Bold claim: Rory McIlroy still has a major goal left to chase, and it sits on Scottish soil. Even after sealing a career grand slam with The Masters this year, the world No. 2 says there’s one big milestone he wants to conquer at home, at St Andrews.
McIlroy spoke ahead of this week’s Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, calling the iconic links an “important venue” on his list and revealing a dream to win at St Andrews one day. He hinted that the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship could be a stepping stone, but his eyes are firmly set on The Open at the Old Course, where he came agonizingly close in 2022, only to watch Cameron Smith snatch victory in the final round of the event’s 150th edition.
Looking ahead, the next chance to lift the Claret Jug on British soil comes in 2027 when The Open returns to the Old Course for the 31st time. McIlroy joined a prestigious club by completing the career grand slam this year, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. He also celebrated a first win at Pebble Beach this season with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Beyond that, he set his sights higher: “I'd love to win a US Open at Pebble Beach,” he said. He emphasized that certain venues carry extra significance for him and that adding more majors to his tally, as well as playing in more Ryder Cup teams, remains a driving force.
Back in Australia after a twelve-year gap since his Masters-stroke victory over Adam Scott, McIlroy could equal a calendar-year record with an eighth title if he repeats his 2013 Australian Open triumph during a two-year spell tied to the event.
The year’s Australian Open narrative also includes other Scots: David Law, Daniel Young, and Cameron Adam are representing Scotland, continuing a long tradition. The event dates back to 1905 when Scot Dan Soutar won the second edition, with notable runners-up in later years including Norman Wood and Sandy Lyle.
In other news, Bob MacIntyre closes out his calendar season at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, in a field led by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Meanwhile, Grant Forrest, Connor Syme, Calum Hill, and Ewen Ferguson begin the new DP World Tour season at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, honoring Gary Player.
These alongside-the-narrative threads illustrate a year of cross-continental golf ambition: a legend-in-progress chasing a storied Scottish triumph, veterans defending form, and a fresh wave of Scots seeking to imprint their names on global stages.
