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The PGA Championship is this week at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. That means everybody is talking about Rory McIlroy for multiple reasons. He has won at Quail Hollow four times, won The Masters in the most recent major, and still has more magnetic appeal than any golfer. But he made some big news this week, too. Rory McIlroy is playing in the next two Australian Opens, including the 2025 event at Royal Melbourne.
“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 said in a statement released by Golf Australia.
“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,” he continued.
McIlroy has not played in the Australian Open since 2014. He won the event in 2013, beating Adam Scott by one stroke at Royal Sydney Golf Club. But in 2013, the PGA Tour started the wrap-around season, which placed events in the winter in the US. That significantly hampered the Australian Open's field strength.
But now, the PGA Tour wraparound season is a thing of the past. That allows McIlroy to play DP World Tour events during the winter, which don't count toward the FedEx Cup. Add in Golf Australia's commitment to playing courses in the country's historic sand belt, and the field will improve.
Royal Melbourne is routinely considered one of the best courses in the world. Designed by Augusta National architect Alistair MacKenzie, it has hosted the President's Cup and 16 Australian Opens, but none since 1991.
