Hannah Green is up for the battle as the chasing pack hunts down all-conquering world No.1 Nelly Korda at golf's mega-money US Open in Pennsylvania.
Two weeks after edging Green on the 72nd hole to capture a crazy sixth win of the year at the Americas Open in New Jersey, Korda is again the player to beat at Lancaster Country Club.
With two victories herself, Green is the only other player boasting multiple LPGA Tour wins thus far in 2024 and feeling at the peak of her powers.
The world No.5 heads up a six-strong Australian contingent at the second women's major of the year, which carries a record $US12 million ($A18 million) purse.
Green is happy enough for Korda to have the limelight while hoping to play more than a supporting role in another weekend duel.
"The form's been good. Obviously the result last event, a close neck and neck with Nelly and also a couple wins this year, I feel like this is the best form I've come into a major," Green said ahead of the first round.
"It's obviously been a really great season, and to have my name kind of behind Nelly I'm still very happy with.
"She's making history. She's making the game look very easy.
"I played with her in Palos Verdes (at the Chevron Championship) and she made it look really easy but not also like she played really well, which is the scarier thing.
"When she's on, she's going to be on and she's going to be beating us by probably a lot.
"So trying to beat Nelly is almost what we are trying to aim for, because if you beat her you're probably going to have the trophy in your hands."
Green credits a delayed start to the year, when she missed the first two events to holiday at home in Perth, for her hot run.
"I just gave myself a little bit of extra time in the off-season to stay away from golf," she said.
"I gave myself four weeks to prepare for Asia, and that really motivated me more to actually practice harder and see the other girls winning tournaments."
Good mate Steph Kyriacou reckons Green's unflappable temperament has also been key to her success this season.
"She's literally the most chilled, calmest person I've met," Kyriacou said.
"She just does her own thing. She's so calm on the course. She just doesn't really care about what people think of her practice style.
"She's happy to take, like, three weeks off and go home, whereas I couldn't do it but, hey, if it works for her."
Chasing a second major after winning the 2019 Women's PGA Championship, Green will play the first two rounds with Canadian Brooke Henderson and Japan's Yuka Saso.
Minjee Lee, the 2022 US Open winner, will play the first two rounds with retiring US star Lexi Thompson and American prodigy Rose Zhang.
Monday call-up Sarah Kemp is the first Australia out at 7.18am local time (9.18pm Thursday).
TEE TIMES FOR THE AUSTRALIANS AT THE WOMEN'S US OPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA (ALL TIMES AEST):
THURSDAY
9.18pm: Sarah Kemp, Hinako Shibuno (JPN), Mariajo Uribe (COL) 10.35pm: Gabriela Ruffels, Andrea Lee (USA), Albane Valenzuela (SUI) 10.57pm: Keeley Marx, Marissa Steen (USA), Sofia Garcia (PAR)
FRIDAY
2.52am: Steph Kyriacou, Narin An (KOR), Yuri Yoshida (JPN) 3.58am: Minjee Lee, Lexi Thompson (USA), Rose Zhang (USA) 4.09am: Hannah Green, Brooke Henderson (CAN), Yuka Saso (JPN)
