Australian Open Golf 2025: Championship Returns to Royal Melbourne with Historic Stakes
Historic Tournament Returns to Royal Melbourne
The 2025 Crown Australian Open has returned to the iconic Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 4-7, marking the first time the tournament has been held at this venue since 1991. The DP World Tour continues its double header Down Under with the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, bringing together an exceptional field of international and Australian golf stars.
Star-Studded Field and Masters Qualification
Headlined by five-time major champion and career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy, the stellar line-up includes Aussie stars Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert. The tournament has gained additional significance this year, as for the first time, the winner of this week’s Australian Open will earn an invite to the 2026 Masters. Following a new exemption criteria announced earlier this year by Augusta National, in an attempt to align with The R&A, the Australian Open is one of six national opens where the winner will be awarded a spot at the Masters in 2026.
Current Competition Highlights
After two rounds of intense competition at the challenging composite course, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues head into the weekend as co-leaders at nine-under. Australian players have delivered outstanding performances, with Min Woo Lee continuing his blistering form to reach -8 and sit outright third after another superb day, highlighted by his stunning hole-out eagle on the 10th. Scott and Cam Smith also powered up the leaderboard, both finishing at -7 to share fourth after brilliant rounds of their own.
McIlroy’s Dramatic Survival
World number two Rory McIlroy faced significant challenges on day two, saving a near-nightmare missed cut with a champion finish to his second round at Royal Melbourne. The Northern Irishman’s tournament appeared in jeopardy before he rallied with crucial late birdies to make the weekend cut, keeping alive hopes of adding another Australian Open title to his 2013 victory.
Significance for Australian Golf
The tournament carries a minimum prize purse of AUD $2 million and represents one of the most prestigious events in Australian golf. This is set to be the biggest Australian Open in history, with the combination of world-class talent, the historic venue, and the newly introduced Masters qualification making it a landmark event. As the competition heads into the weekend, golf fans worldwide will be watching to see who claims the coveted Stonehaven Cup and secures their place at Augusta National in 2026.