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DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI

November 19, 2015

Rory McIlroy

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. You don't have finishes that often like that out on Tour.
RORY McILROY: No, definitely not. Never really looked like a 4. It into the bunker off the tee, hit a good lay-up shot but terrible third shot. I was thinking, it was one of those ones where you just had to get it out and it could trundle its way toward the hole. I knew I could get it close. Pleased to see it drop in.

Q. As we say in the trade, the scorecard paints no pictures, young man. But bodes well on the tee, on the practise fairway: I watched you, and you are very close. I watched you and you were flushing 6-irons there, and it was as good as I've seen you swing it. How close are you?
RORY McILROY: I'm very close, I am. I hit a lot of good shots out on the course but not as many as you've seen. I actually had a great warmup. Sometimes it happens like that. You have great warmups and it doesn't quite translate on to the course and you'll have not-so-great a warmup and you'll strike it great on the course.

Ball-striking tee-to-green for the most part has been very good, all throughout the year and it's been the putter that held me back. But I felt like I putted well today, so that bodes well for the next three days.

Q. I take it there's huge excitement when you're chipping in at the bunker from the last like that.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, nice way to finish. It was a bit scrappy before that. I bogeyed the 10th hole and then got it back with a couple of good birdies straightaway. In between those birdies and the birdie at the last, there was a bit of ugly golf in there.

But it's nice to get around in 68. I felt like it was a little struggle at times out there but to produce something like that and obviously the way I finished makes it feel a lot better.

Q. There are times we are looking for good omens in this game. Is that one of those moments?
RORY McILROY: It could be. I said on the way in, I got enough practise out of the bunkers on the back nine.

Yeah, to finish like that is fantastic. I think one of the best things about today was how I putted. I felt like I putted well, and if I can continue to do that over the next three days, I'll be very close.

Q. I imagine you'd like to guard against calling this match play, but with Danny Willett alongside you, does it feel like it?
RORY McILROY: No, not really. I'm fortunate that I've been in this position a few times before. I think the first time I came in here was going against Lee Westwood in 2009, I treated it a bit like match play, which probably wasn't a good idea, and he played fantastically and won the tournament. I think I finished third.

I've been in this position; I think this is the fourth time and this tournament that I was in the last group going off the first day. Got a little bit more experience and hopefully that gives me a little bit of an advantage.

Q. Can you give us an idea of how quickly your emotions changed on that closing hole, having found the bunker with what looked a fairly routine approach, and then of course holing out from that hazard?
RORY McILROY: It was more frustrating, one of the camera guys behind me went a little early, on the top of my backswing and sort of put me off and more frustrated about that than anything else. And then to follow that up with a bunker shot like that was nice. Got enough practise out of them on the back nine. I felt like it was a bit of scrappy golf in there. But to get it around in 68 today in tricky conditions is a good effort.

Q. To round off your 18 holes in that fashion, it's the kind of thing that can give you a real springboard for tomorrow.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it definitely feels much better birdieing the last hole, just to birdie that and you shoot 4-under par and get myself just a little bit closer to the leaders, yeah, it feels good going into the next three days.

Q. Talking to Danny, he was relishing the jousting element of you two playing together. Is it the same sort of dynamic for you?
RORY McILROY: Not really. As I said there, I think this is my fourth time in the final two ball in this tournament. So I've got a bit of experience at it before, and I feel like the first time I approached it with Westwood, I treated it a bit like match play and I probably shouldn't have.

But obviously this time is a little different, more experienced, even though it's so close. All I can do is focus on myself and try and win the golf tournament, and if I do that, then obviously everything else will fall into place.

Q. Have to ask you about one other development in the golfing world. Tiger Woods being named as a vice captain for the American Ryder Cup Team. What's your reaction to that?
RORY McILROY: I mean -- he's not playing?

Q. He says that he'd like to play, obviously, but he's put his hand up and he and Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk have been named as vice captains.
RORY McILROY: I don't know what to think about that. I don't know whether to, yeah, I really don't. It's great that he wants to help the U.S. Team in any way that he can, and if that's not in a playing capacity, then as a vice captain. Just sort of makes me think what really his health is like and how he feels, like he's going to come back from that.

But yeah, great for the U.S. Team obviously to have him involved in any way that they can. Yeah, I'd rather see him on the course at Hazeltine but if not, at least he'll be there and it will be a good addition for them.

Q. As you've hinted there, it does give the impression that he perhaps seeing his role somewhat different going forward.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, quite surprised at that, but any ways, just have to wait and see what happens.

Q. Just says hopes to be fit and healthy to play. Could be an inspiration, to an already young group?
RORY McILROY: I think. So if you look at the guys that are going to be on that team, the likes you have Justin Thomas or a Daniel Berger, some of these real young guys that are coming through: Obviously Jordan, I think Jordan and Tiger have become quite close the last six or 12 months. Those younger guys that are similar age to me or a little bit younger that grew up idolising Tiger, to have someone like him to be a part of the team, that will be great for them.

Q. So a smart move, you'd say?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. One of the smarter ones.

Q. How good was that bunker shot on the last? Doesn't seem to have any room to play with at all?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's one of those ones where all I needed to do was splash it out and land it on the top of the hill and have it trundle on down to the hole anyway. It was just a bonus I got it exactly on the right line but I knew I could get it quite close without having to really do much. It was just nice to see it go in.

Q. Are you expecting the greenkeepers to be having a word with you on 17 or did you not make too much damage?
RORY McILROY: I made a little more than I wanted to. I didn't catch it heavy but I took a little more of a divot than I wanted and came up a bit short. That's the second time in three tournaments I've had to chip off a green. I chipped off the first green in Turkey a few weeks ago.

Q. Holing the bunker shot on 18 in Hong Kong; any other ones that stand out?
RORY McILROY: There's been a couple of chip-ins at big moments but not bunker shots.

Q. What are your impressions of Keith Pelley?
RORY McILROY: I love everything: I love his vision, I love how aggressive he's going to be going forward. It's nice that he sees The Irish Open as a very big part of The European Tour going forward, as well, which I'm grateful for. I'm trying to work with him for that.

Q. What about the following week's event, what he said, what he called the Flagship Event?
RORY McILROY: He makes a great point. The Colonial in America has a prize fund of a million more. He said to me in his words, if that's our Flagship Event, that's a bit embarrassing for The European Tour.

So there's a lot of things to be done, but he's made great start and he's saying all the right things. You know, Justin, Henrik and I -- I had breakfast with him for about 40 minutes, and then Justin and Henrik I and met them for about an hour and a half that afternoon, as well, just going through a few different things: What he sees and just asking us what we would like to see and what we need and what the biggest differences are between this tour and the PGA Tour.

And just trying to, as he keeps saying -- not for us guys but, for the guys coming through, provide them, like a Matt Fitzpatrick or someone like this, provide them a viable alternative instead of going to America because they feel like they have to. Now they can stay at home and have $10, $7 million events to play in with plenty of World Ranking points; and then they can go over and play the majors and WGCs and three or four invites on the PGA Tour, if they don't feel like they get enough good golf on The European Tour.

I love where he's thinking. I love everything that he's saying. It's just a matter of now trying to implement those changes, which is obviously easier said than done.

Q. Seeing that French flag and that little drawing helps puts things in perspective?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I guess it's my first time in the public eye since it happened and I just wanted to pay tribute and show a little bit of solidarity with France.

Yeah, it's horrendous. Sean was there when it happened, so first thing I saw when I got off the plane, text him and just made sure that he was okay. But yeah, some things are obviously much bigger than golf, and this little thing on the hat reminds me of that this week.

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