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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

September 5, 2018

Rory McIlroy

Carmel, Indiana

Q. Rory, you had a good chance the get out and see the course, just your impressions of the course and how it sets up four your game.
RORY MCILROY: It's good. I guess I had a preconceived idea of what Aronimink was going to be (inaudible) and it wasn't that. We played a few years ago I thought -- I automatically thought it was going to be a similar golf course, bigger fairways and greens. Just a bigger piece of property.

So, yeah, it sets up well. I think if you can get driver in your hand, the fairways are wide, it's pretty soft. You get -- you can take advantage of your length if you have that and it makes the course definitely a lot more playable and a lot more scoreable.

Q. Rory, kind of on the bubble for next week.
How would you describe your season to date, how would you recap?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah. I mean it's been consistency -- consistency-wise it's been pretty good, I guess. The only disappointing thing, and I was alluding to it this last week, I haven't played well enough when it really mattered. I've given myself chances and put myself in positions to win golf tournaments, final groups and what have you. I just haven't -- I had the one win at Bay Hill, but giving myself chances and I haven't capitalized. I haven't been as efficient as I'd like to be in terms of chances to win and actually closing the deal.

So that is sort of my season to date but there's still -- I've got two events coming up here. If I play halfway decent this week and then I've still got a half dozen events to try and get a couple more wins in there. You know, couple of good weeks coming up and it can definitely change the perspective of the season.

Q. Did you know about the picks before you teed off and what your thoughts were for the Ryder Cup?
RORY MCILROY: I spoke to Thomas yesterday morning so I sort of knew from last week anyway the way with that.

I feel with the five rookies we have, experience will be a big thing, especially at home and yeah, I mean I think the three, Paul, Ian and Henrik, they were certain and then it was just between sort of I guess Sergio, Rafa, maybe Matt Fitzpatrick, a couple of those guys.

But at the end I think with Sergio's record in the Ryder Cup -- and I think the intangibles as well, the things people don't see what he does in the team room.

He's made my experiences at Ryder Cups better. He's been a great partner for me. He's been great in the team room. It's just stuff that you don't -- obviously his record speaks for itself but it's stuff people don't see is basically what got him this wild card pick you know.

Q. Is there a sense of urgency for you to have a good week here?
RORY MCILROY: Not really. I saw some really good signs of my golf game last week. I just didn't finish -- I was 4-under through 11 on Saturday, 6-under through 13 on Sunday and I was 3-under through 9 on Monday.

So, I had a chance to finish rounds better and I didn't but I definitely -- I've been able to see some really good signs of game and improvement since -- even since the PGA Championship, I worked on a few things that I think have gotten a little bit better.

I was encouraged by last week. I was frustrated the way I didn't finish the rounds off. I feel like I could have had -- I could have had a chance to win the golf tournament and I didn't but there's no sense of urgency. I know my game is going in the right direction and just a matter of letting myself go out there and just do it, I guess.

Q. Is there a difference in the dynamic playing against Tiger in a team event versus playing against him in a Tour event or even a Major?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah. You know, whoever goes up against him in Paris it's not just -- especially with us being at home, you know, he's playing against the crowd where it's usually the other way around, you know.

So I think that is a different dynamic and one that is different if you're playing with him or against him in an individual tournament.

So, yeah, I think it's not very often that the crowd is against him and this will be a very rare occasion in France. Probably still be some people cheering for him but, for the most part, they'll be cheering for the European team.

Q. Couple years ago after the PGA you would label your season disappointing, then you go to East Lake and walk away with two trophies.
How much can that one or two weeks at the end of the season kind of rewrite an entire season?

RORY MCILROY: 2016 was a prime example. I felt like, again, I played well. I had won the Irish Open, which was a big deal for me, but I had chances to win tournaments and I didn't and then to win in Boston and then win at East Lake, it turns a sort of average season into a great season.

So, you know, it's very -- I feel like not just golf but every sport in general has got a very much a recency bias on it.

It's the way the world is. People forget what you you've done six weeks ago. Everyone wants to know what happened last week. That's why it's -- golf is great because every week you have another opportunity to do something great.

Q. Been some really good Ryder Cup debuts off the last couple of years, whether it's Pieters with you or Spieth and Reed.
Why do you think experience is such a key factor even now?

RORY MCILROY: I think it creates a really good team dynamic. It's a continuity that's within the team. If you have experience, guys that have been there before, know what goes on.

For me the toughest thing my first Ryder Cup was leading up to -- I just wanted to play. You've got all this stuff to do and like gala dinners and opening ceremonies and this and that and it's like, "Really?"

All of that stuff you don't expect when it's your first one but at least whenever you have experienced guys everyone knows what to expect and they know that the first few days are long and you need to pace yourself and you can't wear yourself out, you can't play too much or practice too much.

It's just a matter of -- all the guys know what they need to do to prepare the best way to play their best. But I just think continuity in the team room and knowing what to expect as the week goes on is a big thing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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