HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 28, 2023

Rory McIlroy

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. You described your game yesterday as sloppy. What was it like out there for you? How would you describe it?

RORY McILROY: More of the same, really. I think I only hit two fairways today. So once you -- when you can't hit fairways around here, and the rough is quite thick, it's very hard to have any control of your ball and get it close into par 4s.

Yeah, just a little rusty. Yeah, need to go do a little work.

Q. Given you've not had your A Game, you're still only two shots off the lead. Are you able to take any positives out of that, and if so, what?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, look, I chipped and putted it well, and I sort of, you know, got myself around the golf course okay. Being able to post a couple of decent scores and at least have a chance going into the last two days. But definitely more negatives than positives and need to go and figure it out on the range.

Q. A lot of noise at the start the week, but given the delays and suspension, does it feel like a grind out here especially because it is a Monday finish?

RORY McILROY: Not really. I'm glad that they went to a Monday. It's good that all the field get an opportunity to play 72 holes.

I think it's a good thing. It's such a big event, I think now the discrepancy between these big events on tour and then the lesser ones, that fourth day could mean a lot to someone in terms of changing the course of their year or the course of their career.

Obviously happy we are playing 72, and it's not as if people have to go that far. Most of the guys are going to Ras Al-Khaimah, a few guys are going to Saudi, so we're not having to go anywhere else. Everyone can sort of still get to their destinations on Monday night. Thankfully for me, there's two more rounds.

Q. The eagle putt on 13, you made a good putt on 16 as well to save par and missed out on the last, but overall, what does those putts do from a momentum standpoint?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it does. I've scrambled well this week. I really needed to scramble well on Thursday, and then again today in some spots.

So I think it's nice when you're not feeling on your game you have a short game to sort of bail you out, and I think that's the reason why I'm still not too far away from the lead.