Rory McIlroy arrived at Royal Melbourne for the 2025 Crown Australian Open and immediately stirred conversation with a surprisingly blunt assessment of the venue. The five-time major champion admitted he might upset the club’s members after saying he does not view Royal Melbourne as the best course in the area.
Speaking during his pre-tournament press conference McIlroy said he hoped his remarks wouldn’t be taken the wrong way before sharing his honest view.
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“I don’t want the membership to take this badly. It’s [Royal Melbourne] probably not the best course in Melbourne,” McIlroy said.
His comment surprised many considering the club’s worldwide reputation. Royal Melbourne is often labelled Australia’s premier golfing site with both the East and West courses featuring inside the Top 100 Courses in the World. The championship layout used this week is a composite that blends holes from the West Course which Alister MacKenzie designed in 1931.
McIlroy later clarified that he still considers Royal Melbourne an elite venue despite placing another course above it.
“That’s my opinion but it’s certainly in the top 10 in the world. There’s so much great golf in this country especially in this area,” he added.
When asked which course he believes is better, Rory McIlroy answered without hesitation “Kingston Heath.” The course sits only a short drive from Royal Melbourne and is a well-known Sandbelt favourite. It opened in 1928, includes design influence from Alister MacKenzie and is ranked twenty fourth in the world. Kingston Heath is also set to host the Presidents Cup in 2028.
Rory McIlroy reflects on his first experience at Royal Melbourne
Rory McIlroy is back at the Australian Open after winning his first DP World Tour Race to Dubai title and Royal Melbourne gave him a tough welcome. Before the event started he spoke about how the layout challenged him during his practice round.
“I did not anticipate how many blind tee shots there was going to be. It takes a little bit to figure out. It is certainly not straightforward,” he said.
He still praised the layout, adding
“But it’s obviously an amazing golf course and can’t wait to get out there and compete on it.”
After opening with a 72 on Thursday McIlroy described his start as a rollercoaster.
“It was a roller coaster day. Every time I got a birdie or two, I got a bogey or two. It was not terrible. I hit it in a couple of bad spots and had a couple of three putts as well,” he said.
In that first round, Rory McIlroy made five birdies and six bogeys to finish at one over. He played better on Friday shooting a three under 68 with four birdies and one bogey. After two rounds, he is two under overall and tied for twenty-eighth.
Edited by Sonali Verma
