Rory McIlroy did not mount a serious challenge at the Australian Open, but he certainly seemed to enjoy his time at Royal Melbourne and had no regrets about making the trip.
It was not a smooth week for McIlroy. His hopes of winning were dashed early after he opened with six bogeys in his first round, leaving him well off the pace from the start.
But McIlroy did recover enough to finish inside the top 20, and he seemed pleased with how things turned out overall. At 36, it is clear that experiences like this still hold value for him beyond just results.
And the Northern Irishman was not alone in that sentiment.
Matt McCarty shares thoughts on Royal Melbourne with Rory McIlroy
McIlroy’s final round pairing included Stefano Mazzoli and Matt McCarty, with the latter making the most of his day by shooting a 67 to finish inside the top 10.
After the round, McIlroy spoke to FOX Sports about what McCarty said regarding Royal Melbourne compared to typical PGA Tour courses.
“So yeah, just absolutely, it’s been incredible and even Matt McCarty and I were talking about it out there and I said, ‘oh, what brought you down here?’ He said, the golf course, said ‘I really wanted to play a tournament at Royal Melbourne.’
“And he said, I mean, you compare this to a majority of PGA Tour events, this is so much better.
“So I think everyone really appreciated the atmosphere that they played in this week, and hopefully it’ll be the same next year at Kingston Heath and hopefully the tournament sort of grows from here and sort of gets back to the stature that it deserves,” the Northern Irishman said.
Rory McIlroy’s appearance at the 2026 Australian Open could spark a surge in interest from PGA Tour players
Regardless of where you stand on LIV Golf, it is clear they have made smart decisions in holding events across the globe.
The PGA Tour could take note by looking at the energy around the Australian Open compared to some of their own tournaments.
It may not have matched the Hero World Challenge in terms of field strength, but Royal Melbourne provided a fitting stage for an event that carried the atmosphere of something much bigger than its billing.
If the PGA Tour continues moving towards a smaller calendar, building relationships with established international tournaments makes sense. It is a model already in place with events like the Scottish Open and expanding those connections could benefit everyone involved.
The feeling now is that more PGA Tour players are highly likely to follow the lead of McIlroy and McCarty next year.