BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 8, 2022

Rory McIlroy

Wentworth Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. 4-under par 68 in challenging conditions. Give us your thoughts on your play today?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I thought I played okay. I just said the rain was on and off all day and that made it a little tricky, umbrellas up, umbrellas down, wet gear on, wet gear off. But the course, it's so soft, so receptive. It's target practise out there. If you can hit the ball in the fairway, you've got the ball in your hand. It's preferred lies, so you can go low. I felt 4-under was pretty -- yeah, I didn't really do a lot right, I didn't do a lot wrong. I definitely feel the course is going to be very gettable for the rest of the week.

Q. Talking about the highlight of your round but I have to ask you about the second shot to 8, which has to be the shortest shot you've ever hit with a full swing. Tell us about it from your point of view?

RORY McILROY: I was very surprised, I thought if I could get enough speed into it and get steep enough on it, I could at least get it over the water and somewhere around the green and maybe get up-and-down. Harry did say to me before, he said, are you not worried about this bank in front of you and I said no, I can get over that. Managed to get away with a bogey and hit a really good shot. Had a good look at par.

I haven't played with rough -- I played with rough this long recently but maybe not this juicy and this wet. It just shows the club so much when you go through impact.

Q. Players say when they come off a big win, that it's definitely to get back up again and the adrenaline really flowing. You seem to not suffer from that. What's the secret to that?

RORY McILROY: I think winning gives me motivation more than anything else. You've proven that you can win and you can beat the best players in the world. If you can't get energised by that, I don't know what will energise you. I always have this sense of excitement after a win that I'm breaking through or got to where I want to be or I'm on the right path. It's good resetting goals, too. The PGA TOUR season is over for me. Turn my attention to Europe. Try to win The Race to Dubai. So it's all about -- you have to enjoy your wins, too, but you have to keep resetting your goals to strive for other things.