Because the mud settles on a record-breaking Australian Open, the golf world feels prefer it might be only the start of an thrilling new chapter within the event’s storied historical past.
Final week at Royal Melbourne was an plain success.
A report 112,698 spectators lined the fairways and surrounded the greens and tees to catch a glimpse of profession grand slam winner Rory McIlroy in addition to Australian stars Cameron Smith, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee.
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It was one of many few weeks in Melbourne for the yr the place you can say the phrases ‘Australian Open’ and other people didn’t immediately assume you have been speaking concerning the tennis.
It was additionally as if Australian golf had been thrust again to its halcyon days when followers turned out of their droves for a ‘Nice White Shark’ sighting, or to look at legends like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Participant and Seve Ballesteros within the flesh.
Greg Norman was at Royal Melbourne on Sunday, hoping to cheer on a Cameron Smith victory, however regardless of the consequence, the Australian {golfing} icon would little doubt have been happy with what he had seen.
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Simply as everybody else was.
Worldwide crew captain for subsequent yr’s Presidents Cup Geoff Ogilvy grew up across the nook from Royal Melbourne and seeing youngsters scale bushes to get a fantastic vantage level of their heroes in motion reminded him of leaping the fence in his youth.
“I grew up coming to Australian Opens right here within the Nineteen Eighties within the heyday of Greg Norman when it was a bit like this and it was fairly huge when Tiger got here,” Ogilvy stated.
“I haven’t seen it like this for 10 to fifteen years, exterior of the Presidents Cup, but it surely feels just like the Australian Open is again.”
It definitely does and the recipe for achievement was a easy one.
“What we witnessed final week was a touch at what the Australian Open might be – one of many best championships on the earth,” former skilled turned commentator and golf course architect Mike Clayton wrote for golf.com.au.
“A visiting American pal who lives in Edinburgh and who goes most years to The Open in Britain thought it felt, ‘Not fairly on the degree of a serious championship however nearly, and higher than nearly all the remainder of skilled golf.’
“There have been three key parts to its success.
“The golf course is a famous person each as a venue and as an architectural masterpiece.
“Rory McIlroy, regardless that he didn’t win and even contend, is a famous person, arguably the one one within the present-day sport. With out him, it’s not the identical.
“The third ingredient have been the galleries. Finally, a fantastic occasion should really feel like one and the scale and enthusiasm of the group is of incalculable significance. On each counts, the general public added a lot to the week and in the end, they’re those who determine the longer term. In the event that they flip up and rework the texture of the event, sponsors will do likewise.”
It has not solely been key figures of Australian golf spruiking the success of our nationwide open.
Drone footage of the bumper crowds coupled with spectacular highlights, like Rory McIlroy’s ridiculous second shot from the sandy wasteland on the par 5 seventeenth late in his second spherical when he was straddling the minimize line, on social media captured the creativeness of golf fanatics world wide.
Individuals staying up late appeared way more infatuated with the happenings of Royal Melbourne than the Hero World Problem within the Bahamas – the Tiger Woods hosted PGA Tour occasion with a area of solely 20 gamers together with the likes of world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.
There was an identical sentiment amongst Europeans regardless of South Africa’s Nedbank Problem, which just like the Australian Open is a DP World Tour occasion, being performed in a extra pleasant time zone for his or her consumption.
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Like Clayton stated, the explanations for the spike in intrigue have been clear.
“Actual gamers competing on actual golf programs for actual stakes. That’s all it takes,” CBS Sports activities’ Patrick McDonald stated.
“Throughout a time through which skilled golf choice makers are pulling hair out of their heads attempting to whip collectively the perfect product possible — whereas additionally aiming to appease companions, squeeze each final greenback out of the enterprise and “develop the sport” — the Australian Open proved simply how easy it may be to placed on an entertaining golf occasion.”
With Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen including his identify to the Stonehaven Cup after overcoming Smith by a shot in an astonishing end the place the Dane made a miraculous up-and-down to avoid wasting par, whereas the native hope three-putted for bogey, everybody’s minds understandably started to solid ahead.
McIlroy is already dedicated for subsequent yr at Kingston Heath.
Event organisers are hoping a number of different huge names will be part of after seeing the pictures and movies from final week.
Golf Australia chief govt James Sutherland is assured that would be the case.
“We deliberate to do one thing and we’ve most likely exceeded our greatest hopes and expectations. Plenty of issues fell into place,” Sutherland advised 9 Media.
