Challenging conditions at Royal Melbourne mark the DP World Tour’s Crown Australian Open opener. Smylie, Ortiz, and Fox share the lead.
The 2025 DP World Tour season continued with the Crown Australian Open at the iconic Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where fast greens, swirling winds, and complex breaks tested the field from the start.
Smylie, Ortiz, and Fox share lead after Round 1
Elvis Smylie, Carlos Ortiz, and Ryan Fox all carded impressive six-under-par 65s to top the leaderboard after the opening round. Smylie, the highest-ranked Australian in the Race to Dubai 2025, impressed at his home Open with seven birdies and just one bogey. “A 65 at Royal Melbourne in the first round of the Australian Open is great,” he said. “I want to play smart and know when to attack and when to hold back.”
New Zealander Ryan Fox matched Smylie’s score with eight birdies and two bogeys. “I would’ve taken even par this morning,” Fox admitted, citing the tough winds and demanding course setup. His early birdie streak on holes 2–4 and a repeat on 13–15 helped him stay ahead.
Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz continued his solid form after a top-25 in Brisbane last week. His round included six birdies, two bogeys, and an eagle on the 17th. “You have to respect this course, and I think we did that well,” Ortiz said.
Wiesberger, McIlroy among notable names
South Africa’s Michael Hollick delivered the shot of the day with a hole-in-one on the 7th, finishing at two-under. Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger sits one stroke behind at -1 after a rollercoaster round of five birdies and four bogeys. “Crazy wind. Hard and dry course. A 5-hour-40-minute round,” he shared via Instagram, but remained optimistic about his under-par finish.
Rory McIlroy had a mixed start, with five birdies offset by six bogeys to finish at +1. “I need to putt better. I’m struggling to read the lines—they’re very tricky,” said the PGA Tour Player of the Year nominee.
Challenging conditions impact the field
Several players from the DACH region struggled in the tough conditions. Yannik Paul and Joel Girrbach are tied at T105 with +3, while Freddy Schott (+6) and Maximilian Steinlechner (+7) are further back. Paul had warned pre-tournament about Royal Melbourne’s firm fairways and demanding greens—a prediction that proved accurate on day one.