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DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI

November 20, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. You finished the season in some style, how satisfying was that?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was nice. Really got it going around the end of the front nine there and thought there could have been something really special on.

Looking at the board, I was 6-under through nine, thinking I was maybe three behind at that point, maybe two behind, and yeah, wasn't quite meant to be. I just didn't quite keep that momentum going into the back nine, but still a good 65 to finish. Played nicely and looking forward to a few weeks off.

Q. Quite something when you felt on the beach on the Thursday, isn't it.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, sort of looking back on the week, that's the day that I'm going to rue, I guess; if I had of even just shot something around level par, 1-under, I would have been right in the tournament. But these things happen, and you know, I played well for the remaining three days and at least I redeemed myself a little bit.

Q. Did it help that you were playing alongside Henrik Stenson today?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it did. Henrik got off to a really fast start, and I knew I didn't need to try to keep up with him, but it's good to see your playing partner play well and hole putts. I just sort of tried to hang on to his coattails a little bit on that front nine.

Henrik probably had more chances than I did on the back nine to try and really make some headway, but look, he's had a phenomenal year and he's going to win The Race to Dubai. He deserves it.

Q. Absolutely you know him well and he has taken that mantle off yourself and you appreciate just what he's achieved, I take it.
RORY McILROY: Oh, yeah, definitely. It's a great achievement. I think what you need to do, especially someone like Henrik, who plays both sides of the Atlantic and plays two tours, you have to have those big wins, and obviously winning The Open was huge for him.

You know, he's been one of most consistent players in the world the last, nearly ten years I guess. I remember when he won the Dubai Desert Classic back in 2006, I think, and I was still an amateur at the time and he was winning. He's been one of the most consistent players for the last few years.

It's been great to see his consistency rewarded, not just with The Race to Dubai this week, but again, with an Open Championship and a major this year.

Q. What are the plans now?
RORY McILROY: Thanksgiving next week; it's a big deal in our household now. Thanksgiving in New York, and then back home to Northern Ireland for a couple of weeks. Going to come back out here to Dubai for maybe eight or nine days in the middle of December to test some equipment, and then back home again for Christmas.

And then back out here on the 28th of December for new years and then I'll head down to South Africa at the start of next year; the South African Open, that's where I'll take it back up again.

Q. Nice to sign off your season in some style.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was nice. Nice to shoot a good score out there and redeem myself a little bit. It was a very slow start this week. You know, the last two starts of the year for me have been slow starts, with China a few weeks ago, started slowly there, and if I had not of done that, I would have maybe had a chance, or half a chance. And this week, if I had of shot something under par that first day, you never know.

Yeah, rue a couple of bad starts, but after that, it was pretty good and played good golf. At least I have that memory to take into the Christmas break.

Q. Is this the point at which you actually feel the frustration of the first day in a sense?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, exactly, it is. Wasn't really that hard to get over but then whenever you play the way I've played the last three days, you sort of start to think to yourself, if only I had of played a bit better on Thursday, I might have had a little bit of a chance.

Played well for the last three days, and you know, I couldn't ask much more of myself after the start like that.

Q. It was nice that the fates decreed that you played with Henrik Stenson, given that the two of you have monopolised or duopolised The Race to Dubai over recent years. Give us an idea of the scale of the achievement he's able to celebrate now.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's fantastic. I was just saying over there, Henrik has been one of most consistent players in golf for the last decade and I'm delighted that his consistency has been rewarded, obviously not only with The Race to Dubai a couple of times in the last three years but obviously with a major championship at The Open this year.

He was one of the guys that, you know, we knew deserved one and knew that if his time came and it was the right week, he would definitely be able to do that and he's been able to do that. He's had a great year, and I'm happy to see him be able to cap it off with a Race to Dubai.

Q. And is it a nice feeling to have signed your last scorecard of 2016?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it is nice. It is. You know, I've got a little bit of sort of travel coming up, going to New York next week and then back home to Ireland for a couple of weeks. The golf clubs are going to stay here. I'll keep them here in the apartment, and then I'm coming back out here on the 12th of December for just over a week to test a few new bits and pieces, and that's when I'll start to hit some balls again.

Q. Is that going to be an interesting period, just going through the options that you now have with regard to equipment?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's exciting. As you've seen over the past few weeks, I've put a couple of new clubs in the bag that have worked pretty well. But yeah, it's just a matter of seeing what's out there. That's the thing.

So it's nice. I mean, I think three weeks in the cold will be enough for me; I'll want to get out and see some sunshine for a bit, so it will be nice to come out here for a week and hit some balls, do some testing.

Q. Sorting out your Christmas presents?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, sorting out Christmas presents, as well, exactly.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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