Portrush, Northern Ireland: The boss of golf’s European Tour has likened Rory McIlroy’s upcoming visit to play the Australian Open to when Tiger Woods flew Down Under to play in Australia’s marquee events more than a decade ago.
Woods won the Australian Masters in 2009 at Kingston Heath – where his scorecard remains mounted on the clubhouse wall – then returned a year later but was unable to hunt down Stuart Appleby at Victoria Golf Club.
Rory-mania was on full show when McIlroy played his final round of the British Open at Royal Portrush on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
McIlroy, now 36, has not played at the Open since 2014 when he was unable to defend the title he’d won in 2013 by outlasting Adam Scott. Eleven years on, he returns as a five-time major winner, and is being paid upwards of $3 million by the Victorian government, according to two industry sources who wouldn’t comment publicly because of the confidential nature of the contract.
McIlroy finished the British Open at Portrush on Sunday tied for seventh, incredibly his 33rd top-10 finish at a major.
European Tour and Ryder Cup CEO Guy Kinnings – a long-time player manager – will be present when McIlroy tees off at Royal Melbourne’s globally renowned composite course in the first week of December.
“I remember being there when Tiger came down … and Rory; we’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ve lived through an era when we had the biggest athlete on the planet in Tiger, and he transformed the game completely for everyone. I always go, ‘everyone should go and shake him by the hand’. He changed the game completely.
“What Rory has done … and can do, for international golf is massive … he has that same sort of appeal. People get very excited about Rory also. The great thing about Rory is he’s his own man, and he’s shown that he’s going where he wants to go.”
Australian superstars Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie are all expected to play the Open alongside McIlroy, with announcements expected in the near future.