Rory McIlroy set to be main draw as Australian Open returns to Royal Melbourne

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Rory McIlroy will be the main attraction at this week’s Australian Open in Melbourne, an event now part of the DP World Tour schedule.

The tournament, first played in 1904, has a storied past with a list of champions that includes names like Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. But in recent years, it hasn’t drawn as many of the game’s top players.

Karl Vilips hoping to play with Rory McIlroy for the first time

While the likes of Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, and Cameron Smith might get more attention, Karl Vilips is another top player in Australian golf.

Vilips, 24, claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the Puerto Rico Open earlier this year in just his fourth start.

Now he’s looking to put on a show for his home fans at the Australian Open and would love to do it while paired with McIlroy.

“I’ve never actually played with Rory, but I’ve watched him hit plenty of balls on the range,” Vilips said before the tournament, via GOLF.com.au.

“To be able to compete with him on Sunday would be a treat and an awesome experience.”

“He’s one of the best in the world, and you don’t get to compete against players like him every day.”

McIlroy is set to start out alongside Lee and Scott for the opening rounds, so if Vilips wants that pairing later on he’ll need to play his way into it over the weekend.

This year’s Australian Open holds extra meaning for local players

Several players at this week’s Australian Open have spoken about how a win at this year’s event would carry extra significance compared to previous editions.

That feeling comes from the tournament’s return to Royal Melbourne Golf Club, hosting the event for the first time since 1991.

Marc Leishman put it plainly: “It’s been a long time coming, but I’m certainly excited to be at Royal Melbourne for the Australian Open.

“It’s one that I’ve wanted to win since I started watching golf, so it would be a nice place to get my first one.”

Lucas Herbert echoed those feelings. “It’s such a special tournament, and it’s what we watched so much of when we were kids, getting into the game here in Australia,” he said. “It’d be really special, and it’s awesome to be back here at Royal Melbourne.”