“However we had a correct swing at it and thankfully for us it got here off, and landed rather well. We’ve got despatched a message, not simply to the Australian public concerning the Australian Open however … there’s been a tremendous response internationally as effectively.”
The previous Cricket Australia boss added: “I hope numerous different golfers really feel the identical … truly I do know there are a variety of golfers that have been enjoying in several components of the world within the final week that have been trying and saying, ‘wow, I’d’ve made a mistake’.”
There’s a clear willpower inside the golf neighborhood to make sure the momentum gathered at Royal Melbourne will not be misplaced.
Nobody would need this yr’s occasion to be a flash within the pan, however the multi-year success of LIV Adelaide – which is locked in till 2031 – and the 2028 Presidents Cup being staged at Kingston Heath signifies that the golf buzz must be right here to remain.
There could also be some tweaking with a view to maximise it, nevertheless.
The Australian Open has been a take a look at dummy for tweaking in latest instances as for 3 years it was performed as a mixed males’s, ladies’s and All Skills occasion.
The success of the return to the standard stand-alone format this yr ensured that the mixed-gender concept will stay within the rear view mirror.
Location can be a matter that is still up in there as no host venue is locked in past 2026 at Kingston Heath.
There have been many requires the event to remain completely on the famed programs for the Melbourne Sandbelt after it was performed in Sydney yearly from 2006 to 2019 – a transfer that former world No.1 doubles tennis participant and sports activities administrator Paul McNamee stated was an error throughout his time as event director.
In the meantime, the timing of the event additionally stays a key level of dialogue.
After his last spherical at Royal Melbourne, McIlroy addressed that the rumours that from 2027 the PGA Tour is taking a look at a shortened schedule.
The proposed modifications would come with roughly 20 occasions being performed from February/March to August.
“Yeah, I believe I perceive what they’re [PGA Tour] doing,” McIlroy advised reporters.
“They’re attempting to get their home mannequin proper earlier than focusing internationally, and so they clearly don’t wish to go up in opposition to soccer. NFL is king within the States, and it is sensible from an American perspective, however then I believe it does let worldwide and world golf shine for 5 months of the yr.
“So if the [PGA] Tour are actually interested by enjoying from February by way of to August, that leaves September by way of to January for right here [Australia] and Europe and wherever else on the earth to actually be the shining gentle of golf for that 5 months. So I believe folks may actually get behind that. And also you form of have the American swing – with perhaps the Scottish Open and The Open within the center – however the remainder of the massive worldwide stuff form of in that September to January timeframe, which I believe works fairly effectively, particularly for the Southern Hemisphere, for tournaments like this.”
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As McIlroy stated, such a transfer would unlock numerous time within the calendar for occasions exterior of the US just like the Australian Open.
Being performed within the first week of December has all the time been problematic as drawcards are much less more likely to come down below on the finish of an extended season – particularly American gamers as it’s near the Thanksgiving vacation.
Domestically, whereas the event was a raging success, it nonetheless needed to compete with the second Ashes cricket Check match between Australia and England in Brisbane for the highlight.
These causes are why it has usually been urged that the Australian Open may transfer to February to behave as a season opener for gamers.
That will coincide with LIV Adelaide, however the DP World Tour schedule is already filled with occasions within the Center East earlier than enjoying in Kenya and South Africa at the moment of yr.
For now, Sutherland says the occasion is staying put.
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At Kingston Heath subsequent yr it’ll once more be performed within the first week of December, instantly following the Australian PGA Championship, which can be DP World Tour co-sanctioned.
However Golf Australia are open to recommendations with Sutherland saying he may have a post-tournament debrief name with McIlroy to debate scheduling and every other concepts the Masters champion has to spice up the occasion.
“We positively get his (McIlroy’s) suggestions on that,” Sutherland stated. “He can have conversations with folks in larger workplace much more readily than we are able to. And hopefully his constructive suggestions will solely strengthen our case.
“Scheduling is de facto difficult. There’s a lot happening on the identical time … we are able to determine to play every time we would like, however the way it matches and works in with others will not be one thing we have now unilateral authority on. And within the scheme of world golf, we’re a smaller participant. We don’t have the clout.
“One path is you will be beholden to the remainder of the world, and attempt to squeeze in and round issues.
“Or the opposite route is you make a stand. What’s actually necessary to us is that we play within the window that works for Australia and Australian golf followers. And I believe then we go and again our product. We again our golf programs and we again our nationwide championship, and its heritage and historical past. It seems like we’ve made a noise round that.”