The 2025 Australian Open is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory. The event is headlined by the arrival of this year’s Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who returns to Australia for the first time since 2014 in a landmark moment for the tournament co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour.
Here’s everything you need to know, who’s playing, and how to watch all the action from Royal Melbourne.
When is the 2025 Australian Open?
The 2025 Australian Open will be played from Thursday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 7, with practice days Monday and Tuesday, and the official tournament pro-am on Wednesday.
Where is the Australian Open being played?
This year’s championship will be staged at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the first time since 1991, using the iconic Composite Course, which comprises holes from both the West and East courses, both ranked in the top 10 in Australia. Royal Melbourne also played host to the Presidents Cup in 1998, 2011 and 2019.
Has it always been played here?
No. The Australian Open rotates between host venues, traditionally moving between major cities. Last year it was held at Kingston Heath, which will be the home of the Open again in 2026.
Where can I watch the Australian Open in Australia?
The 2025 Australian Open will be broadcast in Australia on Channel 9, Fox Sports, and Kayo.
Tee times
ROUND 1
Tee No. 1:
6:45 a.m: Tim Hart, Jak Carter, Jack Yule
6:55 a.m: James Conran, Blake Proverbs, Adri Arnaus
7:05 a.m: Matthew Baldwin, Davies Bryant, Alexander Simpson
7:15 a.m: Rafael Campos, Richard Green, Curtis Luck
8:25 a.m: Ben Henkel, William Bruyeres, Gregorio De Leo
8:35 a.m: Sadom Kaewkanjana, Andres German Gallegos
8:45 a.m: Siddharth Nadimpalli, Andrew Evans, Blake Phillips
11:45 a.m: Anthony Quayle, Karl Vilips, Jason Scrivener
11:55 a.m: Jose Luis Ballester, Matt McCarty, Romain Langasque
12:05 p.m: Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Joaquin Niemann
12:15 p.m: Lucas Herbert, Daniel Hillier, David Puig
12:25 p.m: Cam Davis, Abraham Ancer, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
12:35 p.m: Wenyi Ding Matt Jones, Ryo Hsatsune
12:45 p.m: Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jye Halls, Kazuma Kobori
12:55 p.m: Carlos Ortiz, Bernd Wiesberger, Wade Ormsby
1:05 p.m: Jack Buchanan, Tom Valliant, Maximillian Steinlechner
1:15 p.m: Lachlan Barker, Matthew Griffin, Stefano Mazzoli
1:25 p.m: Benjamin Follet-Smith, Dylan Gardner, Rocco Repetto Taylor
1:35 p.m: Jack Munro, Robin Williams, Ryan Can Velzen
1:45 p.m: Tapio Pulkkanen, Nathan Barbieri, Jason Norris
Tee No. 10:
6:45 a.m: Matias Sanchez, Austin Bautisa, Jeff Guan
6:55 a.m: Alex Fitzpatrick, Geoff Ogilvy, Ryan Peake
7:05 a.m: Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Rory McIlroy
7:15 a.m: Cam Smith, Danny Willett, Elvis Smylie
7:25 a.m: Joel Girrbach, Marc Leishman, Ugo Coussaud
7:35 a.m: Charley Hoffman, Harrison Crowe, Sebastian Munoz
7:45 a.m: Nick Voke, Caleb Surrat, Andrew Martin
7:55 a.m: Jordan Gumberg, Jack Thompson, Andrew Johnston
8:05 a.m: Quim Vidal, Josh Geary, Connor McKinney
8:15 a.m: James Marchesani, Quinnton Croker, Hunter Logan
8:25 a.m: Jasper Stubbs, Andreas Halvorsen, Filippo Celli
8:35 a.m: Chris Malec, Will Flormi, Jay Mackenzie
8:45 a.m: Andrew Campbell, Yannik Paul, Fabrizio Zanotti
11:45 a.m: Jack Senior, Jake McLeod, Aaron Cockerill
11:55 a.m: Christopher Wood, Kaito Sato, Renato Paratore
12:05 p.m: Brad Kennedy, Sean Crocker, Brendan Jones
12:15 p.m: Nicholas Colsaerts, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Jediah Morgan
12:25 p.m: Sebastian Garcia, Sam Bairstow, Cameron John
12:35 p.m: David Law, Kerry Mountcastle, Ben Eccles
12:45 p.m: Greg Chalmers, Harry Takis, Ricardo Gouveia
12:55 p.m: Peter Lonard, Stephen Allan, Stephen Leaney
1:05 p.m: Daniel Gale, Shubhankar Sharma, Tobias Jonsson
1:15 p.m: Simon Hawkes, Clement Charmasson, Daniel Rodrigues
1:25 p.m: James Morrison, Cameron Adam, Phoenix Campbell
1:35 p.m: Michael Hollick, Clement Sordet, Jimmy Zheng
1:45 p.m: Brady Watt, Ollie Marsh, Lincoln Tighe
What day is the final round of the Australian Open?
