MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Rory McIlroy may not have loved himself for his Royal Melbourne Golf Club membership when he shared his impressions of the famous sandy course on Wednesday – he said the course wasn’t the best in Melbourne.
McIlroy is scheduled to tee off in Thursday’s Australian Open opener with Adam Scott, who won the title in 2013, and fellow Australian draw card Lee Min-woo.
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But McIlroy, who played five holes at five different Melbourne courses on Monday, was less enthusiastic about Royal Melbourne, rating nearby Kingston Heath as better.
Royal Melbourne has hosted the Presidents Cup three times, but in 2028 Kingston Heath will host the International vs Team USA match. Kingston Heath will also host next year’s Australian Open, and McIlroy has already committed to playing.
“I don’t want the guys to feel bad about this, but it’s probably not the best course in Melbourne,” said McIlroy, who won this year’s Masters and became the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam.
He believes the course is at least one of the top 10 courses in the world, adding that Wednesday’s northerly winds may have made for “funky” play.
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“I didn’t expect how many blind tee shots there would be and it takes me a while to figure it out. It’s certainly not easy. I think as well, it’s probably easier to play in a southerly wind than a northerly wind. I don’t think it’s a true reflection of a golf course playing in this wind.”
He also added support for the Australian Open to end its partnership with the Australian Women’s Open, which has been held at the same time as the men’s event for the past three years, and return to its standalone format.
“Especially this tournament, because of the history and tradition, it should be a stand-alone one-week tournament,” McIlroy said.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
