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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP BY COCA-COLA

September 24, 2015

Rory McIlroy

Atlanta, Georgia

Q. Talk about the round today and what was going well for you.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, obviously a solid start. Low scores aren't easy to come by around here at East Lake. To shoot 4-under par in the first day, it's a great position to be in.

I felt like the golf course was sort of as gettable as you could get it today. There wasn't much wind. I guess the humidity in the air obviously, now a little bit of rain. It was a little bit receptive.

The greens are so firm, but there was still enough give in them that if you hit a good shot it was going to stop pretty close to where it pitched.

So, as long as you put the ball in the fairway today, you had great chances to give yourself birdie putts and thankfully, I putted a little better today than I have done in the previous few weeks.

Q. Yesterday, you were asked that question about playing for the 10 million dollars, all that, and I'm curious, when you turned pro you were so young, did you ever think about the money then when you were playing? And if so, was it important to get past that to be successful?
RORY MCILROY: No, money's never motivated me. It's never been a motivating factor in my life. My dad and mom together probably earned I don't know, 40, 50 grand a year. Combined. That was sort of our household income.

So it was never really a motivating factor to me because we never had that much to begin with. So, I probably don't -- I mean starting off, I started earning money at 18 years old and earning quite a lot, so I probably don't appreciate the value of money like some other people do. It's just never been that important to me. It's nice, it's nice to have it. It's nice to have that security for your future and for your family's future, I guess. But if I wanted to get into golf for the money, I would be in it for the wrong reasons.

Q. So in those early days, after you turned pro, you never like caught yourself thinking, this putt is for X? In other words if I make it, I make this much more or less or what have you?
RORY MCILROY: I would actually feel more -- I wouldn't feel that much pressure if it was for X. I would feel more pressure if it was to win that tournament or if it was to beat this player. I would be way more nervous over a putt to beat Tiger Woods for a dollar than I would over a putt for 10 million dollars. It's just never been that much of a motivating factor for me.

It's always been about being the best player I can be, winning trophies, winning tournaments, and now with the position I'm in, luckily that's the way it always will be.

Q. Speaking of motivating, after what's gone on here, basically since The Open Championship, is there any motivation for you now as Jason and Jordan sort of have been up in the forefront a little bit more than as you had been last year and into this year?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think just motivation myself, knowing that it hasn't been the season that I've wanted it to be. It would be great to finish off this PGA TOUR season on a high, with a win. Whether that means winning the FedExCup at the end of it, that's not in my hands. All I can do is try to win this tournament and see what happens.

But, yeah, seeing what those guys have done is motivation. Not motivation to try to sort of be up there with them and be in the spotlight, just motivation to see how good they're playing. And I really feel like the standard of golf has sort of went up another level this year.

I played to, obviously, a very high standard last year and those guys have came up and matched that this year. Jason -- Jordan did what he did the first two Majors. Jason beating the 72 hole scoring record in a Major at the PGA. Golf's just never been in a better shape, and I think that in itself is motivating to me, knowing that I'm going to have to practice hard to just stay at this level and try and get better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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