|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 31, 2015Rory McIlroyDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. 6‑under today, 20‑under for the total. Give us your thoughts on that round? RORY McILROY: Front nine was very good. I didn't put a foot wrong on the front nine and when I missed that little short putt on 10, seemed like that momentum I had just sort of went away and had to scramble a little bit for pars coming in. It was nice to make one birdie on 17 and then a great save on the last. It was nice to go out there today with no bogeys. Can't complain. Another good round and a great position going into tomorrow. Q. You're 5‑under through nine; what were you saying to yourself at that stage? RORY McILROY: Just try to get as many in front as I can. I knew I had some chances coming in. But saying that, the back nine did play tricky. The greens got firm and the wind got up a little bit. It was hard to get the ball close to the hole. You had to hit really quality shots to give yourself chances for birdies, and I didn't quite do that on the back nine like I did on the front. Q. Course record enter your mind at that stage? RORY McILROY: No, it never did. It was just about trying to get as far ahead of everyone else as I could. Q. So birdies are drying up and things are getting frustrated and then down 17 behind the tree, what are you thinking there? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think you saw the lie, as well. Wasn't a great lie. Just trying to get it anywhere on the green and it came out nicely. It came out a little bit softer than I had planned, and trundled on there. I was sort of saying to myself, giving myself a putt at least somewhere on the green, and ended up giving myself a nice chance and able to roll that in was a bonus. Q. You obviously look forward to 18, hoping to birdie that one. What happened with your second shot? RORY McILROY: I only had 205 front. I don't carry a 3‑iron so it was between a 4‑iron and a 5‑wood, and pulled a 4‑iron, and out of that semi‑rough, the ball can sometimes come out a little bit spiny on me and that's what happened.       Didn't reach the green. It was a good shot, good strike, but if it had of been on the fairway, it was probably a good yardage for me. But out of the semi‑rough, I needed to step on it and just didn't quite get it there. Q. The crowd reaction on the last, what did that mean to you? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it meant a lot. To be bogey‑free again today was important to me, especially when you're going out with the lead, not to make any mistakes makes it that much harder for anyone else. Just to get that up‑and‑down on the last was big for momentum going into tomorrow. Q. At a tournament that is special to you, is this a huge thrill to be 20‑under through three rounds? RORY McILROY: It is. I'm very happy. I feel like I could be a little bit more but I'm not going to complain. I'm four ahead going into the final day, so put myself in a great position to win tomorrow. Just have to go and try and play similar golf to the way I have the first three days. Q. Tremendous front nine, I take it was harder work on the way home? RORY McILROY: It was. It felt like when I missed that little one on 10 for birdie, all the momentum I had just sort of evaporated and made things difficult for myself coming in. But very, very happy that I didn't drop a shot coming in and then it was a huge up‑and‑down on the last to save par. Q. Absolutely, when you found yourself in the lake, unaccustomed to that kind of position and still making a par out of it, it's a great lift, isn't it? RORY McILROY: It is. It almost felt as good as a birdie. Really, really happy with that, and I didn't want to give anything back to the field. When you're going out and you're leading, if you don't make any mistakes, it just makes it that much harder for everyone else. That's what I'm going to try and do again tomorrow. Q. Does it feel like a well‑oiled machine at the moment or pretty smooth? RORY McILROY: It is pretty smooth, or it was for the first nine holes, anyway. Felt like for the first time this week where I struggled a little bit but felt like I kept it together nicely and didn't drop any shots on the way in. The back nine was playing pretty tricky. The greens were getting firm and the wind was getting up, and not to make any mistakes on the way home is nice. Q. Nice advantage to the final round but I'm sure you'll take nothing for granted. RORY McILROY: Not at all. I've been in this position many times before I know the pitfalls that are waiting out there. So it's just a matter of sticking to the same game plan, being aggressive, making committed swings and giving myself as many chances for birdies as I can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|