McIlroy speaks on his return to Melbourne and the 2026 Capital.com Australian Open

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With just 60 days to go until the 2026 Capital.com Australian Open, six-time major champion Rory McIlroy has spoken on his return to Melbourne this December.

Aussie fans lined the Royal Melbourne Golf Club fairways five-deep at last year's event as McIlroy made his long-awaited return to the Melbourne Sandbelt. Fans will get another opportunity to follow McIlroy around one of his favourite courses, Kingston Heath Golf Club, as he returns for this year's championship from December 3-6.

For McIlroy, the Australian Open carries special significance, with the back-to-back Masters champion first competing in the event as a 16-year-old amateur in 2005, before returning to Australia in 2013 to claim the Stonehaven Cup at Royal Sydney Golf Club.

“I'd love to put my name on that trophy again,” McIlroy said.

"The Stonehaven Cup is one of the most meaningful trophies that I have. I was at a bit of a crossroads in my career. I had a really tough 2013 and I've always said I wouldn't have had the 2014 I had with winning two majors and getting to No.1 in the world if I didn't have the week in Australia that I had at the end of 2013."
 
With the national Open returning to Kingston Heath this December, McIlroy along with others in the field including Aussies Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Elvis Smylie and Geoff Oglivy, will play the same course layout as the 2028 Presidents Cup which will be held at the same venue.
 
Holding the course in high regard, McIlroy said he is looking forward to returning to Kingston Heath and facing the challenge it presents.
 
“I think it's such an amazing design,” he said.
 
“Kingston Heath is a pretty flat piece of property. What they've been able to do with that golf course, some of the par 3s and just the strategy of the golf course and some of the green complexes.
 
“It’s maybe a touch short for modern standards, but you have to be so strategic in how you play it and that’s what makes it a wonderful golf course.
 
“I really have an appreciation for golf courses that don't have the best piece of land and they have to come up with unique designs to really make it interesting and I think Kingston Heath, that course and the architect has really been able to do that.”
 
With Golf Australia’s new partnership with the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour commencing in 2027, McIlroy said it’s a great opportunity for the event to attract more of the world's leading players, particularly as the international golf calendar continues to evolve.
 
“I hope that more people make it Down Under and play,” he said.
 
“There's an opportunity there to get some of the biggest names in the world down to play the Australian Open. Obviously, that would be amazing for the tournament.
 
“You look at the winners of the Australian Open over the years and it really is like a who's who of the best players over the past 50 or 60 years. It would be great if the Australian Open could get back to that level one day.”
 
Despite a busy schedule during event week, McIlroy will try to find time to explore some of Melbourne's best-known offerings.

"Everyone knows Melbourne is known for its coffee and its sport. I tried to sample a bit of both of that," McIlroy said of his 2025 visit.
 
“I went and played at Melbourne Park in the indoor courts where the Australian Open (tennis) is held so that was fun and I'd love to go do that again.
 
“Melbourne is such a great town for food and exploring and there's so many outdoor spaces.”
 

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