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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 29, 2015Rory McIlroyDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. A good day's work? RORY McILROY: Yeah, a decent score. Started pretty similar to how I started in Abu Dhabi. I didn't hit a fairway until the 17th, which is my eighth hole, but I scored well for those holes that I didn't hit it so well on and hit some nice shots and made some nice birdies on the way in. Can't complain with 66 to start. You're not going to get the course any easier out there today and it was a decent way to start. Q. Very satisfying I would have thought to find your rhythm as the round goes on? RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely, and converting some of the chances that I was giving myself, as well, something that I didn't do enough of in Abu Dhabi a couple weeks ago. Q. We talked a lot about momentum and keeping your name on the leaderboard and just keeping the aura and presence there and you've done that again today? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I feel I'm playing well enough to keep it there and even from the start of the tournament, there's no reason to try and play‑‑ just try and get up the leaderboard as soon as you possibly can. It's another good start here. I feel like I've started off this tournament pretty well the last few years, and it's another good one and hopefully something to build on. Q. Does it provide a special feeling for you when you do get here? One thing teeing it up in practice and Pro‑Ams and challenge matches and that sort of thing, but under the gun? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I know the golf course so well. I think that's the nice thing about it, as the years go on, you keep going back to golf courses that you do know so well and you're more and more comfortable on. You can see out there, even when you're not playing your best, you know how to get it around and that's what I did today. Q. How impressed were you with Andy Sullivan? RORY McILROY: Very impressed. His golf game is really solid. Worked the ball both ways, played the shots, lovely putter of the ball. He did impress me because I didn't know much about him beforehand. I had seen a little bit, I saw his hole‑in‑one to go to space in Holland, and obviously I saw a bit of the playoff a few weeks ago. But yeah, really solid game. Q. In elite company, as well? RORY McILROY: Yeah, didn't do too badly. Q. Fantastic first round, what makes you feel so comfortable straightaway? RORY McILROY: I don't know, I just go out there with I guess no expectations in a way. I'm just going out there to try and play the best I can and I feel that I've started most tournaments off very well the last‑‑ I shot 66 in Dubai at the end of last year. I shot a 67 last time in Abu Dhabi there and then here 66. So I keep getting off to good starts, which is nice, and it gets you right in the mix right away. Hopefully I can build on that this week. Q. Do you have an extra gear, on 6 and 8‑‑ RORY McILROY: When I need to, yeah. When I need to. Q. About 25 yards? RORY McILROY: Yeah, the one on 6 was pretty special but yeah, you're just flatting out the ball flight a little bit, try to get a little bit more run on it. Q. How much of a better golfer do you think you are here after this round compared to when you won the first event? RORY McILROY: Oh, I'm much better. These sort of scores come a lot easier to me these days, managing my game and knowing how to shoot a score‑‑ back then, 66 would have been a really good score for me and these days it's sort of what I expect of myself. Q. Your thoughts on a very tidy start? RORY McILROY:  Yeah, it was good. A little disappointing to bogey the last but the golf I played up until then was nice. It's a solid start. I felt I hit the ball very well for the most part, gave myself plenty of birdie chances and was able to convert a few more of them than I was doing in Abu Dhabi a couple weeks ago. Putted nicely and definitely something to build on for the next few days. Q. Am I right to presume it's good to play in a group like that, as well, with all three of you playing well. RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. Andy and Martin got off to quite fast starts, and I was trying to just hang in there with him for a while. I had a nice little run there the middle of the front nine. It was good. It is nice when everyone is playing well and you keep seeing good shots after good shot and feel like you can get into your rhythm better. Q. The course is always in good shape but looks particularly so this year? RORY McILROY: It is. It's the best I've seen it. The greens are pure, they really are. You have no excuses, if you hit a putt online, it will definitely go in. It's a pleasure to play a course like this when it's in this condition. Q. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but any gauge of what the score might be come the end of the week when it started so well? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it really depends on the conditions. It looks like 7‑under is going to lead at the end of the day depending what guys do this afternoon. If it stays like this, conditions‑wise, you're looking at 20‑plus under. If the wind gets up a little bit, probably somewhere between 15 and 20 but right now, if the conditions stay like this, you're looking at low to mid 20s is going to win. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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