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Rory McIlroy will make his first Australian Open appearance in over a decade later this year at Royal Melbourne from December 4-7, it has been confirmed.
The Masters champion will tee it up Down Under for the first time since 2014, while he has also committed to the 2026 playing of the tournament that dates back to 1904.
This year’s Australian Open will be hosted at the world famous Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the 17th occasion and first time since 1991, while the 2026 staging will see the championship return to Kingston Heath, which hosted for the ninth last year.
“I’m proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt, somewhere I’ve always wanted to play professionally,” McIlroy, the 2013 Australian Open winner, said.
“The success of the Australian Open is important for the global game, and I’m incredibly confident it will thrive again this year, especially with it being staged in one of the world’s great sporting cities and on two of the finest golf courses in the world over the next two years: The Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club.
McIlroy beat Adam Scott by a single stroke at Royal Sydney to win the 2013 Australian Open
“Melbourne is known for being one of the world’s great sporting cities and I can’t wait to be part of that atmosphere and soak in everything it has to offer, both on and off the course.”
The Australian Open has struggled to attract the world’s top stars over the last decade-plus but McIlroy’s inclusion could well be the catalyst for more big names to follow in what could see the event return the event to its former glory.
From 2022 to 2024, both the men’s and women’s events were played concurrently, although that has been scrapped for 2025 following criticism from players.
The Australian Open has been won by a number of the game’s biggest stars through the years, with Gary Player winning seven Stonehaven Cups, Jack Nicklaus winning on six occasions, Greg Norman winning five times and Peter Thomson three times.
In more recent years, the likes of Lee Westwood, Adam Scott, McIlroy, Jordan Spieth (twice) and Joaquin Niemann have all got their names on the trophy.
