacted the scoring a lot. I thought, when we played Tuesday and Wednesday in the Pro-Am, it was starting to get firmer fast, and you had to think about it a little bit more. If you were in the rough, it was hard to get the ball close. It was hard to hit a few of the fairways with how firm the fairways are. Obviously with the rain softening it up, it became a little bit of target golf.
Hopefully it does firm up over the weekend and play a little bit tougher. I think I definitely prefer that than a birdie fest, but I’ve made a few the first couple of rounds at least.”
Harrison Endicott was just inside the cutline as this was being written, with still five holes to play while Aaron Baddeley and Karl Vilips will miss the weekend.
The shock of the week to date has been the horror couple of rounds of Rory McIlroy a week ahead of the US Open. McIlroy will finish near to last in the field of 153 after rounds of 71 and 78.
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Marc Leishman qualifies for 12th US Open
Marc Leishman during his last US Open appearance in 2022 – image Katryn Riley USGA
Marc Leishman brings the number of Australians who will tee it up at next week’s US Open at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania to six, following his success in gaining one of four spots available at his Final Qualifying venue in Maryland this morning.
Leishman will join Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Cam Davis and Cam Smith in the field when the championship gets underway on June 12th.
Leishman added an afternoon round of 69 to his morning 70 to join Virginia amateur Bryan Lee and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz in a playoff for two spots, claiming one of them at the 2nd playoff hole and will now play in his 12th US Open, his best finish coming in 2022 when 14th behind Matt Fitzpatrick at the Country Club in Brookline.
Leishman has played in Liv Golf since late 2022 and has not played in a major since joining the breakaway league. As a result of this morning’s effort, he has the opportunity to improve on the six top tens, including a runner-up finish at the Open Championship and a 4th place finish at the Masters, he has to his name in major championship golf.
Courtesy of his finish at last year’s Australian Open, where he gained one of the International Qualifying spots, Leishman now also has a start at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Hannah Green tops Aussies at Erin Hills as Maja Stark wins by two
Hannah Green in action this week – image USGA
Hannah Green emerged as the best of the Australasians at this week’s Women’s US Open at Erin Hills near Milwaukee, adding a final round of 72 on a day where only three of the 60 players to make the weekend managed to break 70.
Green finished in a share of 12th place at 1 under par and six shots behind the winner, Maja Stark of Sweden who won by two over Nelly Korda and Tio Takeda.
Two late bogeys cost Green a top ten finish, but it was her best finish in eight starts in the event, bettering her previous best of 13th in 2023.
Minjee Lee was well enough placed heading into the final day but a round of 77 saw her slip back to a share of 22nd while Lydia Ko finished 26th.
The winner, Stark, joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after winning a jointly sanctioned event in Northern Ireland, and although she has yet to win since until today, there have been several runner-up finishes. She won by two over World Number One Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda, and, in doing so, becomes the third Swede to win the event after Liselotte Neumann and Annika Sorenstam who won on three occasions.
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Cameron Percy records best PGA Tour Champions finish
Cameron Percy – file photo courtesy of USGA
Cameron Percy has finished in a share of second place at the PGA Tour Champions Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines Iowa, the Victorian failing to match the birdie of Miguel Angel Jimenez at the first extra hole of a playoff to eventually tie second place with newcomer Soren Kjeldsen.
Percy started the final round two behind Jimenez but a final round of 68, including a birdie at the driveable last, saw him join Jimenez and Kjeldsen, the latter of whom had produced a final round of 63 and an hour or so before the final group.
Both Percy and Kjeldsen were wayward with their tee shots at the first extra hole and were unable to match Jimenez who won his third PGA Tour Champions event of the year with a birdie.
For Percy, who joined the PGA Tour Champions one year ago, it was his best finish in that time, beating his previous best when third in his third appearance on the tour in June of last year.
Percy earns US$160,000 for his placing and follows the US$100,000 he earned for his top ten finish at the recent and lucrative Senior PGA Championship. He now has earnings of US$550,000 for the 2025 season.
Other Australians also fared well with Michael Wright just three from the playoff in a share of 6th place, while Mark Hensby stormed home with a final round of 63 to finish in a share of 8th.
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US Open spots up for grabs on golf’s longest day
Karl Vilips – despite winning on the PGA Tour this season still needs to qualify for the US Open
Currently, five Australasians are qualified to play the upcoming US Open at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania beginning on June 12th. Those players are Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Cam Davis and Cam Smith but in tomorrow’s Final Qualifying being held over 36 holes at ten different venues across the USA, another twelve will attempt to gain one of the final positions remaining in the field.
