	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

THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE

June 3, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Dublin, Ohio

Q. How would you describe that in your best words -- or your worst words?
RORY McILROY: What's that?

Q. Your round.
RORY McILROY: My round? It's good. It sort of fizzled out at the end. I thought it had the potential to be something quite special after 11 holes, and then I missed something where you just can't miss it on 12. Then I made one birdie on the way in. But I felt like after 11 that it could have been at least a 64 or 63.

I don't think you can ever be too disappointed with a 66, but at the same time, it had the potential to be a little bit better. This is the sort of round I needed going into tomorrow. We're teeing off, and the leaders are 11 shots ahead of me. So at least I made a little ground up on them. To be five back going into the weekend isn't bad.

Q. Did you have an idea in mind in terms of lead when you were done?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, the middle of the back nine, I would like to have gotten to 9 just to be within three of the lead. I had some opportunities. I had a pure drive on 13 and I held a good putt for par there.

I knew 14 and 15 were going to be good chances. I didn't convert on 14, but I birdied 15.

I just feel like, with the places I put myself in the last few holes, not to maybe just pick up an extra shot was a little disappointing, especially the tee shot on 16, the par 3 that just ran through. And then as far down as I got it on 17 as well.

But it's a good round of golf. I feel like I played well. I feel like I can put another couple of rounds like that together over the weekend, and I shouldn't be too far away.

Q. So you pretty much did catch that one on 17 pretty good?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I hit that one good. I hit that one pretty good. As long as -- my game plan on 17 is always if I can carry that bunker on the right-hand side -- and the wind was helping a little bit -- then even if you do hit it a little left or right, it's not too bad. It actually makes the target a little bit bigger. It was one of my better ones today.

Q. Did you hear the news about Poultz, and what's your reaction as far as the Ryder Cup is concerned?
RORY McILROY: For Poultz, it's obviously tough. I didn't even know that he was struggling with his foot up until this point. I knew he hadn't been playing his best. It's tough to miss four months when it's a Ryder Cup year, and that's the event that he wants to play in more than anything else.

But if anything, it sort of makes Darren Clarke's job a little bit easier because Poultz was in a position where he might not have qualified for the team, but it's tough not to include him. Even if he wasn't playing his best, it might have put Darren in a difficult spot. But because of the injury, that might not be the case now. In a way, it makes Darren's life a little bit easier.

Q. Do you expect him to be in the background? If so, do his eyes get all big in the background?
RORY McILROY: I do. I think having Poultz a part of the team, he's been such a stalwart for us over the last few Ryder Cups, that it would be weird not to have him there. Hopefully, if he can't be there as one of the 12 playing, hopefully, he's there as a vice captain. He's always good fun and good to be around in the team room and the locker room. Again, if he couldn't be there playing, I'd love to see him there as a vice captain.

Q. I know it was four years ago, but give me one word to describe what the feeling was for you walking along with him late that Saturday.
RORY McILROY: Surreal. I always tell people, I got it started. I made birdie on 13, but everyone forgets that obviously.

It was surreal just to be walking there. I didn't need to hit a shot those last five holes. Yeah, go ahead. Do whatever you're doing and don't let me get in your way.

Yeah, it was -- I remember that putt on the last hole on Saturday night. I thought he'd missed it right. As soon as it left the putter, I thought he missed it right, but it went in. It was one of the coolest afternoons I've ever had on the golf course.

Q. Rory, what was it like being paired up with Jordan for these first two rounds? Was this the first time you guys have ever played with one another?
RORY McILROY: No, we played together the third round of the Masters this year. So that was a pretty big tournament to get paired in. Actually, he forgot that. He was talking about some ruling on 18 or someone called in about a ruling on the 18th green Thursday at Augusta, and I said, I know, I was there. He's like, Oh, yeah, that's right. I'm obviously quite forgettable.

Yeah, we've played together a good bit. I always enjoy playing with Jordan. He's a good guy. Yeah, we always have a lot of fun out there.

Q. There's a chance of rain on a Saturday and Sunday unfortunately. How does that affect how you kind of approach your game on the weekend? Could that even maybe benefit you, in a way, being kind of familiar with those types of courses?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, this course is -- you know, it's quite receptive already. So it doesn't need much water. Balls with still stopping pretty good on the greens. But, yeah, it's always -- it seems like every year this gets a little bit of rain and gets a bit wet. It's just the time of the year.

But we'll see what happens. I think it's improved as the week's went on, the forecast. So hopefully it's not too bad.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297