While Tiger Woods hosts his exclusive Hero World Challenge and the DP World Tour rolls on with its own marquee stops, the real spectacle in golf is unfolding half a world away in Melbourne. As the 2026 Crown Australian Open unfolds, Rory McIlroy’s recent comments about the Hero World Challenge not having the same hype and glamour are resurfacing.

Now, cameras have caught a few moments that are proving McIlroy’s words true.

At the Australian Open, more than 2,000 eager supporters flooded through the gates by 6:30 am on a chilly morning in December. Fans gathered at the Royal Melbourne to witness and honor the Northern Irish superstar on the fairways.

Right after the fourth day concluded at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the official X handle of the Australian Open shared that the attendance for Saturday, December 6, for the Australian Open was 30,187.

Looking forward to a full house on Sunday, they added, “And we’ll do it all again tomorrow 🙌.”

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At the same time, a completely contradictory visual is circulating on social media from New York. 

Golf analyst Brendan Porath shared a glimpse from the Hero World Challenge, and no fan could be spotted beyond the rope line.

Porath even sarcastically wrote, “Thank god they have rope lines at the Hero World Challenge. It would be pure chaos if not.”

And Rory McIlroy predicted just that days before the Hero World Challenge began.

Alongside the Australian Open, the Hero World Challenge and the Nedbank Golf Challenge have also unfolded at the Albany Golf Course and Gary Player Country Club, respectively. However, the five-time Majors champion had claimed that none of these can live up to the glitz and hype that the Australian Open has reached. 

“That scene on the first tee was amazing. Then, walking up the last and everyone is still here. I’ve always said it, but that’s the potential this country has to have these really, really big events.”

McIlroy further added, “The other two events happening in other places of the world have nothing like the atmosphere this tournament has. It has so much potential, and it’s great to see so many people come out and support the tournament.” 

Indeed, Royal Melbourne has given the Northern Irish PGA icon ample reasons to have such an opinion.

Despite Rory McIlroy having a ‘rollercoaster’ start, Aussie fans honored his legacy at the Australian Open 

Playing at Royal Melbourne, McIlroy expected a better start than he had this year. Facing quite an issue in the opening round, the current World No. 2 shot a 1-over 72. As a result, he was tied for 57th along with the others. Reflecting on his shaky start, McIlroy referred to it as a ‘rollercoaster’ ride.

“It was a rollercoaster day. I felt like any time I made a birdie or two, I’d then make a bogey or two, and it felt like one of those days, it was like okay, what side of par am I gonna finish on? Am I gonna be under or over?”

Surprisingly, this did not dampen the enthusiasm within the crowds. 

In fact, the audience was buzzing in Melbourne right from the start of the play. Long queues of spectators lining up outside the gates were spotted from early morning. And the moment they were let in, a swarm of the crowd rushed in. 

What was surprising was that even on a weekday, a significant number of office workers decided to turn up to witness McIlroy in action. And to make things better, this Saturday, more than 30K people cheered loudly irrespective of whether McIlroy scored or had a bogey.