Rory McIlroy makes major Australian career announcement
Recently crowned US Masters champion Rory McIlroy is locked in to play in the Australian Open for the next two years.
Just a month after achieving the career grand slam at Augusta National, McIlroy has confirmed he will be at Royal Melbourne Golf Club later this year when the tournament kicks off on December 4.
Kingston Heath will play host to Australia's oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in 2026, which will be the third time in five years it has been staged there.
World No.2 McIlroy last played at the Australian Open in 2014, a year after dramatically edging out hometown hope Adam Scott for the title in 2013.
'I'm proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt, somewhere I've always wanted to play professionally,' McIlroy said of his announcement.
'The success of the Australian Open is important for the global game, and I'm incredibly confident it will thrive again this year, especially with it being staged in one of the world's great sporting cities and on two of the finest golf courses in the world over the next two years: The Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club.
'Melbourne is known for being one of the world's great sporting cities and I can't wait to be part of that atmosphere and soak in everything it has to offer, both on and off the course.'
After three years as a joint men's and women's event, which received mixed reviews, the Australian Open men's tournament will switch back to a standalone format. World No.2 Rory McIlroy has confirmed he's heading Down Under for the next two Australian Opens. Credit: AAP
'We are confident that the revised format, with individual men's, women's and all-abilities events will give each event their own platform to showcase the incredible talent in golf,' Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
Sutherland thanked the Victorian government for its support.
'The Victorian government truly understands the value that golf brings to the local economy,' he said.
'We appreciate their ongoing support and we look forward to partnering with them again as we host this year's men's Australian Open.
'Rory McIlroy, one of the best to ever play our game, playing on the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt, is a mouth-watering proposition for golf fans.
'We are committed to elevating the status of our national championship, and this announcement is a significant step in that direction.'
The Australian Open will take place a week after the Australian PGA Championship.
McIlroy, 35, is a five-time major champion and one of only six men to complete the career grand slam.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Amazon doco 'cathartic' for CA after Sandpapergate
The door remains ajar for another season of the hit series, The Test, that Prime Video believes was "cathartic" for Cricket Australia following Sandpapergate. Launching amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, The Test gave viewers a raw, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Australian men's cricket team's road to redemption. The previous season was released in 2024, focusing on the eventful 2023 Ashes showdown in England. Prime Video have "nothing to announce" about a potential season four, but The Test remains a much-loved program of their stable of original content. The first season was all about Australia attempting to recover from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that rocked cricket. Justin Langer was installed as the new coach, while star batters Steve Smith and David Warner served one-year bans until returning for the 2019 ODI World Cup. "It was almost cathartic, I think, for Cricket Australia, and we were privileged to be able to capture that within the documentary, and offer it to the public," Prime Video Sport's managing director Alex Green told AAP. "It was just one of those fortuitous moments when I think the sport (and CA), as well as we wanted to bring something that was a big change in the way cricket, and perhaps sport, generally, had been watched before." Since launching The Test, Prime Video won the rights to broadcast all ICC events into Australia until 2027. The World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa, starting at Lord's on Wednesday, will be shown exclusively on Prime Video in Australia. When the deal was announced, it was a dramatic change to how viewers had experienced world cups and international tournaments. "We've faced this multiple times," Green said of the public reaction to watching sport on a service that wasn't free-to-air or traditional pay-TV. "For the very first Premier League (EPL) deal, we were then going to be the third broadcaster of Premier League in the UK. "In reality, because the reach of Amazon Prime is so vast, it's on the way to being free-to-air. "We don't see ourselves, and generally, the public don't see us as another sports subscription service, we're something much wider than that." Amazon have also been linked to the NRL, with Australian Rugby League Commission Peter V'landys currently negotiating the next broadcast deal. When the AFL's last TV contract was struck back in 2022, Prime Video were also reported as being interested in the rights. "We don't speculate on specific future rights," Prime Video's Australia and New Zealand head of content Alexandra Gilbert told AAP. "We're building that groundswell around cricket, and then NBA, so that's where we're focused now. "We're always assessing opportunities to add value for Prime members. "Absolutely we'd love to do another version of The Test, whether it's with a different sport, or something that resonates strongly, but what that is is sort of TBD (to-be-determined)." The AFL documentary, Making Their Mark, which followed some players, coaches and administrators during the COVID-affected 2020 season was also a Prime Video original. This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which is broadcasting the World Test Championship final.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Amazon doco 'cathartic' for CA after Sandpapergate
