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Last year, Rory McIlroy recommended a fifth major championship in professional golf. His idea has now received support from the former CEO of LIV Golf, Greg Norman's son, Norman Jr.
In 2024, McIlroy was interviewed by Golf Digest in Dubai, where he vouched for the Australian Open to be added as the fifth golf major. The Northern Irishman said in his statement:
"The Australian Open, for example, should almost be the fifth Major. The market down there is huge with potential. They love golf. They love sport. They have been starved of top-level golf. And the courses are so good..."
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On December 7, Greg Norman's son supported Rory McIlroy's statement regarding the Australian Open. The Great White Shark's son referred to tennis, where the Australian Open is a major, and stated on X:
"Tennis has the Australian Open as a Major... Golf should have the Australian Open as a Major! Global golf, Royal Melbourne (can rotate to different locations, so many elite courses downunder) and the Aussie fans (APAC is the fastest growing golf market in the world) deserve this"
Take a look at Greg Norman Jr.'s post on X:
Although his father is the Great White Shark, Greg Norman's son did not follow in his footsteps to become a professional golfer. He did play golf while growing up, but later got into kiteboarding and wakeboarding. However, Norman Jr. has kept his love for golf alive by suggesting LIV Golf have a weekly qualifier for a People's Team or participation in the Pricey Stroke Play tournament.
When Jack Nicklaus referred to the Australian Open as a fifth Major
Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus was once asked by reporters about the most important international tournament he had won apart from the British Open. The Golden Bear replied to this while voicing his support for the Australian Open being the fifth major championship.
Nicklaus said in the 2016 interview from Augusta National:
"Probably the Australian Open. I think the Australian Open, we always thought was sort of the fifth major back in the time when we were playing. Gary won it seven times, and I won it six times. So we went to Australia a lot. I don’t know how many..."
While Jack Nicklaus referred to the Australian Open as the fifth Major, it's also worth noting that he remains one of the most dominant players the tournament has seen. In total, Nicklaus has won six Australian Opens in 1964, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1976, and 1978.
