Rory McIlroy confirms surprise addition to 2026 schedule after Australian Open

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will extend his stay in Australia beyond the Australian Open, with the six-time major champion adding another tournament to his schedule before the start of the 2027 PGA Tour season.

The World No.2 will remain in Australia to compete in the Cathedral Invitational, held at the exclusive Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club in Victoria on December 10.

Golf Australia confirmed McIlroy’s schedule after the Northern Irishman revealed he intends to stay on following the Australian Open.

“I’m going to stay for a couple of days after,” McIlroy told Golf Australia. 

“I’m going to play the Cathedral Invitational, which benefits Adam Scott’s foundation. So, I’m going to stay down for that. I’m excited for that as well.”

The Cathedral Invitational was launched in 2022 and is played over 36 holes.

The event is staged at Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club, a highly exclusive venue in Victoria, meaning opportunities for the general public to watch McIlroy in action are expected to be limited.

McIlroy’s Australian schedule will begin at the Australian Open, which takes place at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne from December 3-6.

The 37-year-old returned to the Australian Open last year at Royal Melbourne, making his first appearance in the tournament since 2014. 

He finished in a tie for 14th on 7-under par.

More than 112,000 spectators attended the event, making it the most-attended golf tournament in Australian history.

McIlroy has previously spoken enthusiastically about his experiences in Melbourne and has made a point of combining his international golf schedule with time spent exploring new destinations with his family.

During last year’s visit, he took the opportunity to experience some of the city away from the golf course, including sampling its famous coffee culture and visiting Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open tennis tournament.

His approach to overseas tournaments has also allowed his daughter, Poppy, to experience different countries and cultures, something McIlroy has previously discussed when speaking about his travels.

McIlroy has also encouraged more of the world's leading players to make the trip to Australia.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has previously spoken about his desire to visit Australia and New Zealand, particularly to experience the country's famous Sandbelt courses.

Scheffler admitted that travelling to the region is more complicated with a young family but said it is something he would like to do in the future.

For now, McIlroy is among the biggest names committing to Australian golf.

His decision to add the Cathedral Invitational gives him two competitive starts during his December trip, before he turns his attention towards the 2027 PGA Tour season.

McIlroy's next start on Tour will be the DP World India Championship from October 15-18.

He will then turn his attention to the Middle East for the DP World Tour Playoffs where he will attempt to win the Race to Dubai for a joint-record eighth time and fifth in a row in November.