Rory McIlroy Shines at Crown Australian Open

This season is often seen as a break and off-season for many pro golfers on global tours.

Yet, the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on the DP World Tour is capturing attention this week for a notable reason: Rory McIlroy, 36, is participating.

A former Australian Open champion, Rory claimed victory in 2013 under Emirates Airline sponsorship and is among 11 past champions competing this week.

Ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Rory is one of the few players whose mere presence can elevate a tournament. His performances rarely disappoint, attracting large crowds, boosting TV ratings, and offering positive exposure for sponsors and promoters as global attention turns to Australia.

Rory sets his course

Rory now picks his schedule independently—one of the fortunate few. As a global player and key supporter of the DP World Tour, he last played the Australian Open in 2014. Excitingly, he has also committed to next year’s event at Kingston Heath Golf Club.

It’s known that he aims to play less but visit new places. Having recently played the DP World India Championship in New Delhi, his return to Australia shows he still seeks new challenges and to compete with the best worldwide.

This year, Rory has won the AT&T Pro-Am, The Players, The Masters, and the Amgen Irish Open.

Will he cap the year with a win in Australia? He is certainly a strong contender.

Other notable players include past champions Adam Scott (Aus) and Joaquin Niemann (Chile), last week’s Asian Tour winner David Puig (Spain), a strong group of local Australian players, and top DP World Tour professionals, including those who secured their 2026 cards via the HotelPlanner Tour.

Emerging talent turns pro

An intriguing entry is Cameron Adam (Scotland), who qualified through Category 17 via the Global Amateur Pathway ranking. Leading the rankings, developed by the DP World Tour and The R&A for elite amateurs not in college, he earned a full DP World Tour card for the 2026 season as he turns pro.

Adding to the excitement, the Australian Open winner will receive an invitation to the 2026 Masters, alongside coveted spots via The Open Qualifying Series, which includes three places in the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale for the top three players not already exempt, who make the cut.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, stated, “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events, and its global nature is reflected in the outstanding opportunities we offer to golfers to qualify through our exemptions and professional tour events held each year internationally.”

“The Open Qualifying Series generates great excitement as players compete for a coveted Championship spot. We look forward to the stories emerging and the field forming as we approach another memorable Open at Royal Birkdale next July.”

Regional and Final Qualifying events for The Open will occur across Great Britain and Ireland in June, open to professional and amateur golfers worldwide who meet the criteria. A new Last-Chance Qualifier at Royal Birkdale on Monday, 13 July, will see 12 players compete for one remaining place.

Global golf pathways grow

These year-round pathways from global tournaments highlight the growing collaboration in world golf, especially between The R&A and The Masters, reaffirmed during the recent Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at Emirates Golf Club.

It has also motivated LIV golfers to pursue a more global schedule to secure Major qualification opportunities, especially as their OWGR standings are impacted.

While Australia takes much of the spotlight, let’s not overlook the $6 million Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC in Sun City, South Africa, also on the DP World Tour. Last year, Dubai resident Johannes Veerman (US) won it, proving that even non-largest-purse tournaments attract global attention.

Another significant week for world golf!

Schedule (Bullet Points) DP World Tour

Crown Australian Open

Dates: Thu 4 – Sun 7 December 2025

Venue: Royal Melbourne GC, Melbourne, Australia

Purse: AUD $2 million

Nedbank Golf Challenge (in honor of Gary Player)

Dates: Thu 4 – Sun 7 December 2025

Venue: Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

Purse: $6 million

MENA Golf Tour

Rolear Algarve Classic