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TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 20, 2018

Rory McIlroy

Atlanta, Georgia

RORY MCILROY: I played well. Yeah, great start, 4-under through 6. Unfortunately, I just didn't keep it going. But if I keep swinging and hitting the ball like that and giving myself chances, I should be right up there at the end of the week.

Q. Do you feel like you bounced back from the double?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I gave myself a chance right at the next hole. I hit a good putt that didn't go in, and then I birdied probably the toughest hole on the golf course. Yeah, I gave myself chances coming in. Just another bad bogey. I'm making the birdies. I made seven birdies out there today, which is great. The good stuff is in there and just need to limit the mistakes and it'll be all good.

Q. What would winning the TOUR Championship mean for you this week?
RORY MCILROY: I don't know. You know, I'm just taking it each day as it comes, and I don't really -- I know that my game is good enough to win, but honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead.

Q. What do you make of the changes for next week? Did you have much say in it?
RORY MCILROY: No. Not really. I had a couple conversations with Jay. I'm not on the PAC. I'm probably going to join the PAC next year. Nice to sort of know what's going on and give your input and whatever. I mean, I like it for the FedExCup. I don't know how it fits in with -- I don't necessarily think it should be an official TOUR win. I don't know how the World Ranking points are going to work. There's a lot of stuff that still needs to be figured out. But in terms of deciding the FedExCup, I think it's good.

Q. Rickie was just up here talking about sitting out some playoff events to nurse the injury. Is that a hard thing to do, to be ready at your best for the Ryder Cup?
RORY MCILROY: Not really. I mean, honestly, I just wanted to be at my best for this, for these three weeks. I think when you have the luxury of taking a week off and you're not going to drop too many places -- I mean I was speaking to Tiger in Boston the week after, and he was saying he dropped maybe five or six spots by playing, and I dropped six spots by not playing. I made a good decision in the end.

I think going from four events to three events next year, it doesn't give you that luxury. You need to go and play all three to have a chance. But I think the changes to the TOUR schedule next year are great. It'll encourage guys to play more. I always feel like I start the year off a little bit behind everyone else because I have to go over to Europe and then come back here. I turn up in LA, and guys have already played 10 events in the season, and that's my first one. It'll encourage guys to play a bit more because of the bonus at the end of the regular season, and then obviously you go into the Playoffs, and there's a lot of money to be had.

Q. How do you feel about the weather changes for Memphis and Atlanta?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it's sort of -- it is what it is. It's hot -- it's been a hot summer anyway. It was hot in Bellerive. It was hot in Akron, as well. But, yeah, I guess you have to go into Memphis just knowing that it's going to be a bit of a mess. You get in as late as possible, you play, and you get out of there. And it's going to be at the back of a stretch where guys will probably play the Scottish Open, the Open and that, so it'll be the third week in a row. Yeah, I could see a couple of withdrawals that week.

Q. These next two weeks, could they really change the complexion of your season?
RORY MCILROY: Not really. I mean, I go to the Ryder Cup next week and win five matches and we lose the event, like I'll be devastated. I'm playing well. I said to Bernie the other day, it's not always about the results, it's about the journey, and it's about trying to keep improving and getting better. If you look at my results this year compared to last year, it's a step in the right direction.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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