Five-time major champion, and career grand slam winner, Rory McIlroy will headline the men’s Australian Open for the next two years, including when it returns to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt in 2025.

McIlroy’s return to Australia comes off the back of his historic win at the 2025 Masters Tournament to complete the career grand slam, with the world No.2 reaffirming his love for the Australian Open by committing to the next two years.

Thanks to the renewed partnership with the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Sandbelt will be the home of the men’s Australian Open until at least 2026, with the next year’s event confirmed to be staged at Kingston Heath Golf Club.

McIlroy’s first attempt to claim a second Stonehaven Cup will be across the world-renowned Composite Course of Royal Melbourne from December 4-7, which comprises holes from both the West and East courses and is rated among the top golf courses in the world.

The last time the 35-year-old appeared at the Australian Open was in 2014 when McIlroy defended the Stonehaven Cup the year after he went head-to-head with Adam Scott in 2013 to eventually be crowned champion. 

"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. "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.”

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said the commitment from the Victorian Government and McIlroy will help elevate the men’s Australian Open to new heights. 

“The Victorian Government truly understands the value that golf brings to the local economy.  We appreciate their ongoing support and we look forward to partnering with them again as we host this year’s men’s Australian Open,” Sutherland said. 

”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.”

As the Australian Open moves away from its previous combined event, the dates and venue of the women’s Australian Open and Australian All Abilities Championship will be confirmed at a later date. 

“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,” Sutherland said. 

A host to multiple Presidents Cups and countless other important events, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club will play host to the men’s Australian Open for the seventeenth time when the tournament returns in late 2025. It will mark the first men’s Australian Open at the venue since 1991.

“We are looking forward to hosting the 2025 men’s Australian Open Championship at our world-class venue,” Captain of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club Tony Rule said. 

“Royal Melbourne has a long history of providing a supreme test of golf to the world’s best players. We eagerly await the opportunity to watch Rory McIlroy take on the challenge of mastering the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne.”

The men’s Australian Open will follow the BMW Australian PGA Championship, with both events again co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and creating a not to be missed two-weeks of world class golf.

Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns and operates the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, said the move to a standalone men’s event on the Melbourne Sandbelt and the confirmation of McIlroy will help elevate the men’s Australian Open to one of the most anticipated events on the global golf calendar in 2025. 

“At a course where so many historic tournaments have been played, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club is the perfect stage to showcase the wonderful home-grown talent and the best international golfers like Rory, who we are so proud to welcome back to Australia for the first time since 2014,” Kirkman said. 

“With two weeks of DP World Tour co-sanctioned events, the best players from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia can also put their game to the ultimate test against the world’s best and etch their name into the history books.” 

A renowned host of some of the biggest events in sport and culture, the state of Victoria will be the focus of the golf world during both the 2025 and 2026 events with McIlroy front and centre.

“These tournaments will be fantastic for our visitor economy, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and cafes and showcasing our state to millions more following on from overseas.” Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.

“Rory is one of the greatest golfers in history and his desire to play in the Australian Open is a major coup, highlighting just how brilliant our Sandbelt courses are and why Melbourne is one of the great golfing cities of the world.”

Now a well-established presence as part of the Australian summer of golf, and the home Tour of McIlroy, the DP World Tour expects a quality field to join The Masters Champion in Melbourne during the early stages of its 2026 season.

“Starting our Race to Dubai in recent years with back-to-back events in Australia has been popular with our members and we are excited to return to the world class Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the first time on the DP World Tour since 2005,” DP World Tour Chief Tournament & Operations Officer Ben Cowen said.

“Our thanks go to the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria for their continued support of this great national open.

“We are equally looking forward to seeing Rory McIlroy tee it up in Australia once again, giving fans in the southern hemisphere the opportunity to see our most recent Major Champion up close. As a six-time Race to Dubai winner and golf’s latest Grand Slam champion, Rory is a prominent ambassador of global golf, and we are sure he will enjoy his experiences on the Melbourne Sandbelt this year and next.”

Tickets for the men’s Australian Open are on sale from 9am (AEST) Wednesday May 14 at www.ticketek.com.au