Rory McIlroy is back in Australia.
The reigning US Masters champion made his first appearance for the year at the famous Melbourne Sandbelt ahead of the Australian Open.
McIlroy toured Kingston Heath, Victoria Golf Club, Commonwealth and Metropolitan before taking a hit at Royal Melbourne.
READ MORE: The two ways Piastri can snatch F1 title
READ MORE: Piastri and the boss’ tense hug after blunder ‘gave away his win’
READ MORE: The five clubs that could cash in on R360 delay
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy arrives at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Jason South
The Northern Irishman is the headline act for the Australian Open and is locked into a two-year deal for the competition.
“He’s a genuine superstar of the game and we know people are going to come from everywhere to watch,” Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said.
Watch the 2025 Australian PGA Championship live and free on Nine and 9Now.
McIlroy last competed at the Australian Open in 2014 after winning the competition the previous year at Royal Sydney.
The 36-year-old will compete against figures like Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann, Marc Leishman, Min Woo Lee, Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert and Cam Davis. Spaniard David Puig will also be part of the Australian Open after winning the Australian PGA Championship on Sunday.
Australian golfing great Ian Baker-Finch previously lauded the inclusion of McIlroy and said it will only improve the performance of other competitors.
“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 on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
“When you have Rory in the field, all of our young blokes, that’s what they want to do, they want to measure themselves against the best.”
The Australian Open begins on Thursday, December 4 with 156 players set to feature.
