BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 10, 2022

Rory McIlroy

Wentworth Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So many great shots today, the second at the fourth, you made a lot of really nice putts but how important was the par putt on 16 for 65?

RORY McILROY: Par putt on 16 was huge. Par putt on 13 was big as well. Even that little one at the last, I put myself in a good spot and sort of had it slide by five feet. To hole that one and just get one closer to the leader going into tomorrow was really important.

But I thought my putting today was really good, and that's really what's kept me in the tournament.

Q. One back right now, trying to win here for the second time. How important is this not only for the event because it's such a huge event, Flagship Event of the DP World Tour, but towards The DP World Tour Championship and DP World Tour title?

RORY McILROY: It's very important. I said over there to Tim that once I had that great finish in the States, I wanted to turn my attention to here and win The Race to Dubai. It would be great to win it for the fourth time, and I didn't want to let up. I think if I can play well from now to the end of the year, I keep the momentum that I've built going into 2023; and yeah, I've got a great chance tomorrow to win this prestigious event but also to extend the lead in The Race to Dubai, and then we'll go to Italy and try and do it all over again.

Q. 65, right in contention. I know there was a week in between but does this feel like a carryover from what you did at East Lake?

RORY McILROY: I think so. I gave myself a couple of days off from East Lake but my attention quickly turned to not just this event but the rest of the season, and I'm keeping myself quite busy over the next couple of months. I want to finish the year off on a high. I finished the season in the States off on a real high, and I want to do the same over here. I want to try to get that FedExCup and Race to Dubai double.

So a good day tomorrow would put me well on my way to doing that.

Q. Now, you look at the success you've had on this golf course, what's your comfort level out there?

RORY McILROY: I've always liked this tournament when even though I won the event in May, it was very soft, but once the dates changed to September, I liked it more. It's a little like THE PLAYERS in the States, I like the date change from May to March. It's a little softer and I can play the game that I want to play a little bit more.

I feel like when this place or Sawgrass, for example, gets fast and firm and tricky, it doesn't really let me do what I want to do. So I like when it's soft like this.

Q. Unprecedented times, what were the last two days for you like?

RORY McILROY: I think just reflective. I think growing up in Northern Ireland, the Royal Family was part of our culture, you and just sort of took it for granted that the Queen is the Queen. You don't realise that there's going to be kings and queens after that. She was such a steady figure and a steadying figure for the entire country. Obviously she'll be deeply missed but she was an incredible woman and I fully expect her life to be celebrated a lot over these next few days.