Speculation is spreading across the golfing world that recently minted Masters champion Rory McIlroy will be making a competitive return to Australia for the first time in 11 years.
McIlroy was at the peak of his powers back in 2014; he had four majors under his belt and arrived at The Australian for the Australian Open ready to defend the Stonehaven Cup he won the year prior at Royal Sydney.
The noise around the Northern Irishman returning Down Under is getting louder, even if the venue hasn’t officially been confirmed for the 2025 event.
McIlroy has long been a fan of Sandbelt golf. Although his last two visits to this part of the world have been to Sydney, you wouldn’t have to be a betting man to assume that with the alleged talks with McIlroy underway, the Australian Open will be staying on the Sandbelt and potentially at Royal Melbourne’s Composite Course.
“I love the Sandbelt in Australia,” McIlroy told the McKellar Journal podcast in 2020.
“And just for the golf course … I mean the golf course … Kingston Heath is to me … it’s just so good and I love those flashed up bunkers and the bunkers go all the way to the edge of the greens.”
Mark Allen, a Tour Pro for 15 years, including playing a British Open at Carnoustie, on the Talk Birdie To Me podcast with former fellow pro Nick O’Hern, has alerted golf fans of a potential Rory return to Australia on the show's latest episode published on Wednesday.
“As we speak here right now, it’s going to happen,” Allen said.
“But we all know in the sporting world that things can change.”
Earlier this year, governing body Golf Australia held an independent review and later announced that the dual gender Australian Open, in which the men’s and women’s Opens ran concurrently for three years, would no longer be staged in that format. This was after growing criticism from players such as Cam Smith. The tournament's format was one of the perceived reasons the once-great event had struggled to attract bigger names to come down and play.
“I feel like we have to put on a really good tournament, and the players will come," Smith said prior to the 2024 event.
"I think that’s why we’ve seen a lack of high-ranking players the last few years. I know I am not the only one who feels this way, and it has definitely been the talk of the town with the Australian professionals.
“Hopefully we can work as a team and really sort this event out because it would be a shame to see the Australian Open be lost.”
This could mean we see more than one big name heading to this part of the world to contend for the Stonehaven Cup.
Golf Australia officials have confirmed nothing regarding talks with McIlroy returning to Australia, but more and more talk is circulating around the golf world. One thing is sure: it will be fantastic for golf Down Under if it does eventuate.
More to come.
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