It is time for the final major championship of 2024 for the over-50 crowd, with the PGA TOUR Champions and Legends Tour combining at The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.

The best players in senior golf, including 13 Australians, three Kiwis and on Fijian, head for Carnoustie in Scotland, and here is all you need to know.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Alex Cejka (GER)

PRIZEMONEY: US$2,850,000

LIVE SCORES: www.europeantour.com/legends-tour/

TV COVERAGE: The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

*All times AEST.

Round One: Thursday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)

Round Two: Friday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)

Round Three: Saturday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)

Final Round: Sunday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)

AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES

STEVEN ALKER

Age: 52

The lowdown: An eight-time PGA TOUR Champions winner, including one victory earlier this year, Alker is always one of the favourites heading into the majors.

The Kiwi has played three of the four grand slam events in 2024 with a worst return of T12 at the US Senior Open, and arrives fresh off a share of seventh at the Senior Players earlier this month.

Alker similarly has a strong record at The Senior Open, including a T11 last year and tie for third a year earlier, and chasing the season-long Charles Schwab Cup title, a good week here would go a long way.

STEVE ALLAN

Age: 50

The lowdown: New to the world of over-50s golf, the Victorian has shown plenty in his debut year in America on the PGA Tour Champions where Allan has seven top-25 finishes so far in 2024.

The majors haven’t been the happiest hunting ground so far for the 2002 Australian Open this year, however, having played extensively in Europe early in his career and with his Sandbelt golf background, expect Allan to have a good week here.

A hard worker and terrific putter, Allan will find plenty of fairways and his ball flight control in the wind will be a major positive this week.

STUART APPLEBY

Age: 53

The lowdown: It has been a busy 2024 for Appleby on the PGA TOUR Champions where the Cohuna product’s second half of the season has yielded some impressive results.

Finishing in the top-25 seven times this year, including as runner-up at the Insperity Invitational, Appleby has more than enough links and Open Championship experience to go well at Carnoustie, including a reputation as a top-class ball striker.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL

Age: 55

The lowdown: Lightly raced in racing parlance, the Kiwi winner of the 2005 US Open is a lover of links golf and regular contender when playing that style of golf so don’t count him out this week.

A mercurial ball striker, Campbell will be more than comfortable if the wind gets up and is experienced around Carnoustie, where he played two Opens for a best return of T57.

GREG CHALMERS

Age: 50

The lowdown: Chalmers has continued to impress with his knack of pre-qualifying into events, or turning a start into another the following week on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut.

Letting his Twitter followers in on his early experience of a practice round, and plenty of lost balls, already this week, Chalmers’ renowned sense of humour will be a major string in his bow at Carnoustie where sometimes all a player can do is laugh.

Another with experience in the UK, Chalmers has plenty of power to use, as well as his renowned ability with the flatstick.

PETER FOWLER

Age: 65

The lowdown: The seemingly ageless Fowler continues to work harder than his much younger contemporaries and will be loving the opportunity to tee it up in another senior major championship.

Known as having the only short game that could rival the great Seve Ballesteros in their primes, Fowler continues to own a wedge game, and especially bunker play, the envy of his competitors that will be a significant advantage here.

Highly experienced in this part of the world, Fowler’s best chance could come if the Scottish summer turns nasty.

RICHARD GREEN

Age: 53

The lowdown: Currently fifth on the PGA TOUR Champions season-long points list, Green continues to show up big time at the majors in 2024 with four top-20s, including a runner-up and third place.

Spending much of his pre-50 career in Europe, and living on the Bellarine Peninsula, links golf and wind is nothing new for the left-hander who will enter this week as one of the favourites again here.

Adding to Green’s chances is his share of fourth at the regular Open Championship held at Carnoustie back in 2007.

SCOTT HEND

Age: 50

The lowdown: Still mixing it with the “flat bellies” of the main Tours of the world, Hend is one of the bigger Australasian chances here this week.

Remaining long off the tee, Hend will have no trouble in the wind in Scotland, while his ball striking remains of high quality.

Leading the standing on the European Legends Tour, Hend has played one senior major in 2024, with the Queenslander finishing in a tie for fourth at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

MARK HENSBY

Age: 53

The lowdown: As he was in his main Tour career, Hensby continues to be the quiet achiever of the Australians playing regular senior Tour golf, with the 53-year-old recording 10 top-25 finishes on the PGA TOUR Champions so far in 2024.

