Golf’s golden ticket: Australian Open lands huge Masters coup
Fresh from the news that Rory McIlroy will play in Melbourne for the next two years, Augusta National has delivered another huge boost for the rejuvenated Australian Open.
The winner of the Australian Open will receive a golden ticket into next year’s Masters in a historic move aimed at increasing the significance of national tournaments around the world.
Fresh from news Rory McIlroy will play in Melbourne for the next two years, Augusta National delivered another huge boost for the rejuvenated Australian Open by announcing on Tuesday night it will issue a special invite for the Stonehaven Cup champion.
It follows calls from the likes of McIlroy and former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley for more reverence for historic championships like the Australian Open, which has struggled to attract top 20 superstars in the crowded golf schedule.
The R&A has traditionally offered the top three Australian Open finishers not already exempt a spot in The Open Championship, with American Ryggs Johnston, Curtis Luck and Marc Leishman all featuring at Royal Portrush last month.
But gaining access to Augusta National – which restricts its field to a smaller number than the other three majors – has been a much more difficult task for tour professionals.
The possibility of sewing up a spot at the first men’s major of the year by playing on the Melbourne sandbelt is expected to increase interest in the Australian Open, which will be held at Royal Melbourne in December.
McIlroy, who became just the sixth man to win the career grand slam with his emotional victory at the Masters this year, will return for the 2026 Australian Open at Kingston Heath.
Confirmation he will play the Australian Open for the first time in more than a decade has already seen ticket and hospitality sales surge, with a strong Australian contingent featuring Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Leishman expected to fly the flag for the locals.
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Talks are underway to bring 2023 champion Joaquin Niemann back to Australia, while several of his fellow LIV Golf league stars are expected to take note of Augusta’s announcement given their world rankings have plummeted since defecting to the Saudi-backed league.
Augusta National invites players inside the top 50 on the official world golf rankings at the end of the calendar year, but most have tumbled beyond that with LIV events still not recognised for rankings points.
Former Masters winners playing on LIV such as Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed are guaranteed a spot at Augusta National each year.
Ex-European Ryder Cup skipper McGinley has previously been one of the most vocal advocates for the Australian Open.
“Why not make the winner of the Australian Open exempt to all four majors? Not just the Masters,” he said.
“You talk about growing the game, that would bring players, some of the best players in the world, to Australia knowing that a win would get them in all four majors. Those kinds of things to me are more transparent.”
McIlroy’s management confirmed last month to News Corp of plans to bring the green jacket to Melbourne later this year, reminiscent of Scott’s homecoming after his historic 2013 Masters success.
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