Before his opening round at Royal Melbourne, Rory McIlroy spoke warmly about the tournament’s history, saying it “deserves” a special place on the global calendar. However, behind this, there were whispers of a hefty appearance fee, which kicked off a stream of debates. But a tour pro has shared a differing opinion on the matter.

Reports suggested McIlroy was paid more than $2 million to tee it up in Melbourne. This drew criticism, as many questioned how it aligned with his long-stated aim of growing the game globally.

Even Ian Healy criticised the act and stated, “I can’t believe how much appearance money golf tournaments and tours have to pay.” But recently, James Morrison defended the Northern Irish icon. The English pro appeared for a candid conversation on the Tee It Up Golf podcast.

While reflecting upon the amount charged by Rory for appearing at the Australian Open, he said, “Rory’s been a great spokesperson for our tour the last couple of years since live coming along. And he played nine events on our tour last year. Which is way more than he could have done, should have done.”

Morrison added how McIlroy coming down to play has turned out to be “hugely positive.” He added, “Rory factor is real.” He furthermore explained, “Paying millions to come down here. Worth every cent. Every single cent. And for our tour, when he comes and plays, and we only get better when he plays.” 

Indeed, Rory’s presence made the Australian Open a grand success. So much so that Royal Melbourne got to witness an enthusiastic crowd waiting for the PGA Tour star from 6:30 am on a chilly morning. And Rory McIlroy, too, praised the event and wants its visibility to gain more momentum.

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Rory McIlroy wants a shift in Australian Open dates to draw more International participation 

Rory McIlroy has been one of the most prominent voices in the golfing realm. Apart from winning major golf tournaments, the world number 2 also actively contributes to the sport’s overall development. Likewise, in a recent development, it was noted that the Australian Open dates clashed with Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge and the Nedbank Challenge. 

Thus, to boost the Australian golfing landscape, the Ulsterman opined that rescheduling the dates would, in turn, benefit the tournament as a whole. At the moment, most top-level golfers are busy playing the Hero World Challenge. Surely, McIlroy has a point here.

If the Australian Open really does shift its dates, it would open the door for all the big-name players to join, elevating the tournament’s status as a whole. “I’ve been excited to come back down here for a while; it’s been over 10 years since I played in the Australian Open. I would love to have a few more players come down and play. But it’s hard. There are three tournaments going on in the schedule this week,” said the current World No. 2.

Thus, with significant suggestions coming in, it remains to be seen whether the Australian Open organizers shift their dates in the upcoming days.