DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2021

Rory McIlroy

Jumeirah Golf Estates

Quick Quotes

Q. 65 today, appeared you have the knack of Jumeirah Golf Estates, the Earth Course. What was the secret to into performance and why do you think it suits your eye so much here?

RORY McILROY: I was saying to Dean on the way up to the recording, I've been coming back here now or 12 years and it flies by. I think a lot of experience around this place, a lot of great memories and memories of great shots and great putts.

It's comfortable for me. I think if you can carry the ball over 30 on this course. It gets a lot easier, just getting over some of those fairway bunkers and the landing areas become that bit wider. Someone like Dean or myself today, that's an advantage for us and I've been able to use that to my advantage over last few years here.

Q. You've been eating up the par 5s. Talk us through the shot on 2.

RORY McILROY: Honestly all I was trying to do was get it in the front bunker. I didn't think I had enough club to get it over but I absolutely flushed it. It was like a bee in the tree; right edge of the green I was aiming at, and tried to hit a hard draw in there to at least try to get it to the lip of the bunker.

So I had an uphill bunker shot and as soon as I hit it I felt like actually might have a chance to cover it. So it was nice to hole the putt and obviously a great way to start.

Q. Your emotional interview after the singles at The Ryder Cup had most of Europe in tears to be honest. You've gone away and made some alterations to how you've looked at things and gone about stuff and been rewarded with a victory already on the PGA Tour. Give us an insight into the significance and importance of what you've gone through these last few weeks.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I feel I'm a big boy now. I've been around the block a bit, and if I have problems or struggles, I should be able to sort them out myself. Instead of looks to others to fix my problems, I'm going to take responsibility a bit and that's what I did after The Ryder Cup. Put my head down and spent a lot of time just on the range and just figuring out, okay, what is it do I do well and what do I need to get back to.

I've always been a very visual player. I always see shots. I don't know how much the shot tracer was out there today, but people probably see me playing shots again. Maybe not quite as much as Bubba Watson but still that's how I've always played golf and seen the game, and I just need to get back to seeing it like that again.

Q. A season that has not gone quite gone to plan because of the majors; what's it like hearing us talk about that and how do you see it?

RORY McILROY: It's hard, I guess I talked about this a little bit maybe after CJ. I think sometimes when you don't play your best, I may be don't set my standards high enough sometimes. They are high, but getting into contention in one major this year isn't good enough for me. I've done way better than that before and I know I can again, especially with how I'm playing and feeling like I've got my golf game back, basically. So I'm excited for those four events next year, and excited about the road ahead because I really feel like I'm on the right path.