On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy announced that he’s playing in the Australian Open for the next two seasons.

“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.

“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 is fresh off a career Grand Slam and is arguably the most popular active player in the game. The Australian Open will take place Dec. 4-7 and will mark the first time the 35-year-old has played in the event in 11 years.

McIlroy’s return to Melbourne is a significant coup for the tournament, which has struggled to attract many top-tier players in recent years due to its geographic distance and scheduling challenges.

While speaking with Australian Golf Digest, the head of major events for Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia, Antonia Beggs, shared just how massive McIlroy's commitment was for the Australian Open.

“Rory, especially off the back of his Masters win, has a huge following, and he transcends golf,” Beggs said. “When you announce him coming, not only do you get a wonderful support from your golfing audience, but it speaks to bigger sports fans and event-goers. The tickets were selling to the extent that we had sold out of one of our hospitality products ... so we had to find more. Normally, that would sell out in September [for a December Australian Open].”

McIlroy has always praised the historic courses in Australia, and two of the most prestigious hosting the Australian Open most certainly played a role in the five-time major champion's decision. The 2025 event will be held at Royal Melbourne and the 2026 event will be held at Kingston Heath.

In 2024, McIlroy shared his affinity for Australian golf in an interview with Golf Digest in Dubai.

“The Australian Open, for example, should almost be the fifth major. The market down there is huge with potential. They have been starved of top-level golf. And the courses are so good,” he said.

McIlroy is expected to be joined by some of the best Australian golfers including Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Min Woo Lee.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rory McIlroy’s Upcoming Return to Australia Sparks Historic Ticket Sales.

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