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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 15, 2017

Rory McIlroy

Orlando, Florida

JOHN BUSH: Like to welcome Rory McIlroy to the interview room. He is making his third career start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and most recently he finished tied for 27th last year. Rory, first of all, we just finished up with the opening ceremony, a special year here as we honor Mr. Arnold Palmer. If we can get some thoughts on I know a man who meant an awful lot to you.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, of course. I think Arnold meant an awful lot to every one of us. Anyone that is involved with the game of golf in any capacity, especially the ones that get paid to play it or get paid to write about it or get paid to whatever, I mean, he was a massive part of that. And I think we all owe him a massive debt of gratitude for what he did for the game.

I've been lucky enough to spend a little bit of time with Arnold at this tournament over the past couple of years and I really made a conscious effort, I hadn't played here until 2015 and I really made a conscious effort, because we all knew Arnold was, he wasn't in the best of health and I wanted to play before he passed. I wanted to play here and get to spend some time with him before he wasn't going to be here anymore and I was really happy that I did that. I'm really happy -- and I had a dinner with Arnold and after the first round in 2015, that I'll remember for the rest of my life. So I'll tell stories about that to my grand kids, hopefully, one day and he was a special man. Bay Hill's a special place. It means a lot to us. Obviously, very happy to be here this week and it would be great to win this tournament in his memory.

JOHN BUSH: Questions, please?

Q. You posted a letter that he had sent you after you won the Open. What did that mean to you, did you know it was coming and what have you done with it?
RORY MCILROY: No, any time you win a golf tournament or do anything of note, the one really classy thing that both Arnie and Jack Nicklaus do is write you a letter. So the first letter I ever received from Arnold was after I won Quail Hollow in 2010, my first event on the PGA TOUR. Then basically after every win since I've gotten a letter from him. I actually even, I think he sent me a letter after I won Deutsche Bank last year, which was only, what's that, a week or 10 days before he passed, so it might have been one of the last letters he ever wrote. So that's really special and that means a lot to me. But Arnold and Jack, because Jack does the exact same thing, they have set a precedent for the younger generation to follow in their foot steps and do these things, because it's so, I remember getting that letter after I won the U.S. Open from Arnold and when he said, you're now in a position where you have a responsibility and it does, it hits home with you, and I framed everyone of them, they're all up in my office at home and they mean a lot to me.

Q. Obviously, there's a different feel around the tournament this week, you were out there this morning, how would you describe sort of the tone that this week has taken on?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think it's, I was going through Twitter yesterday and everyone's, it's a life well played, and that's really, it's to celebrate that more than anything else. It really is to celebrate a man who did a tremendous amount for golf, but he also did a tremendous amount for the community here in Orlando. Really just to celebrate all that he was as a person and as a golfer. I think that's the most important thing this week.

Q. To what extent are you trying to get your game to peak for the Majors at this point and what kind of thought and planning goes into that for you?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, you're always trying to figure out the best way to peak for tournaments and you're trying to figure out the, it's a very in-exact science, you don't really know -- certain things I've worked on in the past and sometimes you try to do, replicate those and they don't work and you mix it up and you do something else. It's really just -- you can do as much preparation as you want for a golf tournament, but if you don't execute the shots when you're there when you need to under the gun, it doesn't really matter. So, going into Augusta or going into the U.S. Open or whatever, you know the shots that you're going to need and you practice those and you try to make yourself as comfortable as possible with those shots and when you do that and you're a hundred percent confident in practice, it usually translates on to the golf course. So, look, I've tried many things, I've played the week before Augusta, I haven't, I played the week before Majors that I've won, I haven't played the week before Majors that I've won, it really is just, I mean, you can do a lot of different things to prepare and I've done it a few different ways and been successful. So, I don't know if that's been a good thing or a bad thing, because I'm always trying to mix it up and change.

