Aussie of the Month: Australian Open
After a tough three years of player and fan frustration over the dual-gender format, the Australian Open has put itself back on the map. Firstly, by returning the men’s and women’s events to their own deserved stages and, secondly, by signing the Masters champion, and arguably the biggest golf star in the world, Rory McIlroy.
The sixth and most recent member of golf’s career Grand Slam club was unveiled recently as the Australian Open’s marquee signing for two years, with both editions to be held on the Melbourne Sandbelt starting with the world-renowned Composite course at Royal Melbourne.
It’s hard to put into words the coup that the Northern Irishman’s signature represents. On one hand, Cameron Smith returning to Australia after winning the 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews and Adam Scott bringing Augusta National’s green jacket Down Under in 2013 boosted golf immeasurably. But luring the reigning Masters champion after he has completed the career Grand Slam – and combining that with the first Australian Open held at Royal Melbourne in 34 years – is arguably the biggest development the tournament has had in the past three decades. Perhaps the only comparison in Australian golf is attracting Tiger Woods to play the Australian Masters in 2009 and 2010, but he hadn’t completed the career Grand Slam that same year – and it wasn’t Royal Melbourne, whose West course is ranked among the top five courses in the world by Golf Digest.
It will be McIlroy’s first competitive appearance on the Melbourne Sandbelt given he hasn’t teed up in a tournament in Victoria overall since he was an amateur playing the 2005 Australian Open at Moonah Links. McIlroy’s last appearance in Australia was our national open in 2014, a year after he lifted the Stonehaven Cup by defeating Scott on the final hole at Royal Sydney. That win lifted McIlroy out of a year-long slump in 2013 and gave him the confidence to claim the Open and PGA championships in 2014 – the third and fourth of his five majors.
While winning a second Australian Open crown, should he manage to, would be cream at the end of an enormous year for McIlroy, it would be a bigger boon for golf Down Under to have his presence over two years and continuity on the Melbourne Sandbelt. Long live the Australian Open.
Photo: Mark Metcalfe/getty images
Golfers In The News
Interstate dynasty? New South Walesclaimed its second Australian Interstate Teams Matches title in three years with a dominant 6.5 to 1.5 win over Queensland at Melville Glades. The Blues’ women secured a clean sweep of four points, which was crucial against a Queensland side already crowned 2025 women’s champions. NSW had beaten Tasmania 6.5-1.5 to book their place in the decider, while Queensland defeated Western Australia 6-2. South Australia upset Victoria 6-2 to finish fourth overall. The opening final match saw Annika Rathbone defeat Grace Rho 4&3, repeating her 2023 heroics. Queensland’s sole full point came via Chase Oberle’s 4&3 win over Coby Carruthers. NSW’s Ella Scaysbrook sealed the win with a 3&2 victory over Hannah Reeves. Reigning Australian Amateur champion Jye Halls, who went unbeaten all week, downed Lincoln Morgan 4&3.
Pace of play! New Zealand’s Robin Smith, one of the best fast golfers on the planet, secured victory at the 2025 Australian Speedgolf Open at Club Tocumwal recently. In Speedgolf, players aim to finish a round in the lowest possible combination of strokes and minutes, meaning a round of 80 in 50 minutes adds up to a Speedgolf Score of 130. At the Aussie Speedgolf Open, Smith shot 72 in 42 minutes on day one and 74 in 43 minutes on day two to win the 36-hole tournament. Smith has previously been a medallist at the World Speedgolf Championships.
Moruya’s Colette Blacklock won the open women’s championship thanks to rounds of 96 (51 minutes) and 95 (51 minutes) which gave her a Speedgolf Score of 293.
Eagle Of The Month: Herby Goes Bananas
Literally the eagle of the month, according to this column, was Lucas Herbert’s incredible long putt for a 3 at the par-5 18th hole at Caledonian Golf Club to win the International Series Japan. He hit the green in two and, while he didn’t need to make the putt, drained it anyway for a seven-under 64 and a five-shot win. Herbert has been in fine form since winning the 2024 Ford NSW Open on the Murray River last November, before playing in the final group at the Australian Open two weeks later. This year, he owns three top-four results on LIV Golf, including a T-2. Herbert secured his second career win in Japan having won the DP World Tour’s ISPS Handa Championship there in 2023.
Bogey Of The Month: Lost In The Mail?
The PGA of America for not inviting Herbert to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow despite being ranked No.44 in the world on the Data Golf ranking, a more contemporary index that includes LIV Golf events. The invitations came out on the eve of the International Series tournament in Japan that Herbert won. His fellow LIV players, David Puig, who sat 43rd on Data Golf and was a very good invitation, and Tom McKibbin, who was No.102, were invited. PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler was also invited but was ranked 125th on Data Golf. The PGA of America used the Official World Golf Ranking to round out its field with PGA Championship invitations and it seemed like a double-bogey not to invite the in-form Herbert. But the Bendigo pro had a classy response when asked about it: “We knew when we signed up with LIV that majors would be the issue. [Major-championship organisers] have the right to invite, or not invite, whoever they want.”
Birdie Of The Month: Fox Out Of The Box
File this under, “Not an Aussie, but…” Ryan Fox is basically an honorary Australian considering the amount of golf he played in Australia both as a junior/amateur, and as a pro who has won three times on the PGA Tour of Australasia. “Foxy” secured his first PGA Tour win when he chipped in from off the green at the first playoff hole of the Myrtle Beach Classic. After initially struggling to transition from the DP World Tour – where he’s won four times including the Dunhill event at St Andrews and the BMW PGA at Wentworth – to the PGA Tour in 2023, he now has two years of status on the US circuit.
