Peter Thomson won it five times, Greg Norman won in twice, and Kel Nagle held off Arnold Palmer, who was on a charge to the “Grand Slam” (a term he and the journalist Bob Drum cooked up on the plane trip to Scotland), to win the 1960 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews.

In 2022, on the same famous old venue that old Kel beat Arnie, we sat up late and cheered on Cameron Smith as he nervelessly shot a brilliant, Sunday 64 which won the Queenslander the 150th Open Championship.

And they were, all of them, very good times. 

Can an Australian do it again? Yes, of course, an Australian can do it again. We are a golf nation. Upon our giant pyramid of talent sit several golden bricks.

But will an Australian do it again? That’s a question between you, the golf gods and so many bookies.

But let us count the ways.

Smith, 30, has been out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind on the LIV Tour, popping up for three major appearances this year which resulted in modest (at least relative to our expectations of him) returns: T6 the Masters, T63 the PGA Championship, T32 the U.S Open. His results in Greg Norman’s side hustle have been equally, the kids have a good word for it and that word is, meh, with runner-ups in Hong Kong and Singapore the best of an otherwise underwhelming season. We would, of course, love him to charge up Sunday’s leaderboard and test again how many tinnies can fit in the Auld Claret Jug. And yet, in horse racing parlance, his exposed form is only okay, you’d be taking on trust, prefer others.

Adam Scott was second by a shot in the Scottish Open. There are worse ways to prepare for a crack at the Claret Jug. PHOTO: Getty Images

Adam Scott hit a delicious driver off the deck in the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick last week, and again we swooned over a swing so sexy it should’ve won more majors than Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan combined. And yet, Scott, the one-time major winner, one-time Australian Open champion, and 19-time top-10 finisher in major championships, did not, you know, win. And that is quite an important habit to form when you want to, you know, win. Prefer others, also.

Min Woo Lee had an ordinary Sunday in the Scottish Open but nearly won the week before in Detroit. PHOTO: Getty Images

One of those is Min Woo Lee whose major record in 2024 is T22 (Masters), T26 (PGA) and T21 (U.S Open). While he never truly threatened to lift a trophy or pull on a garish green sports coat, in difficult conditions at Augusta National and Pinehurst No.2, he golfed his ball about in the style of a world class actor. He was three-under for most of the recent Scottish Open before a final round of five-over 75. Week before that he ran T2 in the Rocket Mortgage Classic behind Cam Davis, equal with in-form Americans Akshay Bhatia and Davis Thompson, and Aaron Rai of England. Here’s hoping The Chef can get hot and cook, as he’s always demanding to be allowed to. Of course you may cook. Knock yourself out. 

“Colin Cowdrey called, wants his flannels back” could be a comment heard in the players’ dressing room if anyone had heard of Colin Cowdrey and were mean. PHOTO: Getty Images

Jason Day’s clothes certainly look comfortable enough to take all Scotland can throw at him, indeed were you caught in a storm of sleet and hail on the far-flung ninth hole (known as “The Monk” because it face Monktown, in the way of these things), you’d hope you could find Jason and snuggle into him as one might a human doona. Yet his form in majors and on the PGA Tour this year has been middle of the road. Missed the cut in the U.S Open, T30 at Augusta, T43 at Valhalla. He’s had four top-10s this year including T4 in the Wells Fargo (in May) and T6 at Pebble Beach (February). But his form line leading up to this 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon does not scream 2024 Open Champion. Least he’ll be warm.

Elvis Smylie says Royal Troon is “a brutal golf course once that wind gets up.” Good luck to him. PHOTO: Getty Images

Elvis Smylie will tee off at the Aussie fan-friendly time of 8:04pm AEST and if he can scorch out in a few under par and hold on during the tough holes home, he could make something of a debut in the greater hivemind of the Australian sports-watching punterati. Something something. Smylie is on his first professional playing visit to Royal Troon but was in attendance when Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson rumbled in the heather in 2016 when Smylie was minus-six years old. Or 14, depending. Good luck to him.

Jasper Stubbs is a man of the Sandbelt, which should help him in the wind and around the tight cut surrounds. In the wheat, though, all bets are off. PHOTO: Getty Images

Jasper Stubbs, 23, is on a magical mystery tour of major championships, having played the Masters in April ahead of a gig in this Open Championship, courtesy of winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne in November. He has no immediate plans to become a professional, instead contesting this year’s US Amateur and Western Amateur before defending the APAC in Japan. “From there, we’ll see how we go,” he told Golf Australia’s Martin Blake. How will he go at Royals Troon? As his win on the slippery old composite at RM showed, the Peninsula-Kingswood member has the game to golf his ball in the wind and navigate quick surrounds. Keep it out of the wheat and he could sneak up on this 152nd Open Championship. The gods and bookies will give you the same price as John Daly as winning, however, that being 2500-1.

Finally a shout-out to those copule dozen members of my Majors tipping competition whose Australian selection is Cameron Davis, who, at time of writing remains third alternate in the 156-man field. And, allow me to add, you idiots.