Q. How did you come out of Mexico City? You said you were going to re-evaluate after the week to see where you were feeling physically.
RORY MCILROY: Physically, I feel good. I played -- last couple rounds of golf I played have been in pretty chilly conditions, so and I felt pretty good with that. I was actually, I went up to Augusta last weekend and played 27 on Sunday and it was cold. But I came out of that and I felt good. So, that was good to see. I think it was more just with my game to see where I was and what I needed to do. I felt ball striking was pretty good, it was hard to really judge your putting because the greens got a little bumpy at the end of the week. But I feel I worked a bit on my putting this week and it feels good. But really just I think the experience of being in the last group for two days in a row on Saturday and Sunday will, that will help. I didn't really expect to be first week back, I was trying to just play my way into a little bit of form and I was sort of hoping that, okay, if I can improve each and every round, that would be a big bonus. I didn't do that, but I got myself in a position where I could have, I had a chance to win the tournament. So I was happy with that.

Q. Quick question, a follow-up to your correspondence from Arnold. After Jack and Arnold, who will pick up the slack, do you think, on letter writing? Is that a lost, will that be lost with them?
RORY MCILROY: No, I don't think so. I'm fortunate that I have a great team around me that makes sure that letters go to all the sponsors at every tournament that we play at and like I have a little bit to do with that. I obviously don't sit down and physically write them, but a little bit of my input goes into it and I sign every one of them and so I've tried to take that mantle a little bit and I obviously don't write to other players when they win, because I would rather be winning, so, but maybe like whenever I'm at the end of my career, it's a nice thing to do. A young guy comes through and you can relate to the position that he's in, okay, it might be 40 years ago, but then, but, yeah, I think -- and one thing like Arnold did it every time I won, but I've gotten a few handwritten notes as well, which is really classy, from Jack and from Arnold. And they are people don't do that much anymore and that's something that I would like to try and pick up from them and continue to go with.

Q. It's a lost art.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it is. Unfortunately, it is.

Q. You certainly have, can relate to what Jordan went through last year at Augusta. How personally, how do you overcome moments like that and try to build better memories of the place where when you've had a bad memory of it?
RORY MCILROY: I'm sure when he opens his wardrobe and already sees a Green Jacket in there, I'm sure he can console himself. So, it happens. Everyone's had tough losses where things haven't went their way and it's just about getting back up on the horse and getting after it again. I think once Jordan feels his first couple of holes -- I think once Jordan gets past the 12th hole in the first round this year, it will be over and done with. Same thing with me, once I got past the 10th hole in 2012 and the first round, I was, it was me, I was done. I looked over, I saw where I hit it, I had a bit of a laugh and then that was it. And it's done, it's over, you move forward and you don't think about it again.

Q. Do you remember the occasion when you first met Arnold Palmer? Do you know where you were, what was going on, what you might have said or he said to you?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I was playing my first Masters and I was right on the corner of where the 13th hole turns, like right at the end of the pines up the right and he was just siting there and yeah, that was the first time. I remember I think he was out in a golf cart, had a pink T-shirt on, had a gray pair of slacks. Put his big massive mit out at me and shook my hand and that was the first time I met Arnold Palmer, which is, to me, playing on possibly my favorite golf hole in the world sort of, it's a bit of, as golfer it's a bit of a fairy tale, I guess.

Q. Tournament week?
RORY MCILROY: Tournament week, yeah, during a practice round.

Q. (No Microphone.)
RORY MCILROY: I really got a chance to talk to him and sit down with him the Thursday night of this tournament in 2015. We sat down and had dinner in the clubhouse.

Q. Two-part question. When you have an unfortunate Sunday as you did at Augusta several years ago, what part of it is a learning experience that you learn from it, what part of it is kind of a sulk or pouting part of it and how do you blend the two? You want it to sting, right?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, of course, it did sting, of course. I mean, for me, I feel like my experience was a huge learning curve, a learning experience, because I took everything from that day and made sure that whatever I did wrong I wasn't going to do that again. Whether it was pay too much attention to the guys around me, paying attention to Charl Schwartzel getting off to a 3, 4, 2 start, stuff like that where -- and I guess as well one big thing that people don't quite remember, I played with Angel Cabrera that day and I feel like I'm a quick player and he was ridiculously quick. And I never want to try to -- and I sort of learned this and it's hard to at times, but don't let other players dictate the pace that you play. Because that can have a detrimental affect as well. So there's a lot of learning stuff in there. But of course it hurt and it still hurts. Of course it does. But at the same time I've moved on and I've won Majors and I've made a pretty good career for myself since that. But it still, I think back and think about what could have been and if that hadn't have went wrong I wouldn't have to answer the questions that I have to answer at this time of the year every year until I win one. There's a lot of that stuff that goes through your head, but you learn from it, you move on and hopefully when I get myself in that position again at Augusta I'm going to do better.

