Portugal Colonial - Masters champion McIlroy to headline Australian Open

The Northern Irishman became just the sixth golfer to complete a career grand slam of all four majors with his dramatic play-off win at Augusta last month.

On the eve of the second major of the year, the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, McIlroy announced he will tee up in the Australian Open from December 4-7 this year at the world-renowned Royal Melbourne course.

The 36-year-old will return to Australia in 2026 when the prestigious event moves to the nearby Kingston Heath course.

"I'm proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt, somewhere I've always wanted to play  professionally," McIlroy said.

The success of the 121-year-old tournament is "important for the global game", he said.

"Melbourne is known for being one of the world's great sporting cities and I can’t wait to be part of that atmosphere and soak in everything it has to offer, both on and off the course."

His appearance will end an 11-year absence from the tournament he won in 2013.

Australian tournament officials are also hopeful of luring home PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee, as well as major champions Cameron Smith and Adam Scott.

"Rory McIlroy, one of the best to ever play our game, playing on the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt, is a mouth-watering proposition for golf fans," Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement.

At the Masters last month, McIlroy ended a majors win drought stretching back to 2014.

Augusta National had been the only major missing from McIlroy's collection, having claimed the US Open in 2011, the Open Championship in 2014 and the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014.

F.Ferraz--PC