[Photo: Getty Images]
Rory McIlroy says carving out a standalone week for the Australian Open is the only hurdle remaining to attracting more of the world’s top golfers after a creditable but rusty performance at Royal Melbourne that showed signs of fatigue from a career-defining year.
The Australian Open returned to Royal Melbourne, the nation’s most famous course, and enjoyed arguably its biggest ever stage. Now, it just needs its own stage, says the 29-time PGA Tour winner.
McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion and newest member of the historic career grand slam winners club, received a rock star treatment all week in Melbourne, more than justifying his appearance fee with sell-out crowds.
A final round 69 on Sunday at Royal Melbourne left the 36-year-old tied 14th at seven-under-par and eight shots back of winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at 15-under. Local hope Cam Smith missed a short par putt to force a playoff and finished second at 14-under.
Despite McIlroy opening with a one-over 72 on Thursday that left too much ground to cover and never truly contending, the crowds wanted to see the world No.2. He helped attract an Australian Open record attendance with 112,698 through the gates this the week. It surpassed LIV Golf Adelaide’s 102,000 for 2025.
McIlroy seemed to battle tiredness in Melbourne in his last start of a whirlwind year that included PGA Tour wins at Pebble Beach, the Players Championship and the Masters, which locked up an emotionally-draining career grand slam win for the Northern Irishman. He also claimed the Irish Open in September, helped Europe to a stirring away Ryder Cup at Bethpage in October and a seventh career moneylist on the DP World Tour in November. McIlroy also played a tournament in India in October.
The five-time major champion struggled to get out of third gear all week while learning the intricacies of Royal Melbourne.
“I wish I could have been in contention and been coming down the stretch and battling with the boys, but it’s been an amazing week and can’t thank everyone in Australia up for the hospitality and the reception and can’t wait to come back next year,” McIlroy said.
He conceded it was time to hang the clubs up for 2025. The Belfast native will likely not return to official competition until two events in Dubai in January.
“I’m looking forward to a little break; I’ve played a pretty heavy schedule post the summer with Irish Open, Wentworth [England], Ryder Cup, and then I’ve been globe-trotting a little bit here the last couple of months,” McIlroy said. “I’m excited to have a little bit of downtime and finally reflect on everything, maybe watch a few of the tournaments back. I’ve not really let myself do that too much. Looking forward to the Christmas break and put the feet up, a few glasses of wine and think back about what an unbelievable year.”
Despite a world-class field competing on the world’s No.5-ranked course – including McIlroy, Adam Scott, Smith, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, several LIV golf stars and others – McIlroy was asked how the Australian Open could attract more top players next year and beyond.
He said it was tough with many of the PGA Tour’s elite playing the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge this week in the Bahamas and the DP World Tour holding a concurrent event to its co-sanctioned Australian Open – the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.
“I said at the start of the week this is a golf tournament that’s got so much potential and I think it showed a little bit of that potential this week,” McIlroy, the 2013 Australian Open, said. “I think the scenes and just how this tournament has looked on TV all week, you have that on in Europe or back in the States or whatever and it makes an impact.
“If you compare this tournament to the other two tournaments going on in the world of golf this week, there’s no comparison. Yes, the field in the Bahamas is stronger than the one here, but in terms of atmosphere, of golf course – basically everything else you’re looking for in a tournament – I can’t think of many better than this.”
He has signed on for a two-year deal and will tee up at the 2026 Australian Open at Kingston Heath. McIlroy said if the Australian Open was able to enjoy its own stage for one week, it could attract the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and others.
“I would love to to have a few more players come down and play, but it’s hard with three tournaments going on in the schedule this week,” McIlroy said. “There needs to be conversations had with people much more important than me that set the schedules and hopefully the Australian Open can find a date that that accommodates everyone and everyone can at least have the option to come down.
“I think people (fellow players) seeing the scenes here on TV over the course of the week, it’ll definitely pique their interest a little bit more and I would say that they’ll at least be, sort of mulling it over in their heads whether to make the trip here.”