Tied for 14th at the Kaulig Companies Championship a few weeks back, Hensby will be full of confidence and has the game to do well on the links of Carnoustie.

The Tamworth product is another with previous experience at Carnoustie where he missed the cut in 2007, however Hensby showed plenty of comfort in his two other Open Championship starts.

MICHAEL LONG

Age: 55

The lowdown: Playing on the European Legends Tour, the lanky New Zealander is a sneaky good chance this week at Carnoustie.

Currently inside the top-20 of the rankings on the Legends Tour, Long shared 20th a few weeks back at the Swiss Open and his mix of growing up in New Zealand and much of his adult life in Western Australia suggests windy conditions won’t faze Long.

DAVID MCKENZIE

Age: 56

The lowdown: Full of experience since turning 50, McKenzie is another with a grounding in Melbourne and Victorian golf that should translate well here.

Finishing tied for 25th at this event last year, McKenzie’s form so far this year has been solid in his limited opportunities and if his putter is hot he can certainly be a factor late in the piece.

JASON NORRIS

Age: 51

The lowdown: Earning his place thanks to a win at the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Richmond last year, Norris is perhaps one of the smoky chances here for anyone outside of Australia.

Playing plenty of golf in Europe over his career, Norris is long for the over-50 crowd and plays the game with incredible creativity that will hold him in good stead this week at Carnoustie.

Tied for 15th in Switzerland earlier this month, Norris will relish the chance to show his wares and potentially open up more playing opportunities with a good week.

PETER O’MALLEY

Age: 59

The lowdown: Spending most of his time on the farm these days rather than playing competitive golf, O’Malley is still a tremendous hitter of the golf ball and his exploits in Scotland are legendary.

A winner of the Scottish Open with a final day charge, O’Malley will enjoy his return and despite little lead-in form to go by, windy conditions and the need for precision will suit the New South Welshman, who will hope the putter heats up.

ROD PAMPLING

Age: 54

The lowdown: Two-times a winner on the PGA TOUR Champions, including the SAS Championship in 2023, Pampling’s form so far this year has been up and down, though his ball striking bodes well for this week.

Long considered a top iron player, Pampling has plenty of experience at Carnoustie, including a T27 finish in 2007 and holding the lead of the 1999 Open Championship after the first round before feeling the full “Carnastie” effect on day two.

JOHN SENDEN

Age: 53

The lowdown: There have been signs of the Queenslander’s best in 2024, including with his lone top-10 of the season at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, and if Senden can drop the one round above 73 each event he is a chance this week.

Another of the well regard ball strikers from Australia in this generation, Senden played a handful of Opens in his regular Tour career, with one of his best finishes coming at Carnoustie in 2007.

VIJAY SINGH

Age: 61

The lowdown: Still outworking almost everyone in professional golf, Singh will have taken plenty from his seventh place finish at the US Senior Open late last month at a course that highlights the same skills as Carnoustie.

A senior major champion, Singh owns some of the most significant links experience in the field of the players from outside the UK, and if the putter behaves, the Fijian should be right in this one.

MICHAEL WRIGHT

Age: 50

The lowdown: The last of the Australasians into the field after qualifying at Panmure Golf Club on Monday, Wright is another of the Aussies loving life after 50 on the golf course.

A true journeyman during his career, Wright has recorded three top-25s on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut season this year, with the most recent coming in his last start at the Kaulig Companies Championship where the Queenslander shared seventh.

Possessing plenty of power, Wright’s ball flight control will be a significant asset this week if the wind gets up.

THE COURSE

Famous for its fearsomeness, Carnoustie Golf Links welcomes a senior major for the third time this week having hosted The Open Championship eight times and AIG Women’s Open twice.

Home to three courses, it is the Championship Course that will test the field this week, with the original 10 hole course designed by Allan Robertson with the help of Old Tom Morris, who returned to create the 18 hole layout in 1867.

Arguably the most difficult course on The Open Rota, Carnoustie is known for its relatively tight fairways in comparison with many links, while the famed ‘Barry Burn’ cuts its way through the course, and particularly the 18th hole, where Jean Van de Velde famously came unstuck in 1999.

The winner of the Claret Jug, Paul Lawrie is in the field this week, so too Van de Velde, and 2007 Open Champion Padraig Harrington.