Q. Perfect time for a follow-up then. If, assuming winning the Masters is hard, how much harder does it get when it's the last one for the Slam?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it's a, yeah, I guess -- I sort of feel a little bit like what Phil goes through when he goes to the U.S. Open, but at the same time I haven't finished second at Augusta six times and he's finished second. So I can only imagine what goes through his head when he turns up at a U.S. Open. But, yeah, winning Augusta is difficult enough, but I think that's the most important thing, like you want to win the tournament that week, you just want to beat the guys that you're playing against and if you do that, you know that all this other great stuff comes along with it.

Q. When you look back at the off season you reflect on the road map that you set for your game, kind of where you thought you would be leading into Augusta do you feel like you're up to speed now after the injury or is there still ground to make up over these next two weeks?
RORY MCILROY: Honestly, I think there's still a bit of ground to be made up. I wanted to play a heavy schedule going into Augusta I wanted to be really sharp and I wanted to have played quite a few rounds competitively. I haven't been able to do that for that reason. I just haven't been able to physically. But I feel good now and I didn't feel like there was any reason to alter my schedule because of what happened. I've played decent in Mexico, I've got a good opportunity this week to get myself in contention again and see where my game's at. The Match Play's a bit of a funny week, it's sort of at least you get three rounds of golf now and you can again see, assess where you're at. But I think I'm okay. I think by the end of these two weeks, I mean, I'm playing three of the next four weeks. I think by the time Augusta comes around I'll be happy with where I'm at.

Q. Talking about the 18th hole here. Such a beautiful closing hole. How do you prepare to play it and how different will it be this year not seeing Mr. Palmer at the end of your round on Sunday?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it's going to be, unfortunately, I don't think I've ever played late enough here to see him at the end of the 18th on Sunday.

(Laughter.)

But, yeah, it's going to be different. But I don't think that should be a sad thing, necessarily. You look at the grand stands on 18 and you see all the colorful umbrellas and there's so much around here that reminds us of him, so, it will be different, but I definitely don't think this tournament has taken on a some better atmosphere at all. It should be a celebration of what has been a great life. So, but look, it's a little different, not being able to even go and have lunch and see him sitting at his table. It's a little different. But we will move on, but we'll move on with him very much in our memories and it will still be a great tournament.

Q. You're playing first two days with Sam Saunders, obviously, I imagine that's probably got to be pretty special considering what's going on here. Kind of your feelings on that and how you feel those two days might go playing with him.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, look, it's going to be an emotional sort of week for Sam, with obviously the connection to Arnold and even I was watching a little bit of TV yesterday and when Arnold hit his driver off the deck here into 18 I guess Sam was caddieing for him, so it will be emotional for him, but it's awesome. There's so much goodwill out there and I'm sure he'll really enjoy it, as will I. But, yeah, it will be a lot of fun. I don't think I ever played in a competitive tournament with Sam before. Maybe one round somewhere, but we haven't played very often. So it will be nice.

Q. What do you think the conversation will be like? A lot of stories or just business as usual?
RORY MCILROY: I think business as usual. I definitely won't initiate any of those sort of things because I know if everyone was talking about my grand father that had just passed away I wouldn't want that. You're trying to do your job and so out of respect to him I'll be business as usual and let him play his game and we'll go from there.

Q. How cold was it at Augusta Sunday, did you get much out of it or was it more just for fun. Just talk about who you played with maybe.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, we were dressed like this (Indicating) so it was pretty chilly. More for fun than anything else. I don't feel any time you go up to Augusta before the tournament week, you get a little bit out of it, but I don't really think you get that much, because the golf course plays so dramatically differently the week of the tournament. So, it was more fun. I went up with my dad and a member there, Jimmy Dunn and a member of Seminole, Mike Sanger, and we just went up on a Saturday night, had some dinner, watched a bit of college basketball, teed it up on Sunday, played 27 straight and headed back to Florida. So, but it was good. It was. It was fun. Any time you get to play Augusta with your dad or anyone, it was a cool trip. I played those three guys played off the members tee, I played off the Masters tees and it was those three balls against mine. Flat match. And luckily I came out on top. So I'll let them hear that one for awhile.

