Aussie golfing great Ian Baker-Finch believes the inclusion of Rory McIlroy will only elevate the local hopefuls ahead of a “massive five weeks” in the calendar.
The season will start on November 10 when the NSW Open qualifiers begin, followed by the actual event on November 13.
The Queensland PGA, Australian PGA and Australian Open will then follow before the Cathedral Invitational and Victorian PGA.
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McIlroy will be the headline act at the Australian Open, which will include an appearance at next year’s edition too.
Rory McIlroy of Team Europe reacts. Getty
Baker-Finch explained a return to the famed Melbourne Sandbelt was a key factor in the 2025 Masters champion’s return.
“When you get the best golf courses in the world, and Royal Melbourne probably is the best in the world, the best courses are in the Sandbelt and the good players come to me all the time and say ‘Finchy, just tell us when we’re going to the sandbelt, I’ll come back and play, we’ll get all my mates to come play’,” he said on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
“Adam Scott’s got a whole bunch of guys he wanted to come. Rory being there, the best player in the world arguably right now, I know Scottie Scheffler has that No.1 tag but having won the grand slam in the Masters, I think Rory’s the guy and he loves coming.”
McIIroy won the Stonehaven Cup in 2013 with Scott the runner-up. His last appearance was in 2014.
Rory McIlroy at the 2013 Australian Open. Getty
Baker-Finch wants Australian golfers to be spurred on by the challenge of facing McIlroy.
“We always used to enjoy back in our day, when you had the chance to play against Greg (Norman), you played your best, you played even harder because you wanted to beat him,” he said.
“When you have Rory in the field, that’s what our young blokes want to do, they want to measure themselves against the best.”
One golfer Baker-Finch will have his eyes closely on is Aussie Elvis Smylie who will look to defend his PGA Championship title in Queensland.
Elvis Smylie of Australia. Getty
“He is a young superstar in the making, he really is,” he said.
“He’s got a fantastic attitude, a great competitor. He’s getting stronger, he was a tall, lanky young fella who’s gradually putting some weight on, and is hitting it a bit further.
“He’s (17th) in the DP World Tour … then he has the chance to make it on the PGA Tour as a 22-year-old, so to have hin back at the BMW PGA is going to be super and to play against the field that will elevate all the guys. When you get the best players in the world playing, they play better.”
