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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 17, 2018

Rory McIlroy

Orlando, Florida

Q. How happy are you with your position heading into the final round?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, happy, I mean I started the day just outside the top-10 and wanted to at least give myself a chance going into tomorrow, so it was a great day out there. I can't really ask for much more. I got it up-and-down when I needed to, I took advantage of some of the good shots I hit. I don't know how far behind I'm going to be going into tomorrow, but I'll hopefully be within two or three of the lead and I can make a run at it.

Q. I think Steve touched on this, what did you find from Valspar to here, if you can actually pinpoint it.
RORY MCILROY: Just a little more comfort, a little more control, just a feeling. I started, especially with the long game it was just a feeling, it was just a small little thought and then on the greens again it's just sort of being freeing myself up, being more instinctive, more reactive, they're sort of too big words I keep using this week is just sort of be instinctive and just react to the target.

Q. As opposed to what?
RORY MCILROY: I guess I was using the line on the ball and maybe just getting bogged down a little bit too much in mechanics, trying to hit perfect putts instead of -- you know, the hole is quite wide, you don't have to hit perfect putts for it to go in. So just trying to be a little imperfect, just be a little more freer.

Q. Some of those positions you were trying to achieve on the 12th tee, were they Pilates, yoga, what was that?
RORY MCILROY: A bit of both, actually. I've incorporated a few Pilates moves into my routine, a little bit more mobility work, I wouldn't quite call it yoga, but definitely feel like my mobility has improved a lot this year and something I worked on.

Q. You pounded the drive, is there any correlation?
RORY MCILROY: I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I don't think I have the time to do those stretches on every tee box, but if it works, great.

Q. Did you meet with Brad Faxon?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, we had a chat on Monday. He lives down in Palm Beach Gardens near where I am and just had a chat. It was more, didn't really hit many putts, it was more of a psychology lesson than anything else.

Q. Is that where you got the freedom?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, exactly, just be a little more instinctive, reactive and obviously Brad's one of the best putters to play on the PGA TOUR, so it was great to be able to pick his brain for a couple hours.

Q. Would you say that we celebrate Saint Paddy's over here more than they do home?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah. Well maybe not tonight, because Ireland just won the Grand Slam in rugby. So Dublin's going to be -- I would have loved to have been in Dublin tonight. But it is, I think you guys definitely take it to another level when it comes to Saint Patrick's day over here.

Q. What's the swing thought?
RORY MCILROY: I just tightened up my back swing, I'm just a little shorter at the tomorrow. I feel sometimes when it gets a little long, I just get out of sync, my left knee starts to go forward and the club drops behind me and then I sort of get the two-way miss going. So trying to take it almost feeling like it's a three-quarter swing, so that's pretty much it.

Q. You and Ernie have so much in common, British Opens and other things, when did that pairing, how did that help you if at all today?
RORY MCILROY: Well I live in his old house as well. Well not quite, I'm renovating his old house. It was good, I remember first time I played with Ernie Els was in the 2008 Singapore Open and I remember J.P. my old caddie was Ernie's caddie for awhile and I was really excited, it was the first really big name that I played with. And Ernie was great with me and we had a really good time and I guess we have sort of remained close ever since. But I remember that first time we played together and it meant a lot to me how good he was with me and ever since then we have been pretty close.

Q. Have you had any incidents with unruly fans recently and what are your thoughts on the whole thing?
RORY MCILROY: There was one guy out there who kept yelling my wife's name, I was going to go over and have a chat with him. But, yeah, I don't know, I think it's gotten a little much, to be honest. I think that they need to limit the alcohol sales on the course, or they need to do something, because every week it seems like guys are complaining about it more and more. I know that people want to come and enjoy themselves and whatever, and I'm all for that, but it's, sometimes when the comments get personal and people get a little bit rowdy it can get a little much. I don't know, it used to be like you bring beers on to the course or buy beers, but not liquor. And now it seems like everyone's walking around with a cocktail or whatever. So I don't know whether it's just go back to letting people walk around with beers in their hand, that's fine, but, I don't know.

Q. Do you think the Phoenix thing has festered a little bit?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think Phoenix is, yeah, it's obviously a lot of tournaments see how successful Phoenix is and they want to try to replicate that, which is great, it's great for the tournament, it's great for us, but golf is different than a football game and there's etiquette involved and you don't want again like you don't want people to be put off from bringing their kids when people are shouting stuff out. You want people to enjoy themselves, have a good day, so, yeah.

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