Assisted by finance from the state government's Visit Victoria fund, Golf Australia and the Allan Government will be combining to pay Rory McIlroy an appearance fee of an unknown amount to boost a field that will also likely include Aussie stars Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith.
“I’m proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt, somewhere I’ve always wanted to play professionally,” McIlroy said in a press release overnight.
“Melbourne is known for being one of the world’s great sporting cities and I can’t wait to be part of that atmosphere and soak in everything it has to offer, both on and off the course.”
In what will certainly be the biggest boon to Australian golf since Tiger Woods played in the 2019 Presidents' Cup at Royal Melbourne for a reported fee of $3mil, McIlroy's two appearances in Melbourne is expected to deliver a significant return to Victorian taxpayers through the tourism industry.
Victorian Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos, no stranger to bringing global events and athletes to Melbourne, proudly hailed the announcement as a further boost to Melbourne's proud reputation as a sporting capital of the world.
“Rory is one of the greatest golfers in history and his desire to come to Melbourne highlights just how brilliant our Sandbelt courses are and why this is one of the great golfing cities of the world," Dimopoulos said.
“These tournaments will be fantastic for our visitor economy, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and cafes and showcasing our state to millions more following on from overseas.”
It will be McIlroy's first appearance in Australia since 2014, when he finished tied for 15th in the Australian Open which was won by Jordan Spieth.