LIV Golf star Lucas Herbert has become the latest big name to commit to the upcoming Australian Open, and hinted at more of his colleagues joining him at Royal Melbourne this December.
Herbert, who finished in a tie for fifth at Kingston Heath last year, joins Masters champion Rory McIlroy, his Ripper GC teammates Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, former world No.1 Adam Scott, Presidents Cup players Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis, as well as PGA Tour player Ryan Fox of New Zealand as confirmed starters for the national open that he said “could be one for the ages”.
Smith, Lee and Fox were all yet to commit to doing the Australian double, initially confirming their place at the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland only, but the trio have now announced they will all head to Melbourne the following week too.
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In addition, Herbert believes the Australian Open field will become even more star-studded in the coming months, revealing he has spoken to multiple other LIV players about potentially making a second trip down under for the year.
“I can’t throw any names out, I’m not a breaking news journalist,” Herbert told Australian reporters with a laugh.
“But from what I can read between the lines, it was a matter of how we do get these guys into the tournaments? Rather than how do we get them to come down?
“So, there were a lot of very promising conversations that I was hearing.
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Lucas Herbert of Ripper GC hits out of a bunker on the 12th during day one of LIV Golf Adelaide at The Grange Golf Club on February 14, 2025 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I didn’t do a lot of selling of the tournament,” he continued.
“Guys know the quality of the golf course, the quality of the event, the names on the trophy.
“Obviously a Masters and an Open invitation now for the winner, so these guys are chomping at the bit to get down there.
“I hope that the guys that I spoke to are able to get into these events and come down and see how good Sandbelt golf is for themselves.”
A ticket to Augusta and Royal Birkdale next year is a huge carrot to dangle in front of LIV golfers who do not have exemptions into the majors.
The Open at least offers anyone the chance to play qualifying tournament, but The Masters is a relatively closed shop with Augusta National only handing out invites.
The chance to gain entry, as well as Royal Melbourne hosting for the first time since 1991, has Herbert convinced the field for this year’s event will be up there with when Australia hosted the Presidents Cup in recent times.
“I think it could be one for the ages,” Herbert said.
“We’ve always done well with Aussie Opens when we’ve had Presidents Cups in Australia, 2011 and 2019.
“They’ve always kind of handballed us a very good field, but I think outside of that, this might be one of the better fields I’ve seen for an Australian Open in the past, sort of, 20 years.
“If I take myself out of it, and put my golf fan hat on for a moment, it’s pretty cool to see these guys come down and play, and someone like Rory taking the game more globally than what he has done maybe previously.
“He has played out in Australia before, I’m not going to write that off, but in the last couple of years, and looking at his schedule next year, and the following year, he definitely wants to play more globally, which is great.
“I think we’ve seen the success of LIV Adelaide in Australia and the impact that’s had on golf in Australia, so our national open can sort of be apart of that now, and we’re having some of these world class players come down and play.”
Lucas Herbert of Australia tees off during the third round of the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Open Golf tournament at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne on November 30, 2024. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) / –IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE–Source: AFP
Herbert also said that he believes the move to make the tournament stand-alone again was necessary to attract top talent.
For three years following the Covid-19 pandemic interruption, the men’s and women’s Australian Opens were held on the same course at the same time.
It was heavily criticised by the players, particularly by Cameron Smith at Kingston Heath last year, with concerns about course set up, tee times and the timing of the event among the many issues raised by players.
“It was tricky. I can really empathise with what they were trying to do,” Herbert said.
“I can see the view that they probably had, but it’s just so hard to get it right.”
He added: “It’s really tough to find golf courses that work for both the men and the women because inevitably you’re going to get people comparing the scores in the men’s event versus the women’s event.
“For me, personally, they’re just two different styles of golf.
“I think women’s golf shouldn’t be put against men’s golf – definitely not on the same golf course in the same week.
“I just don’t think the test is fair to test them in the same ways because women have different strengths and different weaknesses from us.”
This handout photo taken and released by the Asian Tour on May 11, 2025 shows Lucas Herbert of Australia celebrating his victory during round four of the 2025 International Series Japan at Caledonian Golf Club in Chiba. (Photo by Graham Uden / Asian Tour / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / ASIAN TOUR / GRAHAM UDEN ” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS – NO ARCHIVESSource: AFP
For Herbert, he is fully focused on winning a maiden national title to earn his place at Augusta and Birkdale, and put his name alongside many of the sport’s greatest names on the Stonehaven Cup.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a strong year, winning the Asian Tour’s International Series Japan event in May, as well as boasting three top five finishes in the first six LIV tournaments of the season.
He also came through qualifying to play The Open at Royal Portrush, although he missed the cut.
It was part of a stretch where his game dropped away, coming no better than tied 25th in a single event in the back half of the LIV season.
Herbert is now hoping that a solid break coupled with two tournaments before the Australian Open will give him a strong lead in.
He will play the Australian PGA in Brisbane the week prior, but in November, he will also head to the Hunter Valley to defend his NSW Open crown.
For Herbert’s sake, it will hopefully serve as ideal preparation before tackling a course he is well versed in.
Born and raised in Bendigo, Herbert would often make the trek down to the city for junior, amateur and club competitions at Royal Melbourne.
Caption: 2024 NSW Open champion Lucas Herbert during the final round at Murray Downs. Photo: Golf NSWSource: Supplied
He even lied about his age to volunteer at the 2011 Presidents Cup, telling organisers he was 16 when he was still 15 in order to carry a scoreboard around the hallowed turf.
In was then that he asked his now LIV colleague Phil Mickelson for an autograph, only to be shut down by the six-time major winner.
Herbert raised the story with him when they played together at the 2022 Open at St Andrews with Mickelson giving him a signed glove as an apology, and says the evidence can be found on a YouTube video, replaying the entire coverage of the Sunday singles.
This time out he wants to make happier memories at Royal Melbourne, and in turn, go back to Augusta for the second time in his career after missing the cut on debut in 2022.
“It’s huge,” Herbert said of the exemptions on offer.
“For us, it’s a pretty clear pathway now.
“If you went back three months, I’d probably mentally written off many chances to play a Masters again.
“Just because it was tough to know how it was ever going to play out with exemptions, and how the green jackets would look at us, and over time how things have changed.
“Obviously now there’s a much clearer pathway for us to be able to tee it up there in April.
“It’s very, very exciting and it sort of gives me chills thinking about holding an Aussie Open trophy on Sunday of the tournament, and knowing I’ve got a spot in The Masters and The Open off the back of it, that’s pretty much golfing mecca for an Aussie player, I think.”
