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THE 145TH OPEN

July 14, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Q. What is your assessment of round one?
RORY McILROY: It was good. I think if I would've stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69, I probably would have taken it. But if somebody had given me that score on the 10th, I probably wouldn't have. But I knew today was a day where you had to make the most of the conditions because I don't think we're going to see the course like this for the rest of the week. I think the elements are going to be a bit of a challenge. But 2-under par, shoot something in the 60s, it's a solid start.

Q. How frustrating was it to drop those shots on the back nine after getting off to a pretty good start?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think the more frustrating thing is they were two of the best shots I hit all day, the drive on 13 and the second shot. It was the wrong club I hit. I should have never been trying to -- I wasn't trying to bring it back into play, but I knew if I pured that 6-iron, the back was going to come into play. Then I let it linger a little bit and that's why I made bogey on 14. But I bounced back with a birdie on 15, which was nice. It would have been nice to get one of the last three. I felt like I gave myself a couple of good chances. But as I said, a 69 is a solid start and I don't have too many complaints.

Q. How encouraging is it now heading into round 2? The weather looks like it's going to be a lot different.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it doesn't look very good tomorrow morning. I'm hoping some of the weather forecasts I've seen are right and it's starting to clear up a little in the afternoon. But it's the Open Championship, and you know coming in here you're going to have to battle the elements somewhat.

So as I said, it's nice to not be too far out of the lead after day 1, depending on what some of the guys do this afternoon. But as I said, I think you're looking at something at around 8- or 10-under par that might win this tournament, and I felt like I got off to a good start in trying to achieve that.

Q. You've played all of the Open courses, but this one is just so different. The outward run gives you chances, but the inward run doesn't. How gotten your head around how unique this is?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I sort of like it because it gives you confidence from the start. If you compare it to somewhere like Oakmont, where the two starts on each nine there were so tough. The first green, the 10th green, it was sort of hard to get into your stride there, where I feel like here you can easily be 5- or 6-under through the first handful of holes. I think Bubba had like three eagle putts in the first six holes. So it gives you confidence. You can all of a sudden step up on the 10th tee and try to build on your score somewhat instead of you being really, really defensive. It just gives you that little bit of extra confidence.

So I like the way the golf course flows. I like that you can get a few under par early. And instead of really trying to be defensive on the back nine, you can -- I was probably thinking on the 10th tee I was trying to get a couple more. I was trying to get to 6. It obviously didn't quite work out. But I think playing a front nine like that, it gives you that little bit of confidence.

Q. Of course this is your first round since your victory round in Hoylake on an Open Championship course. (Inaudible) is that a vital thing in an Open Championship, it's there for you this weekend after a decent start?
RORY McILROY: It is. I missed the Open Championship last year, obviously. And I kept saying St. Andrews was a venue I felt like I could do very well at, so it was tough to miss. But I felt like I figured out how to play Open Championships a little bit more over the last few years, and I feel like I'm more equipped to handle the elements a little bit better. It's a good start.

Q. Just when you had that double bogey on the back nine and how you responded with the birdie on a 495-yard par for the 15th, it was hugely important to get momentum back?
RORY McILROY: It was. It was good at least after the bogey on 14 because I felt like the bogey on 14 was a result of the 6 on 13. I was trying to be a little bit too aggressive with the tee shot. So, yeah, to play the 15th well was nice. As I said, it would have been good to pick up one birdie on the last three and maybe shoot 3-under. But 2-under in the 60s, that's a good start.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I mean, I feel like I hit a lot of good shots out there. I drove the ball pretty well. I sort of steered it a little bit the first few holes and that's why I missed fairways. Once I got into my rhythm, I started to hit good shots. I think technique-wise my swing mightn't be exactly where I wanted, but it's definitely good enough this week to contend and have a chance to win.

Q. On the Postage Stamp, if you had bogeyed it, would you still like it as a golf hole? What is your feeling?
RORY McILROY: It's great. I think the best par-3s in the world are all under 150 yards. I really don't get these par-3s nowadays that are 250, 260. It takes a lot of the skill out of it, I feel. You've got somewhere like Postage Stamp here, the 10th hole at Kingston Heath I think is probably the best par-3 in the world. It's like 120 yards. There are a lot of golf holes that -- I like it. No matter if it took me six shots to get out of the bunker the other day and I made nine, it's a great golf hole. I think there should definitely be more holes like that in golf.

Q. How did you shape up to hit it?
RORY McILROY: It was 121 yards, wind was into off the right and it was like a half swing with a 9-iron, just try to keep it below the wind. I've been working on that shot quite a lot over the past few days and it was nice to hit one in competition and that gave me a bit of confidence.

Q. Do you feel (inaudible)?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, as soon as you miss it left on that bunker, especially where that pin was, it's tough. It's one of these holes, as I said in the press conference, you hit it in the middle of the green. I was lucky to make 2 today, but you take your 3 and you're going to gain ground on the field.

Q. The 11th has been causing the trouble today. Could you talk about the drive?
RORY McILROY: No, I always knew the drive was fine. The only thing I was worried about was whether it was going to clear the heather. But as long as it cleared that, it was going to be fine and anywhere up around the front of that green is a good leave, and two putts and get out of there. It's another hole like the 8th. The 11th, you try to make a 4 four times this week and you're going to do very well.

Q. Is it nice to talk about the golf instead of the Olympics?
RORY McILROY: It is nice, actually. It's nice that the tournament started. But, yeah, look, I think I said all I needed to say on that matter and hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play similar to the way I did today and get myself right into contention for another Claret Jug.

Q. Are you happy with everything that you said in that press conference the other day?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think I would have elaborated a little bit on the grow-the-game comment. Obviously I feel like I do my bit to grow the game. It's not as if I'm uninterested. I feel like golf is a great vehicle to -- I don't want to force golf on anyone. But I feel like golf is a great vehicle to instill values in kids. I'm an ambassador for the PGA Junior League, I do some stuff for the First Tee in the States, and I feel like I've used my success in golf in a very positive way in the community.

Look, again, the next generation can play golf if they want or they don't. It won't make me any less happy. But if I can somehow make a positive change in the world by what I do on the golf course, so whether that means raise money for charity or give kids more of a chance in life growing up, I've been very fortunate to do what I've done in golf, and I feel like I've used that success in a positive way.

So I have no regrets about where I stand on certain things, but I wish I maybe would have just elaborated a little bit more on what I said.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I still don't think I'm the only one. Look, it's my opinion. I think my opinion's shared by a few people, but some people may think it's wrong and that's fine. But I've spent seven years trying to please everyone, and I figured out that I can't really do that, so I may as well be true to myself.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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