Ten Aussies will endeavour to end more than two decades of missed opportunities in senior major championships at the first over-50s major of 2025 this week in Alabama.

The influx of Australian talent onto the PGA TOUR Champions has been on an upward trajectory for the past three years yet tournament wins – including in the five biggest events each year – have proved elusive.

While Kiwi Steven Alker has amassed nine Champions Tour wins – including the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – only Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling and Steve Allan have won on the senior circuit in the US the past two years.

The drought in senior majors stretches back to 2002 when Stewart Ginn won the Senior Players Championship, one of only four Aussies along with Ian Stanley, Graham Marsh and Peter Thomson to claim one of the showpiece events on the senior circuit.

That drought could end this week at the Regions Tradition with a contingent of Aussies who have come close in recent years.

Victorian Richard Green was twice a runner-up in senior majors last year, Greg Chalmers had a share of the lead going into last year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship while Hensby, Pampling and Stuart Appleby all boast top-three finishes since 2022.

It is a rare double week of major championship action with seven Australians and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox to contest the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.

While our three most recent major champions in Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Adam Scott are present again, it also marks the emergence of the next wave of Aussie superstars.

A breakthrough PGA TOUR win at last month’s Houston Open was the next step in Min Woo Lee’s progression and both Karl Vilips and Elvis Smylie will play the PGA Championship for the first time.

Vilips only graduated from Stanford University 12 months ago but has already earned his first PGA TOUR win while Smylie received a special exemption as Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner.

It is the second major championship for both and an opportunity for Smylie to take what he learned at last year’s Open Championship and apply it in a major setting.

“I feel like I’ll do a really good job at just not burning myself out too much,” said Smylie, who played a practice round with Day and Lee on Tuesday.

“My tendency last year at The Open was wanting to play a lot, just because it’s a major, it’s just really exciting.

“I’m doing my best at being able to prepare like any other tournament, so that’s where the experience of having Ritchie (Smith, Smylie’s coach) around will be really beneficial.”

Round 1 tee times AEST

US PGA Championship Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina 9:05pm* Ryan Fox (NZ) 9:49pm* Jason Day 10:11pm* Min Woo Lee 10:17pm Karl Vilips 2:36am* Cam Davis 3:03am Adam Scott 4:09am Cameron Smith 4:26am* Elvis Smylie

Past champion: Xander Schauffele Past Aussie winners: Jim Ferrier (1947), David Graham (1979), Wayne Grady (1990), Steve Elkington (1995), Jason Day (2015) TV times: Live 3am-9am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR Champions Regions Tradition Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama 1:15am David Bransdon 1:48am Stuart Appleby 1:59am Cameron Percy 2:10am Mark Hensby 2:10am* Steven Alker (NZ) 2:21am John Senden 2:54am Richard Green 3:16am Steve Allan 3:27am Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling 3:27am* Michael Wright

Past champion: Doug Barron Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1999) Prize money: $US2.6m TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-7am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

Ladies European Tour Dutch Ladies Open Goyer Golf and Country Club, Eemnes, Netherlands Australasians in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Kelsey Bennett, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Wenyung Keh (NZ), Maddison Hinson-Tolchard

Past champion: Jana Melichova Past Aussie winners: Corinne Dibnah (1993), Stephanie Kyriacou (2021) Prize money: €330,000

Korn Ferry Tour AdventHealth Championship Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri 11:46pm Harry Hillier (NZ) 3:43am* Rhein Gibson

Past champion: Harry Higgs Past Aussie winners: Michael Sim (2009), James Nitties (2011) Prize money: $US1m

Korea PGA Tour SK Telecom Open Pinks GC, Korea 8:12am* Changgi Lee (NZ) 8:23am Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 8:45am* Junseok Lee 1:02pm Wonjoon Lee

Past champion: KJ Choi Past Aussie winners: Kurt Barnes (2011), Matthew Griffin (2013) Prize money: KRW1.3b

Epson Tour Copper Rock Championship Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah 5:59am* Su Oh

Past champion: Fiona Xu Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US250,000

Legends Tour OFX Irish Legends Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny, Ireland Australasians in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Scott Hend, Michael Long (NZ)

Past champion: Adilson da Silva Past Aussie winners: Nil

Sunshine Tour Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am Irene Country Club, Centurion, South Africa Aussies in the field: Austin Bautista

Past champion: Kieran Vincent Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: R2m