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THE RYDER CUP

October 2, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

RORY McILROY: Started really well. I wanted to try to temper what he was doing. He's played incredible all week, and we played a great front nine and I couldn't really keep the pace up for the rest of the round. Fair play to Patrick. He was awesome all day and deserved the win. Overall this week, obviously the United States deserves the victory so congratulations to them.

Q. How would you describe the back and forth with Patrick, especially on the front nine, emotional but gamesmanship and friendly.
RORY McILROY: It was definitely friendly. I think that was the thing we came across. I've always got on pretty well with Patrick and I know what he gets up to and he's seen what I've done this week and it's all fun and games. It's nothing personal out there. It's just a matter of trying to get 1-up on each other. I was doing my best the first few holes and as I said, just ran out of steam at the end.

Q. Not the outcome you were looking for but how would you summarize the week as a whole.
RORY McILROY: Disappointing obviously. But I think it's good for golf. I think it's good for golf; keeps The Ryder Cup interesting going into France in a couple of years' time. Just gives us that little -- not that we need any more incentive, but we're going to want to get it back on our home turf next time.

Q. What a fight you had with Patrick Reed, you gave it everything today.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I did. I tried my best. Tried my best to get it done and put a point on the board for Europe early on. But Patrick played so well, and I'd say maybe against anyone else, I might have been a couple up going into the turn but I was all-square and had a battle on my hands. It was tough at the end, it really was. I ran out of steam. It's been a long week. I didn't make any birdies on the back nine, which you can't do against a guy of that quality.

Q. We joked earlier in the week about having some kind of affinity with Ian Poulter.
RORY McILROY: Well, Poults wasn't playing this time so we needed someone on the course to be doing what he does. I took it upon myself to take on that role. I tried my best at it. I learned from the best; I've played with Poults a few times before, and it's always fun and hopefully he's back on the team in a couple of years in Paris and we can do this all over again.

Q. I know you see the bigger picture for The Ryder Cup, don't you.
RORY McILROY: Obviously we're disappointed to lose but at the same time I think it keeps The Ryder Cup very interesting and gives it a great narrative going into Paris in two years' time.

Q. Your reaction to losing The Ryder Cup.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's disappointing. It's disappointing for us as a team, and you know, for me personally, taking on the role to go out and put a blue point on the board, I didn't do my job. Obviously disappointed but we put up a great fight all week. America came in as the favorites and justifiably so, especially on home turf. We came here in front of a tough crowd and we gave it our all. We put up a great fight and at the end it just wasn't enough.

Q. What a match this morning, emotions running high but played in the true Ryder Cup spirit.
RORY McILROY: Of course emotions were running high. We both wanted to win very badly, but at the same time we both appreciated how good everything was out there. Patrick played phenomenal golf. There's not much I can really do about that apart from trying to hang on to his coattails on the front nine. I ran out of steam at the end. It's been a long couple of weeks for me.

And not making a birdie on the back nine, you can't do that against somebody as good as Patrick Reed, especially when he's in an environment like this. Disappointing way to end the week for me, but we came here as a team and we'll leave as a team and we'll regroup and get ready for France in two years' time.

Q. What has Darren Clarke been like as a Ryder Cup Captain?
RORY McILROY: Absolutely phenomenal. I cannot praise him enough for the job he's done this week. It's been absolutely incredible. He's been first class all the way through, involved everyone. You know, and the little details he got so right. I know he's put his heart and soul into this for 18 months. I wish we could have got the win for him but he's been a fantastic captain regardless. I feel very proud to have played under him.

Q. You've never lost one of these until now. I'm sure it hurts quite a bit.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it does hurt. We would definitely like to be feeling what the Americans are feeling right now, but saying that, they haven't felt this for awhile. It's been eight years since they felt this feeling.

They deserve it. They deserve their moment. We'll come back better and stronger in Paris.

Q. Do you go away with a little sour taste in your mouth because of the way the fans have been here at times?
RORY McILROY: At times, but again, it's not -- the fans, that's a generalization. I think the fans as a whole have been very good and very fair but just the very small minority are the people that sort of ruined it for everyone else. But no, look, it's been played for the most part in a very respectable and fair but tough environment. I wouldn't expect anything less.

When the Americans come over and play on our side, you know, they find it difficult, as well. That's what you expect at The Ryder Cup and that's what happened and as I said, hopefully we can give them a good fight in a couple years' time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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