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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2015

Rory McIlroy

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WASHINGTON

Q. Looked like a championship gesture there when you rolled that putt on 18. Does that say it all in terms of finally getting one to roll?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it took a while to hole one there. I missed seven good chances on the back nine -- or seven makeable putts, anyway. It was just nice to see one drop at the last there. Yeah, I feel like I turned a 65 into a 70 today. Just real disappointed.

Q. A lot of guys looked like they are missing today. Is it you or the putters or is it the surface?
RORY McILROY: It's me, but then whenever you start to miss a couple you start to get a little tentative. You start to doubt yourself. You start to doubt the greens a little bit. And then it just sort of -- it snowballs from there. I holed a few nice ones early on, but once I missed a couple it got into my head and couldn't really get out of it.

Q. Henrik said it was like putting on broccoli. He said I don't want to get too much of a fine, so I'll shut up from here.
RORY McILROY: I don't think they're as green as broccoli. I think they're more like cauliflower. Like, they are what they are, everyone has to putt on them. It's all mental. Some guys embrace it more than others, and that's really the way it is. It is disappointing that they're not in a bit better shape. But the newer greens like 7 and 13, they're perfect. They're just -- one grass, fescue, and the ball rolls really well on those. But it's just the ones where the poa has sort of crept in and the two grasses grow at different speeds and that's what gives it the bumpiness.

Q. When you got here a week ago were they better?
RORY McILROY: Yes. Yeah, they were. I played last Sunday and I felt like they brought it a little too much towards the brink then. And it's always a struggle from then to sort of rein it back little bit. I would have liked to see them keep it a little greener for the practice rounds and then gradually as the tournament progresses get a little firmer. That might have kept the greens in a bit better shape, but you never know. I've never been here before, but I hear that the weather isn't always like this. So if there had been a little bit of moisture and had it been overcast the greens might not have gotten baked out and as bumpy as they are.

Q. How frustrated were you leaving here yesterday?
RORY McILROY: I was very frustrated to drop three shots on the last two holes and go from somewhat in contention, six shots back to nine shots back. It's a big difference, especially here when it's so hard to make up shots, so hard to make birdies. So I was disappointed, but at least I had a chance today to go out and try and shoot a good score and get myself somewhat back into it. And for half of the round today it looked like I would. And it was just another disappointing finish.

Q. Have you ever had an experience anywhere near what happened to Jason yesterday on the course?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I fainted a couple of times. I don't suffer from vertigo, I suffer from low blood pressure. So if I go from a sitting position to standing up I get a little bit lightheaded at times. It's never happened on the golf course, thankfully. I was just glad to hear Jason was okay. I guess he's going to tee it up today and I guess he's okay for that.

Q. You ground it out and kept going even though it's been a frustrating three days. Are you pleased with that?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I am. I'm pleased with how I've kept it going. But the way I feel like I'm playing, it's a lot easier to do that than when you're not hitting fairways and not hitting greens. I'm hitting great shots and great drives and giving myself chances the whole time. So it's just hard to stay patient whenever I'm not holing anything. I feel mentally I've accepted most things this week, which is good.

Q. What did you think of the pin placements today?
RORY McILROY: What one? Every?

Q. Yes.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think the course is really set up for a longer hitter today just with where they've put the tees, where they've put some of the pins. They're tough. It's a U.S. Open. The greens are getting firmer. It's hard to stop balls where you want them to. I mean even the holes where you think you have a chance, like 16, it's short. They put the pin right there up there on that little knob on the front of the green and it's hard to get close to that. They give you 110-yard par 3 on 17, but it's a pin where if you don't hit it right on line, I think that hole is going to cause a bit of havoc this afternoon. They're tough. That's to be expected at a U.S. Open.

Q. More aggressive tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: I don't know. I don't think I can. I've hit it as well as I can. And I've given myself plenty of chances. Just try to do the same thing and try to play the birdieable holes better. I made par on 12 today, par on 18. There are chances that you need to take advantage of out here.

Q. What about this last bunker shot on 18? Were you surprised that it ended so far from the pin?
RORY McILROY: I didn't have a great lie. It was sort of -- there's a lot of sand in these bunkers, and it was sort of half buried, half plugged. I didn't really have much of a shot. I was hoping that it would catch a slope and not go that far. But as I said, it was nice to hole a putt at the last and not shoot over par.
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