Marc Leishman says Royal Melbourne the best Australian Open lure, predicts surge from Cam Smith

Taking the Australian Open back to Royal Melbourne, as a stand-alone event, and adding the lure of a Masters invitation to the winner, will reassert the historic tournament’s place in the elevated space in which it should live, according to Marc Leishman. The LIV star, who returned to the majors in 2025 for the first time since his defection to the rival tour, was among the critics, led by LIV teammate Cam Smith, of last year’s soggy tournament, which was the last of three times it was played as a dual-gender event alongside the women’s Open. Leishman, who will also play the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland as well as the WA Open for the first time, said there would have been no Rory McIlroy, who has signed a deal to play the next two Australian Opens, if the changes weren’t made. “There’s a lot of hype about it this year, with the Masters invite, the British Open spots,” Leishman said on Friday from the US. “But them aside, just having an Australian Open at one of Australia’s premier golf courses is exciting, particularly for a bloke who grew up in Victoria but for people all over the world. “If the Australian Open was at a different golf course, it might have been a little more difficult to get Rory McIlroy. “I would think there would be a lot more guys want to come down. To have some of the best players in the world playing and, if not already, it’s going to become one of the biggest events in the world again.” Leishman said his return to the majors, playing the US and British Opens for the first time since 2022, gave him a new “spark” and reminded him he still had the game to win one. “Playing well in tournaments like that, it does give you a little spark,” he said. “Winning a major is still high on the list. It’s a tough feat to achieve … but it’s still achievable for me. I feel like I am playing some of my best golf. “I certainly enjoyed myself this year. It was a lot of golf to play in the middle of the season. I played about eight or nine events in an 11-week stint in the middle of summer, it was pretty gruelling. “I’d love to be there again next year, if not at more of them.” While Leishman found some form at the two majors he competed in, his Ripper GC captain, Smith, missed the cut at all four in 2025 amid a horror season during which his ranking dropped to 246. Smith also failed to rack up an individual win on LIV, but Leishman said off-course issues contributed to his form downturn and was adamant the 2022 British Open champ and former world No.2 would refind his mojo. “He’s had a big year off the golf course this year with the birth of his first son, some other things happening in his family,” Leishman said. “There’s no doubt Cam is going to be back. “He’s working as hard as I’ve ever seen him work. He’s still hitting the shots we know Cam hits. It’s all going to come together soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s in the not too distant future. “Golf is a funny game. When things are changing off the golf course, it’s tough, there’s so much time to think on the course, and it’s easy to overthink things. Cam is going to be good.”