Australia has been a hugely successful nation in regards to golf's Grand Slam history. 13 players from down under have experienced major success, with them achieving 17 titles overall.
The most successful Aussie in history was by far Peter Thomson, who won five Open Championship titles between 1954 and 1965. The most recent Australian player to add to the list of major champions was Cameron Smith in the Open of 2022.
In the coming years, Smith and PGA Championship 2015 winner Jason Day could become their nation's fourth and fifth multiple-time Grand Slam winners. However, alongside them, several players from Australia will be bidding to nail their maiden success at the top level.
Here, we will look at the leading stars from Australia who are yet to win a major.
Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee is, without a doubt, the leading up-and-coming Australian golf star. At the age of 25 he has already comfortably broken the top 50 rankings and finished top five in the US Open of 2023. In an online bet on the competition this year, he is offered at 47.0 to win - suggesting his time is unlikely to come just yet.
Early sports tips on the penultimate Grand Slam of the year suggest that the experienced Smith is the most likely Australian champion.
Eagle on the last to make the cut. Driver, 3 wood to 4 feet. LET HIM COOK 🔥🦅 pic.twitter.com/3s4q8TmYS5
— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) January 26, 2024
Woo Lee is still likely several years away from his peak as golfers tend to hit their greatest form in their late 20s. The fact he is already establishing himself as a consistent high-ranked player is exciting for Australian golf.
He has already won three times on the European Tour and he got the better of big names like Matt Fitzpatrick in the process. The 25-year-old's early career experience at the top level will undoubtedly benefit him in future years - perhaps he could be one of the genuine contenders at the Grand Slams of 2025 and beyond.
When picking out a potential new Australian champion in the remainder of the 2020s he stands out as by far the most likely player to cause a stir amongst the elites of the game.
Cameron Davis
Cameron Davis is another golfer from Australia who has plenty of time left to run in his career. The 29-year-old finished tied for fourth in the PGA Championship last year, which was a strong result he could build on from 2024 onwards.
He has four professional wins to his name, including landmark wins in the Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA tour and in the Australian Open.
Two-time @AAC_Golf contender Cameron Davis has broken into the top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking following his T4 finish at the PGA Championship, earning a start in next month’s US Open and an invitation to the 2024 Masters.#GolfMajors #APGCGolfhttps://t.co/zMc2MPbwXX
— Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (@The_APGC) May 22, 2023
Davis' career-high world ranking of 42 indicates that he will need to find an elevated level of quality if he is to seriously compete for major success in the remainder of his career. Although having not yet hit his 30s, his peak - like Woo Lee's - may still await him.
Ultimately, Woo Lee and Davis are the two highest-ranked Aussie stars who are yet to taste major success. Both recorded impressive finishes at Grand Slam events last year, emphasizing that they are Australia's greatest hopes of a new winner emerging from the current generation.