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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2018

Rory McIlroy

Surrey, England

Q. After a handful of frustrating Thursdays at Wentworth, today a command performance throughout the bag. What are you most pleased with?
RORY McILROY: I think I did everything pretty well. I drove the ball much better and put the ball in play off the tee a lot more than I've done the last couple of weeks, so that's been really good. I thought I gave myself a lot of chances. I took most of them. A little frustrated I couldn't get a birdie or two out of the last couple of holes, but overall, a really good start.

Q. When you've won four major championships and two of them by eight shots apiece, how challenging is it to protect your confidence when you're not exactly locked in the way that you want to be?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I guess you just have to play to your spots and try to pick your times when you're aggressive. I did that today when I put the ball in play and I was -- I could get some good looks at some pins but this is a golf course that's really tricky, and you have to be okay with hitting away from pins at times and taking your par and moving on.

I feel like I stayed pretty patient out there today with that.

Q. Quick turnaround before tomorrow morning. What's your focus going into round two?
RORY McILROY: More of the same, really. Fairways, greens, give myself chances. You know, if I can hit the ball like I did today over the next three days, I think I'll be right there. Yeah, just more of the same.

Q. Things going in the right direction for you at the moment. How pleased are you with today's round?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was good to see golf like that. It was good to see the shots that I hit, and the drives that I hit, I put in play a lot more. Still hit a couple of loose shots out there but I guess you can't expect perfection all the time. You have to sort of take it as it is.

But I played well. I played a lot better today than I have done the last couple of weeks, so it's a good step in the right direction.

Q. First time you've played here competitively since the changes.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think they have made the golf course -- I think the moisture and the overnight rain made the golf course a little bit easier, as well.

They have taken a few bunkers out and you can be a little more aggressive off the tee if you want to be, and they have even taken some of the deep bunkers around the greens and some of the run-offs, they have leveled those out a bit so you are maybe not as intimidated hitting your second shots into some of these holes, so you can be a little more aggressive and get it closer to the pin.

They have made it more fair, I think, and that enables guys to go out there and shoot the scores that you're seeing today.

Q. Obviously an earlier start tomorrow, and potentially different set of circumstances weather-wise to deal with, as well?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, well, look, we'll take it as it comes. I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like. We thought there was going to be a bit of rain today and it never really came, so fingers crossed, the same tomorrow.

Q. Notwithstanding the frustration on the 18th green, I think presumably there's a lot of satisfaction. You've put a lot of work into your game and reaped the rewards today?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I played better. I played a lot better than I have done the last couple of weeks. Yeah, just tried to straighten a few things out.

I saw some good shots out there, better drives, and you know, putted well for the most part. Everything was sort of right there, so as I said, as I have been saying, if I can just more of the same of that over the next three days, I should have a decent chance.

Q. Must be sort of very self-affirming, though, when you've been working on something and you think you've found it on the range, and certainly for the first 16 holes, you had it on a string, didn't you?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I did. My wedge play was really good and that's something I've tried to work on continuously over the course of the last 12 months, trying to get that better.

You know, any time I had a wedge in my hand today, I felt I had a realistic chance for birdie afterwards. If I can keep doing that and if I can keep putting it in the fairway like I have been, that's really positive signs going forward.

Q. Excellent platform now to kick on from there.
RORY McILROY: Yes, most definitely. Obviously there's the next three days to worry about, but you know, on from that, I've got a few big tournaments coming up in the States, and then a very busy summer with a lot of important stuff coming up. So if I can keep playing like this, it should hopefully be a good summer.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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