A spectacular tournament deserved a spectacular ending, and so the Australian Open 2025 got what it deserved.
Just not the result the fans really wanted.
In a stunning reversal of the 72nd hole, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen came up and down from unlikely territory in long grass to the right of the green – and then Cameron Smith three-putted for bogey from the far edge of the green, giving Neergaard-Petersen his first DP World Tour victory in the process.
Thousands upon thousands of a sold-out crowd surrounded the final green as Smith and RNP all drew level on the final green, but after Neergaard-Petersen’s approach shot sailed into jail right, Smith found the green and placed himself squarely in the driver’s seat. It would have been a storybook ending for Smith’s 2025; this is the first time he has scored in eight non-LIV starts this year. Instead, it represented a huge step in the right direction, but also a particularly harsh way to fall short.
Instead, Neergaard-Petersen has his own perfect way to end 2025; Just a year after playing (and winning) the HotelPlanner Tour, he’s played well enough to earn a 2026 PGA Tour card and now his first win at the DPWT.
“Getting the win here at my last event of the year was the only thing missing from a perfect year. I’m so happy,” he said in an interview after the round.
We’ll have more to say about this glorious golf tournament, but in the meantime, here are some comments from Royal Melbourne.
-With the win, Neergaard-Petersen also qualifies for the Masters; This is the first year that the Australian Open has been included and he has taken full advantage of it.
“It means the world. The Masters is the event I watched so many times as a kid, I just dream of playing it,” he said.
-He is also the first Dane to win the Australian Open.
-His winning putt was remarkable. A big hit with confidence and perfect speed.
-Smith’s three-putt was understandable, if regrettable; he crossed the final green from miles away and his first putt broke a ridiculous amount.
-The birdie putt Smith made on No. 17 to stay level was really good stuff.
-Three players (Si Woo Kim, Michael Hollick) earning a spot in the 2026 Open Championship. That’s huge for Hollick, who has never played a major championship. It’s also huge for Scott, who is now set to play in all four Majors for the 25th straight season. Ridiculous streak.
-Rory McIlroy’s week was clearly meaningful for the man himself, but also for the thousands who followed him around Royal Melbourne. It’s fitting, then, that he ends with a jaunty, birdying Nos. 17 and 18 to go out on a high note.
“It was absolutely amazing,” McIlroy said after the round. “I’ve been looking forward to coming back here for a while.
“It’s obviously been over a decade since I played the Australian Open and I think the scenes there happened just once this week: the crowds, the golf course, they were absolutely incredible.”
Good news: he’ll be back next year.
We will be too.
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