	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TURKISH AIRLINES OPEN

October 30, 2015

Rory McIlroy

Antalya, Turkey

Q. 5-under today, what are your thoughts on that round?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was good. I felt like it was a round that could have been a bit better, especially the way I played around the middle of the round, not taking advantage of some of the holes coming in is a little disappointing. But anytime you can go the first 36 holes of a tournament without a bogey, it's not too bad.

Q. So what's the sense of frustration, knowing what you're capable of out there; was there a sense of frustration in your round?
RORY McILROY: A little bit. I was giving myself some chances. I felt like I didn't hit wedges close enough to really give myself good looks at birdies. But I think that's what this golf course is about. There's five par 5s. If you can pick those off and make birdies there, pick up a couple more shots along the way, then basically that's what you've got to do around here. And that's what I've done for the most part over the last couple of days.

Q. So is that the key to cracking this golf course?
RORY McILROY: I think so. If you can make your scores on the par 5s, there's a couple of other scorable par 4s and maybe pick up a birdie or two along the way; I birdied the 12th today, which isn't a hole that you would necessarily think is a birdie hole.

But if you play the par 5s, birdie every par 5 this week, you're going to be 20-under par if you don't make bogeys anywhere else, and that's not a bad place to start.

Q. Knowing that you left a couple of shots out there, how did you keep those frustrations at bay?
RORY McILROY: I guess when I looked at the leaderboard on the fourth hole, and I was ten shots back at that point, so to go from ten shots back to only four back going into the weekend, it's really not that much.

So I think that's why -- it could have been better out there, but I'm still within touching distance which is good.

Q. Do you set a target for the weekend?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think so. I really don't know what it's going to be. It probably has to be better than how I've played the first two days. So something around 20-, 25-under par and see where we go from there.

Q. Second consecutive 67. Yesterday you said that 67 was very solid. Do you feel the same today?
RORY McILROY: I DO, yeah. I feel like I hit the ball well again tee-to-green for the most part. I got to 5-under pretty quickly in this round after 13 today. A little disappointed that I didn't pick a couple more birdies off coming down the last few holes.

But it's a good round of golf. It's solid and another bogey-free round, so I can't really complain.

Q. We talked about this prior to the first round, and you were interested to see how your putter would react out there today. Now that you've had two days of competition, what's your assessment?
RORY McILROY: It feels good. It feels a lot betterment I think the last putt on the 18th green was an important one to hold to make sure I went 36 holes without a bogey. You know, it would have been really tough to take if I had of bogeyed the last when I'm thinking after the 13th hole today, I could maybe get tied for the lead with the holes that I had coming in. So not to drop a shot on 18 was nice.

Q. Driver has been one of your main weapons throughout your career. Were you satisfied with that play today?
RORY McILROY: I felt like I drove the ball very well today for the most part. I missed it left on 18 again. Same thing I did yesterday.

But I think I'm driving the ball well and I'm driving it pretty long. I'm driving it for the most part in the fairway. Setting myself up for attacking some of the par 5s and giving myself wedges into the par 4s, and if I can just be a little more clinical with my wedge play, I think I'll have a really good chance over the weekend.

Q. Your position right now heading into the weekend, are you comfortable where you are and do you think there's a low one in you just waiting to happen?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think the two 67s that I shot were very comfortable. I didn't really do much. I didn't hole any long putts. It was two solid days of golf.

So if I can get something going, I definitely feel -- there's been low scores out there the last couple days. I definitely feel like there's a 62 or a 63 out there for me.

Q. If you're only going to have one 5 on the scorecard, I suppose that's a pretty good one?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I had to scramble for 5s on the 18th the past two days. It wouldn't have been nice to bogey the last, especially after how I played. Didn't really look like making a bogey for the most part. It was nice to salvage a 5 there and still keeps me within touching distance going into the weekend.

Q. The third shot --
RORY McILROY: A lot, 30, 40 yards maybe. I was making sure if I was going to miss it, I was going to miss it right because obviously you have that water hazard on the left. Just making sure but it was a good lay-up. Put myself in a perfect position to get it up-and-down and it was nice to finish like that.

Q. Do you like that tee shot?
RORY McILROY: It's okay. There's not much definition out there. It feels like you're just aiming at trees. There's not really -- it's hard to define a left and right side of the fairway. So for me, it's quite hard to visualise a shot off there. Especially I was waiting on the tee there for ten minutes and sort of feel a bit stiff and you're not really into the rhythm of it. It isn't my favourite tee shot on the course.

Q. We know you can win by huge margins, but do you mind chasing, as well? Obviously Jaco is up there.
RORY McILROY: I looked at the leaderboard on the fourth green and at that point I think I was ten behind. So to be only four behind going into the weekend isn't much at all.

If I can get off to a good start -- I don't even need to, don't feel like I need to put myself under any pressure to get off to a good start tomorrow. Just play another solid round of golf and I'll hopefully be in there with a shout going into Sunday.

Q. Do you feel the other guys have one eye on your name on the leaderboard? Will that be a factor coming in?
RORY McILROY: I don't know. I really -- it's not for me to say. It's not for me to, but if I get myself up there, I feel like I've had a lot more experience than some of the guys up there on the leaderboard closing tournaments out, so I'd back myself.

Q. It looks like conditions will be more or less the same over the next two days. Do you have a figure in mind?
RORY McILROY: I'd say if I could -- I'd say if I replicated my first two rounds, I'm not sure that's going to be enough. Could be anything. It really depends. Matt went out there today and shot 63.

Someone from the 7- or 8-under pars could go out there tomorrow and shoot a 63 and a 64 and all of a sudden there's a bunch of guys between 15- and 20-under going into the final day. I would say somewhere between 20 and 25.

Q. Richard Bland came out on the front nine in 28. There's certainly some scores out there.
RORY McILROY: Exactly. There's a lot of chances, especially if you hit the ball in the fairway and get the ball in your hand, there's a lot of wedges.

Q. Do you feel like you're playing well within yourself?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, very, I feel like this is a stress-free two 67s as I've shot this year.

Q. More under the bonnet there?
RORY McILROY: I feel like there is. I haven't really -- made a couple of good putts to save pars over the past couple of days. But for the most part I'm giving myself chances on most greens.

I'm playing the par 5s well, and if I continue to play the par 5s well, I think that's the real key to this golf course, and maybe pick up a few more birdies along the way. Just go from there, yeah.

Q. Have you left anything out there over the two days, do you feel?
RORY McILROY: I think so. I think I have left a few out there.

Q. Because obviously if you're talking about 20- or 25-under, you're going to have to find some of that that you left out there over the first two days.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, but the good thing is I feel like I have left it out there. So I definitely feel like there's a lot more to come. I feel like I can hit the ball a little better. I can definitely get my wedges closer, and if I get my wedges closer, I'll give myself putts for birdies.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297