Rory McIlroy may be approaching the end of a career-year in 2025, but he does so with a victory more than a decade ago at the forefront of his memories ahead of his highly-anticipated return to the Crown Australian Open.
The Northern Irishman is this week making his first appearance at Australia’s historic national championship since 2014, a year after he edged out home hero Adam Scott to win the Stonehaven Cup.
By then, McIlroy was already a two-time Major champion, with a host of titles across both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR and had reached the top of the Official World Golf Ranking – yet he considers his triumph at Royal Sydney among the most meaningful of his career.
The victory maintained his record of winning at least once a year since his breakthrough success in the paid ranks in 2009, but most significantly it provided some impetus for 2014 - a year that saw him win two more Majors and claim the Race to Dubai title on the DP World Tour.
Now, after a year that has seen him realise a childhood dream of completing the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters Tournament in April, claim his home open for a second time and seal an away Ryder Cup victory, the World Number Two appeared in reflective mood ahead of headlining an international field at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
“So, I think about that tournament a lot. I think about what it meant,” he said of his 2013 triumph in a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.
“I felt at that point in my career, I was at a bit of a crossroads. I had gone off to a great start, but 2013 I'd really struggled and I started to find some form again.
"I really do think that that win at the end of the year was a catalyst for what happened in 2014, which I'd say 2014 is up there with 2025 as the best two years of my career.
"I think a large part of that was not only winning, but the way that I won and then also beating Adam. Adam was coming back down here as the Masters champion, World Number One.
"So the way I played and the way I played against him, gave me a lot of confidence going into that next year."
Rory McIlroy's win in 2013 at the Australian Open 🏆#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/LHF6RnsAqC
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 3, 2025
McIlroy has a long-standing history with Australia, dating back to when he first visited the country to compete as a then teenage amateur in the lead up to his debut at their national open.
Known as a historian of the game, he has spoken of his desire to win the game’s oldest and most prestigious tournaments at prestigious venues.
With the chance to compete professionally on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt this week, McIlroy is excited to be competing over the world-renowned Composite Course at Royal Melbourne.
“Australia has been a very big part of my golfing journey going back to playing the Australian Open as an amateur back in 2005,” he added.
“I've talked about trying to win at some of the most important venues in golf - this week is one of them. You think about the tournaments and the people that have won at Royal Melbourne and how highly regarded it is within the golf world.
I've talked about trying to win at some of the most important venues in golf - this week is one of them
“I was lucky enough to win at Pebble Beach this year for the first time, obviously at Augusta. I'd love to win at St Andrews one day. I'd love to win a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
“There's a few venues in our game that maybe just mean a bit more than some of the others and that's something that I would love to do one day.”
In his first start of the new 2026 DP World Tour season, McIlroy begins his bid to win an eighth Race to Dubai title – which, if achieved, would see him draw level with record holder Colin Montgomerie.
He does so alongside Australian duo Min Woo Lee and Scott in what is a headline three0ball for the opening two rounds.
