ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 5, 2023

Rory McIlroy

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. How would you assess how the day kind of went overall?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, bad start, really good middle, and then -- well, not a bad finish. If I look back on today the one thing I'll rue is the tee shot on 14. I birdied 13 and got on to 14 tee and I honestly thought I was still like one or two behind the lead. As I was walking to the 14th green, I looked behind me at the scoreboard, and I was leading by one. And if I had of known that, I wouldn't have tried to play the shot that I played on 14, which was unfortunate, but I ended up making bogey there and then a bad swing off the tee on 15 and a bogey.

So I had a chance at the last. I hit a good putt. It just missed on the low side. But it was a good week. I saw some positive signs. Game's rounding into form for the bulk of the season. So I'm, even though I didn't get the win, I'm still pretty happy with how everything went this week.

Q. It seems like the putting was pretty tenuous, especially the back nine -- not yours, just in general, just how careful you had to be.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, the greens got baked out. They get crusty. They just get faster as the day goes on. So nothing new here. It's been that way for the last few years and you just know that you make the weekend at Bay Hill you're just going to have to hang on a little bit.

Q. I think six different leaders today. Can you talk about the drama, the atmosphere, out there?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I certainly felt it on the golf course, so I'm sure it was pretty good to watch. It's hard because the lead's changing hands with guys making bogeys, not really making birdies. So don't know how people find that entertainment value.

But it was a great back nine. It was great to be involved with. I'm really happy for Kurt. He's been playing well for awhile now and I'm happy to see him get his first win.

Q. You clipped Kurt at the CJ Cup in the fall. Did you say anything in particular to him when you guys were shaking hands afterwards?

RORY MCILROY: Not really. Probably just said, Really good week. I think he's been playing pretty well. I sort of know Kurt more from European Tour stuff because he played over there.

But he's done really well. He's sort of persevered and played wherever he could get starts and all of a sudden he's won one of the biggest events on the PGA TOUR. So good for him.

Q. (No Microphone.)

RORY MCILROY: I mean, yeah, look, I still wish I could have had a couple of shots back today. But I guess everyone would say the same thing. It's one of those days and one of those courses where you're going to rue missed opportunities and a couple of missed putts here and there.

But, yeah, look, again, I need to take the positives from it, which there is a lot of, we've got a massive event next week, and try to bring that momentum into Sawgrass.

Q. (No Microphone.)

RORY MCILROY: It's getting better. It's getting better. I feel like I figured out the driver a little bit more this week. Yeah, it's getting there. I think still a couple little things to tidy up and try to get more comfortable with.

But, yeah, I mean with PLAYERS, Match Play, and then the Masters, so two tournaments between now and then and plenty of time to feel a bit more comfortable with where everything is.