A wretchedly unlucky runner-up in 2015, Australian golf star Marc Leishman has returned to St Andrews with unfinished business to tend to at the British Open.
Buoyed by his barnstorming US Open finish, Marc Leishman has returned to St Andrews with unfinished business to tend to as he looks to bury the demons of the most bittersweet day of his golfing career.
If not for some rotten luck after shooting an incredible 14 under par for the weekend, Leishman may well have won the 2015 British Open at the home of golf.
Instead, he lost out to Zach Johnson in a three-man play-off that, seven years on, still gnaws away at the affable Australian.
Carrying all the momentum from rounds of 64-66 after almost missing the halfway cut, Leishman never recovered after ruefully landing in a fairway divot off his drive on the first play-off hole and taking bogey.
"I was obviously pretty close but it just makes me hungrier for this year," Leishman told AAP ahead of Thursday's first round of the 150th Open at the Old Course.
"I do think about it occasionally - what might have been - but you can only waste so much energy if you think about that.
"So, yeah, it was disappointing but hopefully I've got that bad luck out of the way and, if I do give myself a chance this year, nothing like that happens.
"It was obviously pretty frustrating but you need some luck to win one of these."
The owner-creator of Leishman Lager knows drinking beer from the Claret Jug will only taste sweeter if he can atone seven years on and says a top-15 finish at last month's US Open at Brookline Country Club was just the tonic after another luckless, frustrating PGA Tour season.
"I had a good week at the US Open and this is more my type of golf course than the US Open," Leishman said.
"Any time you have a good finish in a big event like that, it's good, and certainly to do it right before this event, which I've been looking forward to since probably 2015.
"Hopefully I can play good and make some putts and give myself a chance again.
"I've been a bit unlucky with draws and weather and just not quite doing what I need to do.
"But I feel like I've turned a corner and I'm ready to have a good one this week."
Leishman is among 11 Australians teeing up in golf's oldest major championship.
The 38-year-old will play the first two rounds with fellow Australian and former Open runner-up Adam Scott, who also hit the lead on the back nine at St Andrews in 2015, and LIV Golf-bound ex-world No.1 Dustin Johnson.
World No.6 Cameron Smith, who had his golf-loving Brisbane buddy and retired tennis champion Ash Barty following his practice round on Tuesday, is in another marquee grouping alongside Brooks Koepka and Irishman Seamus Power.
Min Woo Lee will be out in the first group on Thursday morning with Scotland's 1999 Open winner Paul Lawrey and American Webb Simpson.
Lucas Herbert, Jason Scrivener, Dimi Papadatos, Brad Kennedy and Open rookies Anthony Quayle and Jed Morgan complete the Australian contingent at the year's 150th anniversary Open.
"It's a really special one this year," Leishman said.
"And I know it's a tournament that all Australians love. I know when I was little I remember staying up late at night watching Ian Baker-Finch (1991) and Greg Norman (1993) win.
"So hopefully that can be me. But, if not, hopefully one of the other Aussie boys."