They are among the nearly 10,000 original entrants for the event, a number that will eventually be dwindled down to 156.
Australians Lucas Herbert, Karl Vilips, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby, Harrison Crowe, Rika Batibasaga and Josh Edgar and Gareth Steyn will be joined by New Zealanders Ben Campbell, Nick Voke, Jimmy Zheng, and Josh Bai as they chase one of the much-sought-after places in the field.
Several of these golfers survived local qualifying to get into Final Qualifying
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was also scheduled to tee it up at Final Qualifying, but a search of the tee times suggests he will not do so and it appears after a busy schedule, including this coming week’s Canadian Open, he is taking a break.
Fox is currently in 78th position in the world ranking, and the only means he now has of making the field is to probably win the Canadian Open.
Qualifying fields
Minjee Lee within striking distance at Women’s US open
Minjee Lee at the 15th hole during today’s third round – image Kathryn Riley USGA
Minjee Lee’s hopes of a second Women’s US Open remain alive after her third round of 71 left her in a share of 7th place and just four shots off the lead held by Sweden’s Maja Stark at the Erin Hills Golf Course outside of Milwaukee.
Beginning the day six off the lead, then held by Japan’s Mao Saigo, Lee opened with a birdie but the demanding course set up and breezy conditions would mean only a dozen or so golfers would better 70 and left the event still wide open for decision in tomorrow’s final round.
“I feel like I missed a few opportunities that I did have, but I think overall the pin placements were a little bit trickier today,” said Lee when asked to describe her round
“It didn’t feel like it was all that windy, but it was windy for the pin placements that we had, if that makes sense. It was like we couldn’t quite get to some of the pins we had to play.
“The pins were trickier today. Almost felt like Sunday pins; maybe tomorrow, even harder.”
“I mean, returning to any U.S. Open being like a previous winner is always cool,” added Lee when asked how it was playing an event she has won previously. “Also I’m a little biased because I love the U.S. Open and I love the challenge. I just love how the USGA sets up the golf course. It’s probably my favourite place to come back to every year.
Hannah Green added a round of 73 today to be in a share of 13th place and six from the lead while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was the only other Australasian to make the weekend and at 1 over is in a share of 27th place and eight shots from the lead.
The leader, Stark, is one ahead of Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez.
Stark is playing her 16th major championship and has a runner-up finish at last year’s Chevron Championship as her best result to date, so tomorrow she is chasing her first major title while Ramirez is in her first season on the LPGA Tour with a best finish of 29th in seven starts to date.
Lee, therefore, has a great chance if she is able to put together an under-70 round over the increasingly demanding layout.
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Minjee Lee and Hannah Green on edge of contention at Erin Hills
Minjee Lee during today’s second round – image courtesy of USGA
There are just a dozen or so golfers left to complete round two of the Women’s US Open at the Erin Hills Golf Club near Milwaukee, but their performance when they return to complete their opening 36 holes will have little bearing on either the lead or those making the cut.
A weather delay caused play to eventually be called for darkness at 8.25 pm with Japan’s Mao Saigo ahead by three over a group of six players following her second round of 66 as she looks to become the third Japanese winner of the event in the last five years.
Of the seven Australasians in the event, Minjee Lee and Hannah Green lead the way, the pair tied for 19th and seven shots from Saigo’s lead, but only three shots out of second place.
Lee bogeyed the last to provide a disappointing finish to an otherwise encouraging round of 69 while Green was round in 70 to improve to 2 under from her overnight level par, but looked ahead to the weekend with some positive thoughts.
“I think it was just a really quick turnaround, so I got back at like 8:00 and then came back out here — I was up at like 4:30 this morning. I think a little bit of rest this afternoon and just try and save the legs a little bit, do some recovery. I think that will be the main test. It’s such a mental challenge.
“I think just being physically and mentally a little sounder coming into the weekend would be nice. I think just play aggressively when I can and play smart when I have to. I think that’s going to be the key.”
Lydia Ko produced a final nine of 33 to be at even par and in a share of 37th place and not entirely without hope of completing a grand slam of current major titles, having won the Evian Championship, the KPMG PGA Championship, and the AIG Women’s Open in previous years.
Of the other Australasians, Stephanie Kyriacou, Gabi Ruffels, Grace Kim, and Jenny Elliot all missed out on a chance to play the final 36 holes.
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