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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONSNovember 3, 2019Rory McIlroyShanghai, China Q. Is that what sport is about? RORY McILROY: It is what sport is about. Xander pushed me the whole way, or all 73 holes we played together this week. We played every round, and one more, as well. He played great. He was battling a few all week, wasn't feeling his best, and so the calibre of golf he played this week, it takes some doing. I don't want to take anything away from him. He birdied the last to get into the playoff, and then I produced two of the best shots of the day when I needed it, which was really cool. Q. Are there moments you know you need to hit an aggressive shot and you need to attack? RORY McILROY: Yeah, and I felt like I did that for the most part on the back nine. I hit a good shot into 13 and didn't get rewarded for it. Was able to make a birdie on 14. Felt like I hit a really good shot into 15 and it went over the back of the green and just started to get a little bit tricky and started to, I started to struggle to get the ball close to the hole. Some good up-and-downs. But yeah, I played very patient golf, not just today, but over the weekend. I went bogey-free over the weekend, which was nice to do. If someone had of told me that on Friday night, I wouldn't have thought I needed a playoff to win but Xander played great. It was a great final round to be a part of. Q. So you're in control, tee shot on 18. What did you think when you hit it? RORY McILROY: I would have taken a playoff. As I was walking to it, I thought it was in the water. I was thinking, best-case scenario, try to make a five and hopefully Xander doesn't make better than a birdie. Thankfully it stayed up and played the hole a little more stress-free. Yeah, walking off 18 tee, I would have taken a playoff right there and then. Q. Okay. So this journey, this season, your fourth win. Represents a great season plus it's not over yet. RORY McILROY: No, it's not over. I have one more event left in Dubai. I want to finish the season off as well as I can. I'm playing well. I don't think my game is going to go anywhere over the next two weeks, so hopefully I can turn up in Dubai and play well on a golf course that I've had success on and really finish the year off hopefully the way that I've played all year, which is consistently good golf. I really wanted to get another win before the end of the year, and now that I've done that, it would be nice to get two wins. Q. A few words about the organisers and the crowds? RORY McILROY: So I've been coming back to this tournament for ten years. I think HSBC have done a wonderful job putting this event on, helping junior golf in China, and I think just as the event has went on, the golf course has definitely gotten better. The fans have gotten more educated, and they are a pleasure to play in front of. They are enthusiastic. They know when to cheer and when not to. This has been the best one so far, not just because I've won, but the weather has been unbelievable this week, as well. I feel like this tournament gets better and better every year. Q. It's great when you win. RORY McILROY: It's nice. There's a lot of stuff that people don't see behind the scenes just in terms of hard work and putting the hours in at home. But all of that, it's not work, really. It's playing golf for a living. I'd be in trouble if I did have to work for a living. To practice hard and to do all the right things, and to see it pay off like this and get wins like this, makes it all worthwhile. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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