Fresh off the plane, Rory McIlroy was thrown straight into Melbourne’s Sandbelt, offering a rare glimpse into how the world’s best reads its famously subtle greens.
Rory McIlroy didn’t waste a moment when he arrived in Melbourne ahead of last year’s Australian Open. Fresh off the plane, he was sent straight into a rapid‑fire tour of the Sandbelt, playing a single par‑3 hole at The Metropolitan, Commonwealth, Kingston Heath, Victoria and Royal Melbourne in a video shared by Golf Australia, the DP World Tour and Visit Melbourne.
Beyond the scenery, the most revealing moments came on the greens. McIlroy spoke openly about the challenge of reading classic Sandbelt putting surfaces, noting at one point that it can be easier to read a putt from elsewhere on the green than from directly behind the ball. It was a reminder of how subtle slopes and firmness can defy instinct, even for the world’s best.
The rushed preparation didn’t translate into Australian Open success, with McIlroy finishing eight shots behind winner, Rasmus Neergaard‑Petersen. Still, the trip may linger in the memory of Royal Melbourne members.
His stop at Royal Melbourne proved the most talked‑about. McIlroy raised eyebrows when he remarked that, without meaning to offend the membership, it was “probably not the best course in Melbourne.” While he stressed it remained a top‑10 course in the world, he also admitted he hadn’t anticipated how many blind tee shots there were and described the layout as “not straightforward.”
From my perspective, McIlroy’s frustration and comments came because of a couple of things.
Royal Melbourne can blunt the advantage of elite power players, and for someone like Rory, having driver taken out of his hands so often after a long flight was never likely to be a comfortable fit.
Add in a packed schedule of media commitments and promotional stops across the Sandbelt, and it still feels like less‑than‑ideal preparation for a championship week, no matter how spectacular the courses were.
He singled out Kingston Heath as a personal favourite, a timely nod with the Heath set to host this year’s Australian Open and McIlroy returning to Melbourne with unfinished business.