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WGC DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

March 29, 2019

Rory McIlroy

Austin, Texas

Q. Undefeated in this championship. Interesting variables heading into your match today. You're playing a friend, Matt Fitzpatrick, and all you needed was a tie to advance to Saturday. What was your approach on the first tee?
RORY McILROY: You know, Harry and I had a chat last night and Harry said, "Look, Fitz is going to be up for this. He's got nothing to lose. So we need to just go out there and get it done early and play aggressively and try to make some birdies and get up." And that's sort of what I did. I got up early and played some golf on the front nine. I was a little scrappy towards the end, probably got a little complacent, which isn't great. I'm through and that's the main objective, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. And so is everyone else because you're playing Tiger Woods in the morning. You guys have never met in this championship. What attitude do you have to bring to the golf course to take on a guy who is Tiger Woods?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, exactly. I just hope I put up a better fight than I did in Atlanta last year. I didn't have much of a game that day. But, yeah, look, it's exciting. It's exciting for the tournament. It's exciting for -- I'm sure it's going to be exciting for us. I feel good about my game. I played well all year. I've continued to do that this week. So it will be exciting. It's definitely going to be one of those ones where I need to go out there and stick to my game plan, and not really look at what he does until I maybe have to towards the end.

Q. Confidence is a precious commodity on the PGA Tour. Given what you've done in 2019, how would you describe your confidence right now?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, look, I'm comfortable with everything. Confidence, comfortable -- whatever the word is, I'm just really happy with my game. I'm happy with every aspect, off the tee, my irons, around the green. Hopefully I can just carry that into tomorrow.

Q. It should be a fun show. See you in the morning.
RORY McILROY: Thank you.

Q. Rory, on the back of winning THE PLAYERS, three out of three in the group stages, are you peaking?
RORY McILROY: Am I peaking? I feel like pretty much all of this year it's been close to what I would think is some of my best golf. I feel comfortable with my game. Off the tee I'm driving it as good as I ever have. I've tightened up my iron play since last year. I find something with the putter which I'm sort of going with and it feels really good.

I wouldn't say I'm peaking. I feel like I can sustain this level. But, yeah, it's been a great start already.

Q. Tomorrow, the big story developed, you're facing Tiger tomorrow. Give us a sense of the excitement about that.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think it's really exciting for the tournament. It's exciting for both of us, I'm sure. I'm definitely excited, I'm sure he is, as well. I said to Todd there from The Golf Channel, I didn't put up much of a fight in Atlanta last year, The TOUR Championship. So hopefully I can give him a better game tomorrow.

Q. Congratulations. Another solid round and another test. You're 4-up making the turn, but Matthew would not go away. A hard-earned victory?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, a hard earned victory for sure. He sort of bit into my lead a little bit on the start of the back nine. But I made a nice birdie on 12, a nice birdie on 14 to sort of just give myself a bit of a cushion again going into the closing few holes.

Yeah, another day where I played well. I think I made six birdies or seven birdies in 16 holes. So I'm right there. I'm right where I need to be. Locking forward to the weekend.

Q. That weekend begins with a matchup with Tiger Woods tomorrow. I think there's going to be a few people out here watching that match. Your thoughts on playing Tiger and all that comes with it.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited. It's awesome for the tournament, I think. It's really not what it needed, but Tiger being here for the first time and getting through to the weekend and having a matchup with someone like myself it's sort of cool.

I'm excited for it. I'm going to have to go out there and play my own game and not really look at what he does. Maybe towards the end of the match somewhere I'm going to have to respond to some of the shots he plays or some of the putts he holes. But it's going to be a great match. I'm excited.

Q. Are you excited for the match tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's exciting. It's exciting for both of us. It's exciting for the tournament, especially. I think I read somewhere Tiger hasn't played in Texas in 13 years, 14 years. So, yeah, it's great for the tournament. It's great for us.

We had a good little game in Atlanta a few months ago. I didn't put up my best stuff. But hopefully tomorrow I can go out there and continue to play the way I've been playing.

Q. Do you expect him to remind you of that?
RORY McILROY: I don't think so, no, I don't think so.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: Yeah, he's good with the banter, but I think once we get playing, we'll just do our own thing and try to play better golf than one another.

Q. You two have never played in a match play before, is that true?
RORY McILROY: Not competitively. We've played some games at home, but never competitively, no.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: I couldn't even tell you. All the time. All the time.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it is, it's good. You know, if anything, I was 4-up through 9. I might have got a little complacent, which is sort of kicking myself about that at the end. But, look, I came back with a couple of good birdies on the back nine and built up that little bit of a cushion. So, yeah, the game's there. It's been there all year. It's just a matter of doing it when I need to.

Q. When you're that far ahead, how hard is it for you to maintain focus?
RORY McILROY: Being 3-up with 3 to play, I know I'm already through, even if I lose the last three holes, I'm through anyway. So I really wanted to focus on my drive on 16 because that was -- get that tee shot away, and then it means that I've hit a really good shot, not that I needed to, but it just -- I could snap back into focus, which was good.

Q. Tomorrow the weather could change (inaudible)?
RORY McILROY: I know there's a cold front coming through. I don't know if we're anticipating any rain, but I know it's going to be a little cold and a little windier. And it's coming out of a different -- I think the other thing, it's coming out of a different direction. The northerly wind here, the golf course plays a lot different. Luckily I've played it in a northerly wind quite a lot. You can get 80 degree days here, but you can also get days in the 50s and winds from the north and I've played both. The course plays a little bit different, it's going to be the same for everyone, it's just who handles it best.

Q. Will you change your preparation?
RORY McILROY: Not really. The only thing is it's an earlier start. You're going to hopefully play two matches tomorrow and you're up early and so just get a good night's sleep and that's really it.

Q. Do you know what time you tee off?
RORY McILROY: 8:30.

Q. You're obviously playing well, is there anything you're looking to improve on?
RORY McILROY: I feel like my game, it was a little scrappy on Wednesday but definitely yesterday and today I played very well. I drove it well. My iron play was as good as it's been in a while. I could have maybe been a few more up on the front nine, I missed a couple of chances but they're just -- you can't hole every single putt you look at, but I'm happy with pretty much everything, for sure.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY McILROY: I don't know. I mean, I think one of the things I've been happy about this week is the fact that when I've needed to maybe hole a putt for say half or roll in a putt or hit a shot on top of my opponent, I've been able to do it. So that's been nice. And that's just more, again, if I'm really concentrating on my attitude and thinking the right way, my thought process is right there.

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