McIlroy Ranks Royal Melbourne Below Kingston Heath Ahead of Australian Open
Rory McIlroy has raised eyebrows by suggesting Royal Melbourne isn’t the best golf course in its own city, just days before teeing off at the Crown Australian Open.
“I don’t want the membership to take this badly but it’s probably not the best course in Melbourne,” said McIlroy, who won the Masters this year to become just the sixth man to achieve the career Grand Slam.
The Northern Irishman played five holes at five different Melbourne courses on Monday and came away rating Kingston Heath above the tournament’s host venue. It’s a bold assessment considering Royal Melbourne’s prestigious history as a three-time Presidents Cup host.
McIlroy did soften his critique by ranking Royal Melbourne among his top 10 courses globally, suggesting Wednesday’s conditions might have influenced his impression.
“I didn’t anticipate how many blind tee shots there was going to be, and it takes a little bit to figure out. It’s certainly not straightforward,” he explained. “It probably plays better in the southerly wind rather than a northerly wind… it’s probably not a fair reflection on the golf course playing it in this wind.”
Interestingly, Kingston Heath will host next year’s Australian Open, which McIlroy has already committed to play. The course is also set to host the 2028 Presidents Cup.
McIlroy tees off Thursday alongside Adam Scott, whom he beat for the Australian Open title in 2013, and another Australian fan favorite, Min Woo Lee.
Beyond course rankings, McIlroy also expressed approval for the Australian Open’s return to a stand-alone format after three years of being held concurrently with the Women’s Australian Open.
“This tournament in particular because of the history, because of the tradition, deserves to be a stand-alone tournament, a week on its own,” he said.
