Rory McIlroy did not win Australian Open but still completed one of his missions

When he arrived in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, Rory McIlroy would not have envisaged a 10:12am tee time to start his final round.

The Northern Irishman must have been hoping he would not need to step up to Royal Melbourne's first hole until closer to midday, which was about the time the leading contenders were scheduled to get underway.

A patchy opening three rounds left McIlroy among the earlier starters on Sunday and he was too far back to launch a genuine challenge to the leaders, finishing in a share of 14th place on 7-under-par.

While McIlroy's main goal was to lift the Stonehaven Cup for the second time in his career, he still achieved another of his ambitions: helping to restore the prestige of the Australian Open.

Whether Jack Nicklaus truly meant the tournament was once golf's unofficial "fifth major" is up for debate, but some time has passed since it was regarded among the premier events on the international calendar.

The Australian Open's history and tradition have long been admired by McIlroy, who famously pipped Adam Scott by a stroke to win the 2013 edition when it was hosted by Royal Sydney.

He played an almost ambassadorial role while in Melbourne, spruiking the merits of the 121-year-old tournament at every opportunity, and his presence created a buzz around golf in Australia, not seen since Tiger Woods visited these shores.

"I think everyone really appreciated the atmosphere that they played in this week," McIlroy said on Sunday.

"Hopefully it'll be the same next year at Kingston Heath and hopefully the tournament sort of grows from here, and sort of gets back to the stature that it deserves."

Of course, a significant amount of money was forked out to secure McIlroy's services for consecutive Australian Open appearances (he is due to return next year).

But the investment has surely paid off across several metrics, including increased global interest and — most importantly for national governing body Golf Australia — the possibility of a financial windfall on the back of staggering attendance numbers.

More than 100,000 spectators converged on Royal Melbourne across the four rounds, with 33,408 making their way to the famous Sandbelt course on Sunday.

Speaking on Friday, McIlroy was blown away by the crowd response on the opening two days, which saw in excess of 40,000 come through the gates.

"I said to Adam [Scott] walking up in the first [hole], it didn't feel like a Friday afternoon round," McIlroy said.

"It felt like we were going out in the final group on a Sunday.

"Just that scene on the first tee was amazing. And then walking up the last [hole] and everyone's still here, and it's incredible."

Crowds flock to see McIlroy

Even though McIlroy was out of contention, the spectator gallery following the five-time major winner during his final round was heaving.

Fans crowded around the tees, lined the fairways and descended on the greens in greater numbers than those watching the lead group — consisting of winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, runner-up Cameron Smith and third-placed Si Woo Kim — for much of its round.

McIlroy endeared himself to his legion of fans by politely acknowledging them and accepting their encouragement, which came via regular calls of "Go Rory!".

The reigning Masters champion even made the day of one of his youngest supporters when he gifted and signed the cap he wore during his final 18 holes.

Attracting fans was only one part of the strategy underpinning McIlroy's recruitment.

Australian Open organisers would be hoping the success of the past four days will entice a larger number of the world's best players to contest the tournament in the coming years.

Former world number five Max Homa has already expressed interest and he surely will not be alone.

A conversation with US professional Matt McCarty — who finished in a share of eighth place — convinced McIlroy more world-class players will come, given the atmosphere and quality of Australia's golf courses.

"Matt McCarty and I were talking about it out there and I said, 'What brought you down here?' McIlroy recalled.

"He said, 'The golf course. I really wanted to play a tournament at Royal Melbourne … you compare this to a majority of PGA Tour events; this is so much better.'"

A congested international schedule and the jostling between competing tours creates a challenge to secure the best talent, with South Africa and Bahamas also hosting events during the past week.

McIlroy, though, is adamant the Australian Open should be the preferred option.

"If you compare this tournament to the other two tournaments going on in the world of golf this week, there's no comparison," McIlroy said on Sunday.

"Yes, the field in The Bahamas is stronger than the one here. But in terms of atmosphere, golf courses — basically everything else you're looking for in a tournament — I can't think of many better than this."

McIlroy may not have won the Australian Open, but his appearance in Melbourne will surely help put it back on the map.