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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICFebruary 1, 2015Rory McIlroyDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MICHAEL GIBBONS: Congratulations, OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic Champion. RORY McILROY: Thank you. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Talk us through your day. Obviously looked like cruise control but give us your assessment of it and we'll go to questions. RORY McILROY: Yeah, I guess it was a little bit. I knew if I just wasn't out there and played a solid round of golf, especially getting here today and seeing that the breeze was up, it was going to be difficult for anyone to really put together a low score, especially on that front nine. So yeah, just wanted to keep my ball in play and not really make any mistakes and try and pick off some birdies when I could on the par5s and stuck to my game plan very well.  Made good, committed, aggressive swings to where I wanted to hit it. I drove the ball a lot better today, which allowed me to be able to put the ball in the right positions with my second shots and not really leave myself in any tricky spots. Yeah, look, I did what I needed to do. It wasn't the best round that I've played this year but I got the job done and that's the most important thing. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Great to get a win so early in the season to set you up. RORY McILROY: Yeah, that was sort of the objective coming to the Middle East, just after the new year, I wanted to get at least one win going heading to the States and getting into the sort of big part of the season I guess. It's great to get that win and coming off a good performance in Abu Dhabi, as well, I've got some confidence and momentum on my side heading into the next couple months. MICHAEL GIBBONS: In pretty decent form. We'll take questions for Mr.McIlroy. Q. A few second places since last win. Did it feel like 25 weeks since you last picked up a trophy? RORY McILROY: Yeah, it did, it did (chuckles). It's not a bad thing I guess, finishing second but it's not really what you want. I had chances to win and wasn't able to capitalise on a couple of them; and I sat here in front of you guys on Wednesday saying that I didn't want to finish second anymore, and it's nice to be able to get the victory and sort of back up what I say with my performance on the course. Q. And just to follow up, you said out there that you didn't quite get the number you wanted. You are obviously aware of the record and I just wonder if there was ever a temptation to push it. RORY McILROY: No, when I parred the ninth hole, I think I was 20, and I set myself a target of 24, because I knew there was four good chances on the back nine, the three par 5s and the 17th. But, look, at the end of the day, I could have pushed and tried to get to 24 on the last couple of holes, but you know, when you're four clear, you're just trying to get the thing over and done with and not make any silly mistakes, and that's what I did. Q. Given how naturally aggressive a golfer you are who likes to make a lot of birdies, was it anywhere near frustrating that you were playing so solid, and yet not making as many birdies as you would have liked, or were you okay with that today? RORY McILROY: No, I was okay. No, look, I was just trying to keep my lead as comfortable as I could. I set myself that target of 24 I didn't quite get to, but I realised after I birdied 13 and sort of made two solid pars on 14 and 15 that I just needed to keep the ball in play and not make any mistakes and that's sort of what I did. At that point in the tournament, it's all about just getting the job done, no matter what it takes, and that's what I did. Q. And given that the Teapot is yours, you will shift your focus to something else this week; have you now started thinking about that, the trip to Dublin? RORY McILROY: Let me enjoy this for an hour or two, first, Joy (laughter). Q. Is there any sense that you wish the Masters was next week rather than Dublin, and is it a question of just trying to keep it ticking over now for the next couple of months? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think it is just a matter of keep ticking it over. I've done a lot of good work the last few weeks here in the Middle East and I've got three weeks off now to, well, I won't have three weeks of hitting balls I guess, but I'll have at least a good week of preparation going into the Honda. But yeah, I'll keep it ticking over. It will be nice to get back in the States and get in my own house and get into a routine and practice and stuff. Yeah, I don't mind that the Masters is still a couple of months away. I feel like I can keep this run of form going, and there's no reason why I shouldn't. I'm comfortable with my game. I'm happy with how I'm swinging it and just a matter of keeping on top of things and not getting complacent and working hard. Q. I think G‑Mac was saying he's got one of those, as well, at home. I just wonder, you've probably got one from your previous win. Have you got somewhere to keep two, and is it something you can put anything in like the Claret Jug? RORY McILROY: I wouldn't want to fill this with anything (laughter). Be expensive for a start. Actually, yeah, the one that I do have‑‑ they actually don't‑‑ I don't think they give the full‑size. Because it was actually my mother kept going on and onto them about them not sending the like full‑size replica, so they ended up giving me one a couple years ago. It sits on like my fireplace at home. So hopefully I can get another one. It would be a nice bit of Sim met try on either side, would be good. Q. I know it's one year down the line but will you be coming back to defend the title? RORY McILROY: I'm not sure. Look, it is one year down the line. Look, I've played nine of the past ten years, so there's a strong possibility but we'll see what I want to do at the start of next season. It seems like this little Middle East run that I start my season off with works pretty well for me. So yeah, I mean, it's a strong possibility. Q. You finished second and first in your first two events on The European Tour. What sort of message and what does it say about your determination to your rivals coming back on to the PGA TOUR in a few weeks? RORY McILROY: I guess that I come to win every week. I don't know, it's not like I'm out there trying to sends any sort of message to people but I guess if they are going to beat me, they are going to have to play well (laughing). Yeah, look, I don't know‑‑ I enter every event with the thought that I want to win, and there's no‑‑ that will be no different heading to the States or heading into whatever tournament it is. I feel like I'm at a place now with my game that if I turn up with a game that I know that I have, that I'll have a decent chance and at least try to get myself into contention. Q. We talked many years ago about the impact Michael Bannon has had on your game. What further impact is he delivering now with your game, do you think? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I sort of‑‑ I think I touched on this at the end of last year, where we still do quite a lot of technical work. But Michael is a pretty good player in his own right and it's nice to have chats with him about course management, and if he watches me play a tournament, I'll talk about, well, I was thinking about playing this shot into this pin but really I should have been playing this shot. Just little things like that, little tiny, minute details not a lot of people would talk about but that he would pick up on. He knows my game pretty well; he's been coaching me for 20 years. I obviously owe a lot of my success to him, and we work really well together and looking forward to catching up with him in Florida in a couple weeks' time to prepare for the start of the tournaments over there. Q. Given your sequence of high finishes at the moment, just wonder if you term this year‑high form? Do you believe you're at the peak of your powers at the moment? RORY McILROY: It's definitely the most consistent. Yeah, I haven't had a run like this before. I'm not quite sure what it is. It's five European Tour events in the last, whatever; but yeah, am I at the peak of my powers? I'd like to think that I could still get better. I'd like to think that I can still improve in certain areas. But right now, I'm very happy with where my game is, and as I said, I feel like each week I turn up, I have a chance to win. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Rory, many congratulations. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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