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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Oakmont, Pennsylvania

RORY McILROY: For everyone out there, but whenever you're not really in control of what you're doing out there and struggling with your golf game, it was sort of just compounded by the fact that it was so stop and start, and I just really struggled.

Q. Of all of the challenges out there, what was the most challenging? What was the most difficult test?
RORY McILROY: Right now I just need to focus on trying to hit fairways and hit greens. I think I hit five fairways and eight greens out there, which obviously isn't going to do anything.

Yeah, I think for me the toughest thing is just trying to stay positive and not get too down on myself and try to go out there, whether it be tonight for a couple of shots or get out there tomorrow morning and try to play well and make it into the weekend. Yeah, I think right now I'm just trying to stay as positive as I can.

Q. Did you just lose your swing a little bit?
RORY McILROY: Yeah. Honestly, I've been struggling with my swing, even the practice rounds a little bit. I just -- I mean, I know what I'm doing, but it's hard to change it out there. It's been hard to give it any sort of time this week to work on it, especially I knew, whenever I got off the course last night, I knew, and it was just hard to work on anything.

I might come out here later this afternoon and work on it a little bit and see if I can just hit it a little bit better. I don't need to swing perfect, but I just need to be able to play one shot and know that I know where it's going to start and I know where it's going to finish and just try to go from there.

Q. (No microphone) you were quite conservative out there early yesterday.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, and that didn't work out. I hit iron off the tee on the first three holes and missed three fairways. So that doesn't help either.

With the way the golf course is, with it being so soft, I might just go out there in the second round and hit a lot of drivers and try to be as aggressive as I possibly can be.

Q. What was the adjustment like course-wise Monday through Wednesday and then yesterday?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, when you're playing all along, like for example on 10 last night, was to pitch it to the front of that green and let it release down there. I hit a 7 iron on my second shot, and the ball backed up ten feet. So it's just an adjustment.

So that's been the toughest thing as well. Whenever you've been preparing, especially even last Monday and Tuesday when I came here and you're thinking of hitting shots a certain way, and then all of a sudden, the golf course is completely different. But it's not -- it would almost be tougher if it was the other way. At least now you can hit the targets, and you know the ball is going to stop pretty much where it lands. But it is a bit of an adjustment, and that's been hard.

And the pace of the greens as well. Even yesterday I felt like they were pretty slow compared to the practice days, and then even this morning with how wet they are, they can't get them much quicker. So preparing on greens that were 13 and 14 on the Stimpmeter and now putting on sort of 11 and 12, it's quite an adjustment, but everyone has to make that.

Q. Your tee shot on 17, what's the ideal spot to be there, and what kind of shot did you have or chances did you have?
RORY McILROY: I thought I played a great bunker shot. I was on the left side of the green where you needed to be. I had a lot of green to work with. I didn't land the ball more than three or four paces on the green. I thought I played it -- struck the bunker shot well, and it just kept going across that green.

So I think where Rickie was is probably a good -- short left of the green. Even though it's in that rough, you're chipping straight up the angle of that green. But where I was, I thought it was a good leave. I didn't even think about putting it in that bunker.

Q. Given the circumstances, is there an advantage to being in one of the waves? Was it an advantage not to play at all yesterday?
RORY McILROY: I don't know. It's going to be tough out there. 36 holes around this place with the heavy grind and stuff, it's going to be quite tiring for the guys, but they're getting a golf course that's very soft. Even though they haven't seen the golf course like this either, they'll get a good feel for it and be able to get back out there straight away again today.

So I don't know, the wind's getting up a little bit. No matter how soft this golf course is, it's always going to be hard.

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