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Rory McIlroy left Royal Melbourne Golf Club with a tie for 14th at the Crown Australian Open. Irrespective of that, Australia showcased the kind of energy, crowd engagement, and course quality he believes should command undivided attention. However, with top stars competing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and Hero World Challenge simultaneously, the spotlight was split across three major events. The Northern Irishman, who was mesmerized by his fans in Australia, had only one plea to Tiger Woods, so the same can be avoided in the coming years.

“Hopefully the tournaments don’t clash again next year,” McIlroy told Golf Australia about the conflicting schedule.

Golf fans in the USA would think that it’s the offseason. Most Americans would be stuck to the TV to watch the NFL. However, three significant golf events were going on concurrently. Besides the Crown Australian Open, where Rory McIlroy was competing, professionals were playing at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa and the Hero World Challenge in the USA. All three events were scheduled from December 4-7, 2025, dividing top golfers and fan attention.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge did not have many top-50 world-ranked golfers in the field, except for Viktor Hovland and Marco Peng. But the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods at Albany in the Bahamas, featured a strong field. It includes the World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose, Max Homa, and many other elite golfers.

Despite having a weaker field than the Tiger Woods event, Rory McIlroy believes that the Australian Open has a lot more potential. At the start of the event, the 2025 Masters Champion said that none of the other two concurrent events had the same potential.

There were thousands of fans awaiting McIlroy to tee off on the 10th hole at Royal Melbourne. Fans had skipped school and work to watch him play. And it was not just at the start. The crowd and the energy were the same even at the last hole. Therefore, Rory McIlroy suggests that the Australian Open can even encourage fans watching on TV to consider attending the event in person next year.

“I’m not sure how that’s going to work out, but I think people seeing the scenes here on TV over the course of the week, it’ll definitely pique their interest a little bit more,” McIlroy said.

“I would say that they’ll at least be sort of mulling over in their heads whether to make a trip here.”

He noted the schedule clash limited top talent, and he would love to have some more golfers come down and play. Rory McIlroy has also already committed to returning in 2026 at Kingston Heath. His presence at the Australian Open drew sell-out crowds, but the presence of other notable stars could give a significant boost to the event.

McIlroy even said that if Tiger Woods’ event moves up, it will give five months to European and global golf. The NFL is king in America from September to January. So if there’s no big American golf event, other golf tours can hold their major events at this time.

Rory McIlroy openly voiced his support for the Australian Open, but what makes him think the event has more potential?

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Rory McIlroy thinks the Australian Open has more potential

The 29x PGA Tour winner believes the Australian Open has more potential because of its history, passionate fanbase, and strategic importance in a future global schedule. However, he feels its current date and conflicting events stop it from reaching that ceiling.

McIlroy has raved about the crowds in Melbourne, talking about packed galleries even for a 7 a.m. tee time. He even said that when playing in Australia, a Thursday or Friday can seem like a weekend. The fact that his presence triggered the “McIlroy mania” shows how passionate the Australian fans can be.

He consistently cites the event’s tradition and past champions as reasons it deserves a bigger place in the global calendar. Rory McIlroy had even suggested that tournaments like the Australian Open should be almost on a fifth major tier.

McIlroy’s message is clear. He says the Australian Open deserves a cleaner stage and a schedule that lets it shine without competing for attention. His call for better coordination reflects a push toward a calendar that gives fans and players a chance to fully appreciate what the event delivers.