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ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 16, 2015Rory McIlroyABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. Overall, how did you feel about your round today? RORY McILROY: I felt really good. I went to the range yesterday and worked a little bit on a couple of things, and I drove the ball much better today, which you need to around here. Ball‑striking‑wise, I couldn't really fault it. I played really well from tee‑to‑green. Felt like I was hitting some good putts, as well, that just weren't dropping. Yeah, I'm not going to complain with a 66. It's a great position to be going into the weekend. Q. So first hole‑in‑one ever on hole 15. Obviously your putter wasn't working, you missed a short one on 13 and 14, and you solved that by holing out on 15? RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely made up for the two previous holes. It was a perfect number. It was straight downwind, 177, and I had a 9‑iron. The 12th hole was playing sort of similar and I hit 9‑iron there and pitched 194 so I knew it was a pretty good number. As soon as it left, it looked like it had a chance. Took a nice little hop to the right. First one ever in competition as a pro, so obviously beers are on me tonight. Q. Was making a hole‑in‑one on the back of that boarding card at all this year? RORY McILROY: No, it wasn't. That wasn't one of the goals. Guess that's something just to put down as a nice little bonus. Q. Hole‑in‑one, first time in your professional career, something special? RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. It was unexpected. I had been playing well but I had not been putting so good. So that took the putter out of it thankfully and didn't need to get the putter out on that hole. I felt like at that point I had missed a few opportunities and I had missed a couple of short ones on 13 and 14, so to be able to make up with that with a hole‑in‑one on 15 was nice. Q. You didn't seem to celebrate much? RORY McILROY: I guess it's the same as making a 3 on a par 5. An eagle is an eagle at the end of the day. But yeah, it got me a couple closer to Martin and that's really what I wanted. Yeah, it's nice to make hole‑in‑ones and stuff, but I wanted to make sure I was concentrating on the final three holes and not let that sort of overshadow what I was actually trying to do out there, which was get as close to the lead as possible. Q. I suppose it made what was a modest scoring round into a very tidy one in the end. RORY McILROY: Yeah, exactly, it was the same as yesterday. I was even through nine holes yesterday and played my back nine in 5‑under par, and did the same thing out there again today. I'd like the two nines to be a little more even tomorrow, but I'll take it and in a good position heading into the weekend. Q. I take it, in essence, you're in a tidy position, a fine position for the weekend. RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's always tough giving Martin Kaymer a two‑shot advantage over 36 holes around this place, but I'll try my best. He's obviously playing very well, and I feel like I'm playing good, as well. So see if I can put some pressure on him. Q. How do you find Abu Dhabi again? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's good. I always enjoy coming back to Abu Dhabi. This is my eighth year in a row playing in this event and feel like it's got bigger and better every year. Golf course is great. The strength of the field is really good. You're testing yourself against some of the best players in the world at the start of the year. So perfect place to start the season. Q. You certainly know how to make a headline, don't you. RORY McILROY: Yeah, I guess so. I guess I'm just going out there and trying to do my best. Yeah, it was another solid round out there, obviously the highlight being that hole‑in‑one. Just really happy with how I'm playing. I'm much happier with how I drove the ball. I worked a little bit on the range yesterday and it seemed to pay off today. Q. Have you ever thought that it was quite extraordinary, given the amount of competitive golf that you have played as a professional that you have never had a hole‑in‑one before? RORY McILROY: Not really. You hear of guys never having hole‑in‑ones throughout their career. There's obviously a bit of skill involved but a bit of luck, as well. I'm come close, I've holed second shots, all that sort of stuff. It was nice to get one out there finally. Q. Talk us through it? RORY McILROY: I guess I have to start the previous two holes where I missed two really easy birdie chances, so I sort of made up for it with that and didn't need to putt. But I had 177 yards and it was a perfect 9‑iron because it was straight downwind. So I hit a 9‑iron on the 12th hole, which was a similar direction. That pitched 174, so I knew it was going to be a good number for me, so I just stepped up and hit a normal 9‑iron and it never left the pin thankfully. Q. It sets up a wonderful weekend, and chasing someone like Martin Kaymer with his record around this place, that's just the sort of challenge you want, isn't it? RORY McILROY: It really is. You look at Martin has got a phenomenal record around here, and I couldn't think of a better way to start the season than to test yourself against one of the best players in the world, two‑time major champion, plays this course really, really well. So I'm looking forward to the weekend. Q. And from your point of view, a much better‑ball striking round today compared with the first round. RORY McILROY: Yeah, I felt like yesterday was a little scrappy but today I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, hit a lot of quality golf shots, which is what I've been seeing in practice over the last sort of ten days, and it was nice to see it out on the course today. I'll need to do more of that over the weekend if I am to try and catch Martin. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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