THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE

June 5, 2021

Rory McIlroy

Muirfield Village

Quick Quotes

Q. 36-hole leader, Yuka Saso, became infatuated with your swing at age 12. She's now 19. She said she watches your swing an hour before going to sleep. I still do. The last time I watched it was Masters, I was just watching his golf and swing for like an hour, maybe more.

RORY MCILROY: I was hardly there for an hour.

Q. She said, when she was asked, What do you like about his swing? She says, I like everything.

RORY MCILROY: There you go.

Q. So when somebody says that about you, what goes through your mind?

RORY MCILROY: Like there's a lot of people's swings out here that I love as well, but when it's your own you pick it apart and you find everything that's wrong with it. So that's just, that's how we're wired, it's how we're built, it's what we do. I think Tiger had the best swing in history that sort of early 2000 stage and I talked to him about it and he still picks it apart. No, I did this and that and I wrecked my knee doing it and all that. So, like everyone, like even Tiger, when he went on that run, he was still picking apart his swing.

So it's flattering, obviously, I mean, it's -- and it's really cool that someone that's used me as a model is leading the U.S. Open. And I'm really, like I'm really into it. I watched some of it last night, brought back really bad memories from 2012, but I'm really, I'm excited to watch over the weekend and see how she does.

Q. Didn't they put their swings --

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, there's one from her in yellow and me at the TOUR Championship a couple years ago.

Q. Are there any similarities?

RORY MCILROY: There's some similarities. The way she sort of turns off the ball, that's sort of -- like the way our heads both go at impact. There is some stuff there.

Q. Would you want to ask her which swing she's watching, is she watching the Quail Hollow swing or the PGA Championship swing?

RORY MCILROY: I would like her -- yeah, true. I would probably tell her, stay away from these swings, these are the ones you need to look at. But it's cool.

Q. She said she's hoping to meet you at the Olympics.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah. That would be cool. I would like to -- yeah, the Olympics, like who knows how it's going to be or what's going to happen, but I think with Hideki doing what he did at Augusta, it's really strong golfing nation, Japan, obviously having, maybe having her as a major champion going in there, who knows. It would be really -- it would be really cool.

It's just a shame it's not going to be like a normal Olympics. It will still be cool.

Q. Can I ask a U.S. Open question. You played Torrey Pines enough. What are your expectations as far as how you think they're going to set up the golf course?

RORY MCILROY: You know, I don't, I don't think they're going to -- like, obviously, January's very different to June in San Diego. I don't think they're going to set the golf course up super differently in terms of fairway widths or anything like that. I think the way we played it in January is probably what it's going to be in terms of just -- but the rough is going to be a little thicker, I think the whole course is probably just going to be a little firmer.

And then they might mess around with some of the tee boxes like they usually do. They, like the TOUR would never put the 14th hole there as a drivable par-4, but they might for a U.S. Open. So they might move around tees and stuff, but like my expectation is it's not, it's going to be a little different than what it is in January, but I don't think it's going to be miles away from what we see every year there.

Q. Are you surprised that 1-under played off the last time when Tiger and Rocco -- they were the only guys under par.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, it's a par 71, so obviously the 6th hole is a par-4 instead of a par-5. So that takes four shots out of the week. When you think about whenever -- you know, you break 70 there, even the week of the Farmers, and it's a good score. So, and I think with, I mean, looking at the highlights, the greens got super bumpy and fast and that's sort of what happens the weekend of the U.S. Open. Typically if they get like that you're just being very defensive on the greens, you're just sort of 2-putting and going on. So not surprised that much, I guess, I mean, I didn't play, so I can't really comment too much, but it looked firm, it looked fast and the rough looked thick. So it's a good recipe for a high-scoring event.