The final round will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7, with the final group expected to finish around 5pm, depending on weather and of course pace of play.
What weather is forecast for the week?
It’s looking like a very Melbourne week ahead so expect a bit of everything. Thursday is the pick of the bunch at 31 degrees and sunny, so perfect conditions there. Friday cools off to around 23 but should stay clear, Saturday brings the chance of some light showers, and Sunday dips to about 18. Then again… it is Melbourne, so take all of this with the usual grain of salt.
Why is Rory McIlroy playing the Australian Open?
The Northern Irishman and world No. 2 has committed to the Australian Open for the next two years. The five-time major champion, who this year completed the career grand slam with his Masters win, returns for the first time since defending the Stonehaven Cup the year after he went head-to-head with Adam Scott in 2013 to eventually be crowned champion.
McIlroy, who once dubbed this golf’s fifth major, said in a statement: “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.
“The success of the Australian Open is important for the global game, and I’m incredibly confident it will thrive again this year, especially with it being staged in one of the world’s great sporting cities and on two of the finest golf courses in the world over the next two years: The Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club.
“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.”
McIlroy is arguably the most recognisable player in world golf, and his presence in Melbourne has generated significant interest for this year’s tournament.
How many times has Rory played in Australia?
McIlroy first came to Australia in 2005 as a new kid on the scene. At 16, he competed in the Australian Masters which was an annual tournament held at Huntingdale in Melbourne, before coming back Down Under in 2013 with a win in the Open at Royal Sydney. He then returned in 2014 to defend his crown but was no match for American and now-two-time winner Jordan Spieth.
Which other big names are competing at Royal Melbourne?
Beyond McIlroy, the strong field includes Aussies Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, and Marc Leishman, while there’s a strong international contingent, such as LIV stars Joaquin Niemann, Carlos Ortiz, Sebastian Munoz, and Josele Ballester, and leading DP World Tour players Marco Penge, Victor Perez, Jordan Smith, Yannick Paul, Richie Ramsay, and Manuel Elvira.
Who has the most Australian Open wins?
A handful of the sport’s greatest players have dominated this event over different eras. The tournament’s all-time record belongs to Gary Player, who won an incredible seven Australian Opens across three decades (1958, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, and 1974). Right behind him is fellow legend Jack Nicklaus with six titles (1964, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1976, and 1978), while the most decorated Australian champion is Greg Norman, a five-time winner spanning 16 years (1980, 1985, 1987, 1995, and 1996).
Who won last year’s Australian Open?
American Ryggs Johnston claimed the Stonehaven Cup in 2024 with a nerveless final-round four-under-par 68 at Kingston Heath. He isn’t in this year’s Melbourne field, though.
What is the Stonehaven Cup?
The Stonehaven Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian Open. Although the tournament first started in 1904, only since 1930 has the championship had an official trophy. It was named after Baron Stonehaven, the Governor-General of Australia (and keen golfer) from 1925 to 1930.
Australian Open prize money
The 2025 Australian Open will feature a minimum prize purse of AUD $2 million, as confirmed by Golf Australia, with money distributed across the entire leaderboard in line with PGA Tour of Australasia regulations.
Did you know?
Starting this year the Australian Open winner will receive an invitation to the following year’s Masters tournament as part of a new move by Augusta National that awards Masters spots to winners of six historic national opens.
“These six opens [are] historical championships around the world that we and the R&A recognised in a joint statement recently,” chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement earlier this year. “International competition has always been a big part of the Masters Tournament. That representation internationally has grown over the years to where it’s pretty much 50/50, and maybe even a few more, international players. So, we thought it was appropriate to sort of carry on that tradition and the culture that we’ve established at the Masters.”
Also included in this qualification change is the Scottish Open, South African Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, and Hong Kong Open.