The door remains ajar for another season of the hit series, The Test, that Prime Video believes was "cathartic" for Cricket Australia following Sandpapergate. Launching amid the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, The Test gave viewers a raw, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Australian men's cricket team's road to redemption. The previous season was released in 2024, focusing on the eventful 2023 Ashes showdown in England. Prime Video have "nothing to announce" about a potential season four, but The Test remains a much-loved program of their stable of original content. The first season was all about Australia attempting to recover from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that rocked cricket. Justin Langer was installed as the new coach, while star batters Steve Smith and David Warner served one-year bans until returning for the 2019 ODI World Cup. "It was almost cathartic, I think, for Cricket Australia, and we were privileged to be able to capture that within the documentary, and offer it to the public," Prime Video Sport's managing director Alex Green told AAP. "It was just one of those fortuitous moments when I think the sport (and CA), as well as we wanted to bring something that was a big change in the way cricket, and perhaps sport, generally, had been watched before." Since launching The Test, Prime Video won the rights to broadcast all ICC events into Australia until 2027. The World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa, starting at Lord's on Wednesday, will be shown exclusively on Prime Video in Australia. When the deal was announced, it was a dramatic change to how viewers had experienced world cups and international tournaments. "We've faced this multiple times," Green said of the public reaction to watching sport on a service that wasn't free-to-air or traditional pay-TV. "For the very first Premier League (EPL) deal, we were then going to be the third broadcaster of Premier League in the UK. "In reality, because the reach of Amazon Prime is so vast, it's on the way to being free-to-air. "We don't see ourselves, and generally, the public don't see us as another sports subscription service, we're something much wider than that." Amazon have also been linked to the NRL, with Australian Rugby League Commission Peter V'landys currently negotiating the next broadcast deal. When the AFL's last TV contract was struck back in 2022, Prime Video were also reported as being interested in the rights. "We don't speculate on specific future rights," Prime Video's Australia and New Zealand head of content Alexandra Gilbert told AAP. "We're building that groundswell around cricket, and then NBA, so that's where we're focused now. "We're always assessing opportunities to add value for Prime members. "Absolutely we'd love to do another version of The Test, whether it's with a different sport, or something that resonates strongly, but what that is is sort of TBD (to-be-determined)." The AFL documentary, Making Their Mark, which followed some players, coaches and administrators during the COVID-affected 2020 season was also a Prime Video original. This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which is broadcasting the World Test Championship final.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Average home prices hit $1m with more growth to come
Australia's property market continues to strengthen and gain momentum as the value of the average home soars past the $1 million mark for the first time. The national mean dwelling price reached $1,002,500 in the March quarter, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous three months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday. Figures from the ABS show the total value of the nation's residential dwellings rose by $130.7 billion to a staggering $11.4 trillion. "We're certainly not going to see the massive increases that we saw during COVID, but we do think house prices will continue to increase, particularly as interest rates are predicted to fall further," she told AAP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, noted that regulation and red tape had made building and buying a home in Australia too hard. Mr Albanese said it was too complex and expensive to get a project off the ground, adding that Housing Minister Clare O'Neil had been tasked with reducing those barriers. "It is too hard and one of the areas is regulation," he told the National Press Club. He also backed a failed NSW project to redevelop Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse, describing the controversial proposal as "absolutely right". The proposal aimed to transform the 140-year-old track into a "mini-city" encompassing about 25,000 homes, but it was ultimately voted down by the racecourse owner's members. "That's the sort of thing that we're going to need to do. You can't deal with supply issues without having the courage to do things like that," Mr Albanese said. "(We) want to make sure that housing is fit for purpose and all of that but if we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs." According to the ABS, the increase in residential dwellings was fuelled by housing markets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. While NSW remains Australia's most expensive property market with a median price of $1.25 million, Queensland is not far behind at $944,700. Though prices are rising, further interest rate cuts could slow the pace of increases compared to the same period last year. Data reveals the average price in the ACT went backwards, falling to $941,300, as the Northern Territory maintains the lowest mean price at $517,700. Eliza Owen, head of research at property analyst group Cotality, told AAP it was not a surprise the nation's property market continued to be pushed to record values. "(It comes) off the back of long-term constraint on housing supply, compounded by more recent factors like interest rate reductions, which increase access to finance," she said. Ms Owen noted the interest rate reduction earlier this year helped reinvigorate demand across the housing market on a fairly broad basis. While the average dwelling price has reached seven figures for the first time, Ms Owen said factors such as rate reductions had given markets like Sydney a "sugar hit", rather than triggering a large upswing like the robust growth seen in 2021. Australia's property market continues to strengthen and gain momentum as the value of the average home soars past the $1 million mark for the first time. The national mean dwelling price reached $1,002,500 in the March quarter, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous three months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday. Figures from the ABS show the total value of the nation's residential dwellings rose by $130.7 billion to a staggering $11.4 trillion. "We're certainly not going to see the massive increases that we saw during COVID, but we do think house prices will continue to increase, particularly as interest rates are predicted to fall further," she told AAP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, noted that regulation and red tape had made building and buying a home in Australia too hard. Mr Albanese said it was too complex and expensive to get a project off the ground, adding that Housing Minister Clare O'Neil had been tasked with reducing those barriers. "It is too hard and one of the areas is regulation," he told the National Press Club. He also backed a failed NSW project to redevelop Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse, describing the controversial proposal as "absolutely right". The proposal aimed to transform the 140-year-old track into a "mini-city" encompassing about 25,000 homes, but it was ultimately voted down by the racecourse owner's members. "That's the sort of thing that we're going to need to do. You can't deal with supply issues without having the courage to do things like that," Mr Albanese said. "(We) want to make sure that housing is fit for purpose and all of that but if we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs." According to the ABS, the increase in residential dwellings was fuelled by housing markets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. While