	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 23, 2019

Rory McIlroy

Atlanta, Georgia

Q. Rory McIlroy, that 18th hole, you guys made it look easy the last 15 minutes or so, but it was with supreme talent. Before we do anything else, let's show everyone the shot again. Terry and Justin both were saying you went right away in there with a look and took the head cover off. That's what you were going for. What did you see when you decided you wanted to go for something?
RORY MCILROY: I had a little gap. I guess as well, whenever you're on my side of the ball, my side of the tree, you could see along what's on the right-hand side. It was one of those shots where I felt comfortable with it. It obviously curved by a lot, but I wish in hindsight -- I had 250, and I thought that if I pushed a 5, it might be too long. So I really gripped on. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't, might have got the green. I hit a 4 off a bad tee shot.

Q. How do you explain to the folks at home what it's like playing out of this rough?
RORY MCILROY: It's tough. The grass itself isn't very strong. It's actually -- it's quite light. The ball just goes all the way to the bottom. And then from there, it's all about judging the lie, whether you're going to get a flier or whether it's going to come up dead or somewhere in the middle or somewhere in between. When we play in peak conditions, it's so much different than the last couple of weeks with the Northern Trust. So I think it's just taken time for guys to adjust back.

Q. Great job after the rain delay. Good going. See you on the weekend.
Q. Justin Thomas was just here a moment ago and said that the weather suspension got him out of his rhythm. Did it help you? You got quiet for a while and suddenly got going.
RORY MCILROY: It can go one of two ways. I was over a putt for a birdie on the 10th hole when they cleared the course. I was even par, sort of neutral, a nice thing for me to reset, and I thought, okay, let's give myself a goal here. Let's play the last nine holes at 3 under par, and I was able to do that. Yeah, it worked nicely for me. I played some better golf after we got back out there.

Q. You really dedicated yourself to improving your wedge play. Looking at this example at 12, how much progress do you feel you're making?
RORY MCILROY: It's funny. What I've done with my wedge over the past few weeks is I went from three swings to two swings. I just went a full and a three-quarter, where I used to have a full and a three-quarter. So I have a full and a three-quarter, and then anything below that, I'm basically just eyeballing it. When I was a kid and didn't have a yardage book and didn't know how far it was.

It's amazing when you get on the driving range and see the first flag and you start hitting balls to it. You have no idea how far it is. I've almost sort of simplified it over the last few weeks, and it's working.

Q. You had a terrific chip at 6 but then another one here at 13.
RORY MCILROY: Yes. You know, you can learn a lot from looking at other guys. So for me, I try to play these very long with not a lot of wrist hinge, like what Jason Day does. I think Jason Day has the best technique to deal with those sort of lies. So any time I see a lie like that, I just imagine that I'm him and try to hit a good shot.

Q. What about the second at 18. Describe that for us.
RORY MCILROY: I got away with the tee shot. It was a bad -- followed by even being on the driving range out of bounds. So I got away with it. I had a nice little gap. I got two good breaks. I had the gap on the drive, and then I hit it up there and got a nice lie for my third and was able to chip it in, chip it up there close. I had a lovely little gap to start on the scoreboard. So I got lucky, but I used my luck and took advantage of it. It was nice to finish with those two breaks.

Q. Brooks is in the lead at 13 under. How do you feel going into this weekend?
RORY MCILROY: I played well the last two days at 7 under par. If we were all starting at even par, I think that would be tied for the lead right now with Paul Casey. I think he shot similar on this course as me. I know that it's in there quite well. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297