Rory McIlroy stirs conversation at the Australian Open with a blunt take on Royal Melbourne
Rory McIlroy didn’t waste time making headlines before even hitting a ball at the Australian Open. When asked to assess Royal Melbourne, the Northern Irish star didn’t sugarcoat his assessment. “I don’t want the membership to take this badly … it’s probably not the best course in Melbourne,” he said. The blunt remark, delivered just minutes into his lone pre-tournament press conference, left reporters and officials momentarily stunned.
He quickly softened the moment with a clarifying remark. “That’s my opinion, but it’s certainly in the top 10 in the world. There’s so much great golf in this country, especially in this area.”
McIlroy had not visited Royal Melbourne before arriving on Monday for the pro-am, and he noted elements of the layout that surprised him. “I didn’t anticipate how many blind tee shots there were going to be. Yeah, it sort of takes a little bit to figure out. It’s certainly not straight-forward,” he commented.
As for his verdict on Melbourne’s courses overall, McIlroy expressed a preference for Kingston Heath, saying it stands out as the best in the area.
Stay tuned for more updates, results, and expert analysis from the weekend of sport, delivered every Monday via our Sport newsletter."
