Australian Open Golf: 2026 Dates, Venue, Field & Tips

Jul 31, 2026

The Australian Open is golf's national championship and the biggest tournament on the Australian calendar. The 2026 Crown Australian Open runs 3-6 December at Kingston Heath with Rory McIlroy confirmed. Here's the venue, the Australians to watch and where the betting value sits.

The Australian Open is golf’s national championship and the biggest tournament on the Australian calendar. The 2026 Crown Australian Open runs Thursday 3 December to Sunday 6 December 2026 at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, with Rory McIlroy confirmed in the field. Below: the dates, the venue, how the tournament works, the Australians to watch and where the betting value sits.

⛳ 2026 Crown Australian Open: Thu 3 – Sun 6 December, Kingston Heath Golf Club. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is the defending champion. Rory McIlroy is confirmed to play.

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Australian Open 2026: key details

Detail	Info
Event	2026 Crown Australian Open
Dates	Thursday 3 – Sunday 6 December 2026
Venue	Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne
Format	72 holes of stroke play
Sanctioning	Co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia
Defending champion	Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Headline name confirmed	Rory McIlroy

Kingston Heath: what the course does

Kingston Heath is one of the finest courses in the world and a genuine Melbourne Sandbelt test. It returns to the Australian Open rota having last hosted in 2024, when Ryggs Johnston won by three.

The Sandbelt rewards a specific skill set: precise iron play into small, firm, heavily bunkered greens, and the imagination to play the ground rather than fly everything at the flag. It is not a bomber’s course. Length matters far less here than at a US venue, which is exactly why the winners list is so varied — and why European and Australian players with strong short games travel well to it.

Wind is the other variable. Melbourne in early December can serve up four genuinely different days, and a player who catches the wrong side of the draw can be out of the tournament by Friday afternoon.

The Australians to watch

The national championship always brings the Australian contingent home, and the local angle is the main reason this event matters to Australian punters.

Cam Smith is the marquee home name and went desperately close last year, finishing one shot behind Neergaard-Petersen. Min Woo Lee is the other headline Australian, and his game — strong iron play, elite short game, a willingness to be aggressive — suits Sandbelt golf well. Cameron Davis has already won this title, in 2017.

Field confirmations land through October and November. For the historical picture, see our Australian Open past winners page.

Betting the Australian Open

Do not assume the world ranking tells you much. Ryggs Johnston won in 2024 from outside the world’s top 900. A co-sanctioned field mixes DP World Tour regulars, Australasian tour players and a handful of stars, and the ranking spread is enormous. Outright prices are correspondingly long, and genuine longshots win this tournament.

Sandbelt form beats general form. Players who have performed at Kingston Heath, Royal Melbourne or Victoria before are worth more than players in good form elsewhere. This is a specific test and it repeats.

Top Australian is the market to know. With the whole home contingent in the field and international stars taking the short prices, “top Australian” and each-way markets usually offer better value than the outright.

Check the draw and the wind. In a 72-hole event with a two-tee start, morning and afternoon waves can face different courses. Compare markets in our best betting sites in Australia guide.

How to watch in Australia

The Australian Open is played in Australian time — the enormous advantage of a home tournament. Expect coverage across free-to-air and Fox Sports/Kayo, with the weekend rounds finishing in the Melbourne afternoon. Exact broadcast details are confirmed closer to the event.