NSW remains Australia's most expensive property market with a median price of $1.25 million, Queensland is not far behind at $944,700. Though prices are rising, further interest rate cuts could slow the pace of increases compared to the same period last year. Data reveals the average price in the ACT went backwards, falling to $941,300, as the Northern Territory maintains the lowest mean price at $517,700. Eliza Owen, head of research at property analyst group Cotality, told AAP it was not a surprise the nation's property market continued to be pushed to record values. "(It comes) off the back of long-term constraint on housing supply, compounded by more recent factors like interest rate reductions, which increase access to finance," she said. Ms Owen noted the interest rate reduction earlier this year helped reinvigorate demand across the housing market on a fairly broad basis. While the average dwelling price has reached seven figures for the first time, Ms Owen said factors such as rate reductions had given markets like Sydney a "sugar hit", rather than triggering a large upswing like the robust growth seen in 2021. Australia's property market continues to strengthen and gain momentum as the value of the average home soars past the $1 million mark for the first time. The national mean dwelling price reached $1,002,500 in the March quarter, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous three months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday. Figures from the ABS show the total value of the nation's residential dwellings rose by $130.7 billion to a staggering $11.4 trillion. "We're certainly not going to see the massive increases that we saw during COVID, but we do think house prices will continue to increase, particularly as interest rates are predicted to fall further," she told AAP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, noted that regulation and red tape had made building and buying a home in Australia too hard. Mr Albanese said it was too complex and expensive to get a project off the ground, adding that Housing Minister Clare O'Neil had been tasked with reducing those barriers. "It is too hard and one of the areas is regulation," he told the National Press Club. He also backed a failed NSW project to redevelop Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse, describing the controversial proposal as "absolutely right". The proposal aimed to transform the 140-year-old track into a "mini-city" encompassing about 25,000 homes, but it was ultimately voted down by the racecourse owner's members. "That's the sort of thing that we're going to need to do. You can't deal with supply issues without having the courage to do things like that," Mr Albanese said. "(We) want to make sure that housing is fit for purpose and all of that but if we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs." According to the ABS, the increase in residential dwellings was fuelled by housing markets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. While NSW remains Australia's most expensive property market with a median price of $1.25 million, Queensland is not far behind at $944,700. Though prices are rising, further interest rate cuts could slow the pace of increases compared to the same period last year. Data reveals the average price in the ACT went backwards, falling to $941,300, as the Northern Territory maintains the lowest mean price at $517,700. Eliza Owen, head of research at property analyst group Cotality, told AAP it was not a surprise the nation's property market continued to be pushed to record values. "(It comes) off the back of long-term constraint on housing supply, compounded by more recent factors like interest rate reductions, which increase access to finance," she said. Ms Owen noted the interest rate reduction earlier this year helped reinvigorate demand across the housing market on a fairly broad basis. While the average dwelling price has reached seven figures for the first time, Ms Owen said factors such as rate reductions had given markets like Sydney a "sugar hit", rather than triggering a large upswing like the robust growth seen in 2021. Australia's property market continues to strengthen and gain momentum as the value of the average home soars past the $1 million mark for the first time. The national mean dwelling price reached $1,002,500 in the March quarter, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous three months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday. Figures from the ABS show the total value of the nation's residential dwellings rose by $130.7 billion to a staggering $11.4 trillion. "We're certainly not going to see the massive increases that we saw during COVID, but we do think house prices will continue to increase, particularly as interest rates are predicted to fall further," she told AAP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, noted that regulation and red tape had made building and buying a home in Australia too hard. Mr Albanese said it was too complex and expensive to get a project off the ground, adding that Housing Minister Clare O'Neil had been tasked with reducing those barriers. "It is too hard and one of the areas is regulation," he told the National Press Club. He also backed a failed NSW project to redevelop Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse, describing the controversial proposal as "absolutely right". The proposal aimed to transform the 140-year-old track into a "mini-city" encompassing about 25,000 homes, but it was ultimately voted down by the racecourse owner's members. "That's the sort of thing that we're going to need to do. You can't deal with supply issues without having the courage to do things like that," Mr Albanese said. "(We) want to make sure that housing is fit for purpose and all of that but if we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs." According to the ABS, the increase in residential dwellings was fuelled by housing markets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. While NSW remains Australia's most expensive property market with a median price of $1.25 million, Queensland is not far behind at $944,700. Though prices are rising, further interest rate cuts could slow the pace of increases compared to the same period last year. Data reveals the average price in the ACT went backwards, falling to $941,300, as the Northern Territory maintains the lowest mean price at $517,700. Eliza Owen, head of research at property analyst group Cotality, told AAP it was not a surprise the nation's property market continued to be pushed to record values. "(It comes) off the back of long-term constraint on housing supply, compounded by more recent factors like interest rate reductions, which increase access to finance," she said. Ms Owen noted the interest rate reduction earlier this year helped reinvigorate demand across the housing market on a fairly broad basis. While the average dwelling price has reached seven figures for the first time, Ms Owen said factors such as rate reductions had given markets like Sydney a "sugar hit", rather than triggering a large upswing like the robust growth seen in 2021.
