[Photo: Getty images]
Rory McIlroy has never shied away from speaking his mind, but even by his standards this one was a bold swing.
On the eve of his first appearance at Royal Melbourne Golf Club as a professional for the 2025 Crown Australian Open, the career grand slam winner admitted the revered Sandbelt layout isn’t his pick as Melbourne’s No.1 course.
Come again?
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“I don’t want the club’s membership to take this the wrong way but I don’t think Royal Melbourne is the best course in Melbourne,” McIlroy told a packed media centre after his pro-am appearance on Wednesday.
Gasp.
“That’s my opinion,” he added.
But… and there was a BIG but…
“But it’s certainly top 10 in the world. There’s just so much great golf in this country and especially in this (Melbourne Sandbelt) area.”
Nice save, Rors!
The Northern Irishman, who completed the career grand slam with his emotional triumph at Augusta National in April, has returned to Australia for the first time in 11 years. The Masters champion has spent time sampling several Sandbelt courses this week and has formed a clear opinion on his pick of the bunch.
“Kingston Heath,” he said without hesitation when pressed by a journalist.
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The world No.2 revealed he was taken aback by Royal Melbourne’s quirks during Wednesday’s pro-am.
“I didn’t anticipate how many blind tee shots there were going to be,” he said. “(It’s a course) that takes a little bit of time to figure out and is certainly not straightforward.”
McIlroy then doubled down on his Kingston Heath admiration, nominating a hole there as his all-time favourite short hole.
“Honestly, the one par 3 I’d want to play for the rest of my life is … is it the spare hole at Kingston Heath?” he asked.
The 10th hole, Rory?
“The 10th! That, to me, is my favourite par 3 in the world.”
If nothing else, Rory’s appraisal bodes well for his reception at next year’s Crown Australian Open, which returns to Kingston Heath after being a co-host in 2024.
“We’re extremely proud to welcome the Australian Open back to Kingston Heath in 2026,” says Kingston Heath Golf Club captain Stephen Montfort.
“Next year, one of the games most exciting players, Rory McIlroy, will grace our fairways for the first time as a professional golfer, and perhaps have the opportunity to add his name alongside other champions to win a major event at Kingston Heath.
“To have the opportunity to showcase Kingston Heath on the world stage again is both an honour and a thrill for the club. We’re looking forward to adding another memorable chapter to our story.”
