RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 9, 2022

Rory McIlroy

St. George's Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Rory, if you can assess your first round for us.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, really solid start. 66 around here is a good score. I felt like the course was there to go even lower just from the rain and how receptive it was. Overall, very happy with the start of the week, especially coming off a disappointing weekend at the Memorial last weekend. It was nice to bounce back with a good score.

Q. What do you think on a day like today was this course's best defense when it's playing a little soft?

RORY McILROY: I think this course's best defense in any conditions is the rough and the pin positions. The greens are slopey. If you hit it in the rough, you don't have a chance of getting to some of the hole locations.

But there's a few holes out there, if you missed it on the wrong side, got yourself above the hole, it got really, really tricky. I expect them to hide the pins away again for the next three days.

Q. Can I just get your reaction to the PGA TOUR's decision to suspend the LIV players?

RORY McILROY: I think at this point, Jay's been pretty transparent in terms of he's just going to act within the tournament regulations and the rules that are set for a PGA TOUR member. All he's doing is basically going by the book.

I think that the majority of the membership that are here this week and that haven't went and played elsewhere really appreciate that. So I think he's done the right thing because these guys have broken rules and done things outside of the tournament regulations, and because of that, there are going to be consequences, I guess.

Q. Do you plan to catch up and watch any of it on YouTube when you get in here and see what exactly is going on?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think like everyone else, I'm intrigued and I'm a fan of golf. I've got quite a few guys over there that I call friends that are playing. Yeah, of course I'll see it and watch it and see what all the fuss is about.

Q. Team Majesticks or Fireballs? Do you have a favorite?

RORY McILROY: What are the other ones, like Iron Heads? I have no idea. Certainly not going out to buy any team merchandise any time soon.

Q. Yesterday you told me you were trying to soak up all the knowledge you could today because you haven't seen this golf course really before. What did you learn about your game today and how it fits in with this golf course?

RORY McILROY: I don't know if I learned anything, but just solidified that I'm hitting the ball well and playing well and rolling it well. I putted pretty well at Memorial last week. Just a continuation of doing the things I have been doing well.

I maybe didn't put it in the fairway quite as much as I wanted to today, so that makes it tricky on some holes. But overall, just a really good day.

Q. Is driver not always the answer on this golf course? It's not one of the longer courses.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, there's holes where you just have to put it in position. I don't think there's any advantage on some holes of trying to hit driver, but it's a weapon of mine, and it's a club that I can take advantage of at some point. I'll try to get driver in my hand as much as I can, but there are quite a few holes out here that it just doesn't let you do that.

Q. Rory, can you speak to the stretch of holes from 15 to 18 today. You had a couple of birdies. You hacked one in the rough on 17. Can you describe the finishing holes on this golf course?

RORY McILROY: Really good up and down on 15 for birdie. Actually trying to play away from the hole a little bit because that tree was in the way.

Probably hit my best shot of the day on 16. Hit a lovely little held 5-iron into that right-hand hole location and birdied there.

I hit it in the rough on 17 and had a half decent lie and was able to gouge it out to the front of the green.

Then it was a nice up and down out of the bunker on 18 after a disappointing iron shot.

It's a nice finishing stretch because there's a couple of chances there but there's also some pretty strong holes as well.