Rory McIlroy lavishes praise on Australian Open, hopes more players begin playing this tournament

Rory McIlroy has showered the Australian Open with compliments and also talked about a bright future that this tournament can witness. The five-time major champion finished playing in the DP World Tour event at Melbourne Golf Club on Sunday.

After four rounds, McIlroy tied for 14th place with a total score of 7-under par, eight strokes behind winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. In the final round, the former World No. 1 scored 2-under par 69, carding five birdies and three bogeys.

While talking to the reporters, Rory McIlroy shared his excitement for playing in this tournament and stated that he wanted more players to compete in it. The 2013 Australian Open winner said in his statement:

"I’ve been excited to come back down here for a ‌while, it’s been over 10 years since I played in the Australian Open. This is a golf tournament that has got so much potential and I think ‌it showed ‍a little bit of that this week. There’s still a ways to go. I would love to have a few more players come down and play."

Rory McIlroy also stated that the scope for more players to play in the Australian Open was limited due to the ongoing schedule. The golfer from Holywood further explained that there should be 'conversations' with the authorities involved with scheduling.

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Rory McIlroy shared his honest take on the 2025 Australian Open venue

Rory McIlroy at the Crown Australian Open 2025 - Day Four - Source: Getty

Rory McIlroy shared a hot take on the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosted this year's Crown Australian Open. The 20-time DP World Tour winner stated that it was probably not the best golf course, but it certainly ranked in the top 10 in the world.

McIlroy further explained the difficulties he had faced and said in his statement, via Golf.com:

"I don’t want the membership to take this badly. It’s [Royal Melbourne] probably not the best course in Melbourne. That’s my opinion, but it’s certainly in the top 10 in the world.

"I didn’t anticipate how many blind tee shots there was going to be... sort of takes a little bit to figure out. It’s certainly not straightforward."

McIlroy was vocal about the conditions at Royal Melbourne GC after the first round of the Australian Open. The golfer encountered an embarrassing situation where he missed the ball while trying to clear it away from the bushes and ultimately carded a bogey on the fourteenth.

McIlroy labeled his opening day as a 'rollercoaster' and further explained to the reporters how the "heavy crosswinds" created tricky conditions.