Q. Did you see the media center before or after?
RORY MCILROY: Before. So we had a little bit of a delay, we were supposed to tee off early in the morning but the rain was coming in sideways, it wasn't a very nice morning. So J.J., the pro there, said, why don't I take you around and see this new media facility. And like I kept saying, do you realize what you've done here? These guys are not going to want to leave. You're going to want to cover Harbour Town next week from there. Just get a feed and like stay there. It's nuts. It's unbelievable. But it's sort of, they have turned that media facility into, it's a bit of a museum as well, there's so much cool memorabilia from the Masters and years gone by there, it's, if I wasn't playing in the thing I know where I would want to be hanging out that week.

Q. You talked about the whirlwind leading up to Augusta and everything. What do you look at in your life to kind of recenter your focus and kind of ground you as you have got a job to do?
RORY MCILROY: I think it's that, it's trying not to get swept up in it all by or again, reading articles about it or -- I'm a huge fan of golf, if people haven't realized, and I like to read stuff. If I pick up a magazine or I pick Arnold Palmer newspaper or I go on Twitter, I like to read articles about what's going on in the world of golf. But unfortunately, I'm a subject sometimes in those articles and it's better that I don't read them, because it only places more pressure on you and whatever. So, it's just about getting away from it and not being swept up in it. So, like being able to renting the house at Augusta and being able to get back there and completely switch off and spend time with my family or spend time with my friends and not have anything relating to the tournament on TV or just try to keep it nice and calm. And I said to Brian earlier on the golf course, I said, like the people around me must hate me the week before Augusta, because I turn into someone that I don't even like. So, it's a tough one. But look, it's the biggest tournament of the year for me, for obvious reasons, and I've never made any secrets about that. I'm very open about that. It is. And whether that's a good or a bad thing, I just need to try and -- it should be the same like no matter if it's that's golf course I'm playing against the same guys that I've beaten before at the biggest tournaments in the world and there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to do it again. So that's my mindset going into it. If I can keep that mindset and try to just keep it as simple as possible, and keep it fun, I think that's the thing as well, if I can keep it somewhat fun, you're going and playing Augusta, you're getting to play Augusta, you're getting to play at least six rounds around there. Who else gets to do that? That's pretty cool in itself. Keep it fun, try not to put too much attention on the whole thing and just go play.

Q. In talking about reading newspapers, what's your thoughts as a former Open champion with the decision at Muirfield to allow female members?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, like I, Muirfield wouldn't be one of my favorite Open rota courses, so no matter the decision yesterday, if it had been kept off The Open Championship rota, I wouldn't have been that unhappy. But no, I think it's -- obviously I was outspoken about this before whenever the vote went the first time around. I mean, in this day and age, where you've got women that are like the leaders of certain industries and women that are heads of state and not to be able to join a golf course? I mean, it's obscene. Like it's ridiculous. So, they sort of saw sense. I still think that it got to the stage, this stage, is horrendous. And yeah, I mean, we'll go back and we'll play The Open Championship, because they will let women members in, but every time I go to Muirfield now I won't have a great taste in my mouth.

Q. Is it still obscene that there's 20 percent of that membership still voted no?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I know, exactly. It's horrendous. I mean, I just don't, I don't get it. So, anyway, look, we'll go back there for The Open Championship at some point and I won't be having many cups of tea with the members afterwards.

Q. You said one of the things that held you back at Augusta is the first round. I think in 2011 is the only time that you have been in the 60s. What would you consider a good round to get you started? What score?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think anything around 70 is a good start at Augusta. I had a chance to do that last year, actually, and ended up bogeying two of the last four to shoot 70. But, yeah, anything around that is a good opening score.

JOHN BUSH: All right, Rory McIlroy. Thank you, sir.

RORY MCILROY: Thank you.

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