Rory McIlroy reveals one of remaining goals in golf is on Scottish soil

“I'd love to win at St Andrews one day,” admitted the world No 2, speaking ahead of his appearance in this week’s Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, another “important venue” on his list.

That could happen in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but he is almost certainly targeting a victory in The Open over the Old Course, having been on course to get his hands on the Claret Jug for a second time in the event’s 150th edition in 2022 only to be overtaken in the final round by Cameron Smith.

McIlroy’s next chance to taste success in the world’s oldest major at the home of golf will be in 2027, when the Old Course stages the tournament for the 31st time.

The Northern Irishman became just the sixth player to claim a career grand slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He also won at Pebble Beach for the first time this year when landing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

“I'd love to win a US Open at Pebble Beach,” he added of goals going forward. “There's a few venues in our game that maybe just mean a bit more than some of the others and that's something that I would love to do one day. I want to win more majors. I want to be part of more Ryder Cup teams.”

McIlroy delighted to be in Australia

Twelve years after winning the event by a stroke from Adam Scott, McIlroy will claim a record-equalling eighth title triumph in a calendar year if he can emulate the feat in what is the start of a two-year commitment to the Crown Australian Open.

“It's been a very warm welcome and obviously delighted to be here,” said the seven-time DP World Tour Race to Dubai No 1. First time playing in Australia in quite a while, so I've been excited to come back. It hasn't been a secret that I've wanted it to come back as well.

“I think obviously the wonderful golf courses that we're playing the next couple of years, also the change in the format, going back to the traditional Australian Open has probably helped that, too. But, yeah, just really excited to be back. Australia has been a very big part of my golfing life and my golfing journey, going all the way back to playing the Australian Open as an amateur back in 2005 and 2006.”

David Law, Daniel Young and Cameron Adam are flying the Saltire in the event, which was won in the second edition in 1905 by Scot Dan Soutar before Norman Wood and Sandy Lyle finished runner-up to Gary Player and Greg Norman in 1974 and 1987 respectively.

Elsewhere, Bob MacIntyre makes his final appearance of the calendar campaign in a 20-man field headed by world No 1 Scottie Scheffler for the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas while it’s a first start of the new DP World Tour season for Grant Forrest, Connor Syme, Calum Hill and Ewen Ferguson in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player at Sun City in South Africa.