Golf-McIlroy headlines as Australian Open goes back to basics at Royal Melbourne

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MELBOURNE, Dec 3 (Reuters) – With five-times major champion Rory McIlroy leading the field and a return to Royal Melbourne for the first time since 1991, there is a genuine sense of excitement about the 108th playing of the Australian Open. 

Golf Australia earlier this year dumped the groundbreaking mixed men’s, women’s and all-abilities format that was introduced in 2022, leaving Australia’s oldest and most prestigious tournament once again the sole centre of attention.

The tournament, which these days is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, counts golfing greats Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player among its former winners. 

Masters champion McIlroy already has his name etched on the Stonehaven Cup after beating Adam Scott in a playoff at Royal Sydney in 2013 and the Northern Irishman said he was excited to be back in Australia. 

“It hasn’t been a secret that I’ve wanted to come back … (and) the change in the format, going back to the traditional Australian Open has probably helped,” he told reporters on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s opening round.  

“It just feels like this country is starved of top level golf. Obviously, you’ve had Presidents Cups come down here and you’ve had a lot of good players still come through, but maybe just not on a consistent basis. 

“And I think a market like this, with amazing fans and the history that it does have, probably deserves more of a consistency of big players and big tournaments.”      

Major winners Cam Smith and Scott are expected to lead the home charge to get the Stonehaven Cup back into Australian hands for the first time since Matt Jones won his second title in 2019. 

Min Woo Lee and Karl Vilips, a PGA Tour winner in his rookie season, are other local contenders, while Britain’s former Masters champion Danny Willett and 2023 Australian Open winner Joaquin Niemann are among the international challengers. 

Former Masters champion Scott won the title in 2009 but said to win it at the world-renowned sandbelt course would be extra special. 

“I think winning the Aussie Open at Royal Melbourne has one of those asterisks next to it, where it’s just that little bit more meaningful,” the 45-year-old said. 

Former British Open champion Smith, who has endured a horror run of form in recent months, was one of the main critics of the mixed tournament, arguing that conditions had been made easier to help the women.  

“There was a lot of back-and-forth throughout the last couple of years, and I think everyone’s pretty happy with the result,” he said.

“Everyone’s talking about the Aussie Open again, which is what we wanted.” 

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Christian Schmollinger)