In his long-awaited return to the Australian Open this week, Rory McIlroy finished tied for 14th.
While he never really looked like contending, it is clear that he enjoyed himself while in Melbourne.
It felt like a real moment for golf in Australia, and there is hope it will boost interest going forward.
It would be great to see more of the game’s best players make the trip in future years. One player who sounds keen is Max Homa, who has recently hinted at a 2026 appearance.
McIlroy heard about Homa’s comments on social media and gave him a little nudge.
Rory McIlroy responds to Max Homa’s Australian Open comments
Homa appeared to share the same view of the Australian Open as many others who watched the action at Royal Melbourne this week.
“Instagram has me feeling like I gotta play in Australia next year. Looks heavenly,” he wrote on social media.
With McIlroy already set to return in 2026, he was asked about Homa’s remarks during his post-round press conference.
“I think you’d have to qualify first, but yeah, it would be amazing,” the Northern Irishman replied.
“I think the scenes and just how this tournament has looked on TV all week, you have that (being televised) in Europe or back in the United States, it makes an impact.
“I said this earlier in the week, but if you compare this tournament to the other two tournaments going on in the world of golf this week (the Hero World Challenge and the Nedbank Golf Challenge), there’s no comparison.
“Yes, the field in The Bahamas is stronger than the one here, but in terms of atmosphere, of golf course, basically everything else you’re looking for in a tournament, I can’t think of many better than this.”
Australian Open could benefit from more American players
The Australian Open is held during the same week as two other tournaments, which is a big factor in why it does not draw more players.
If the scheduling changes in future years, interest could easily pick up, especially after this year’s event at Royal Melbourne.
One of the bigger issues with this year’s field was that there were very few Americans competing.
Three American golfers who have enjoyed competing on the DP World Tour are Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel, and Michael Kim.
And with Jordan Spieth already a two-time champion (2014 and 2016), maybe he would be interested in returning to chase a third title.
- READ MORE: Adam Scott discusses how Rory McIlroy’s appearance could influence next year’s Australian Open
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