MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 4, 2023

Rory McIlroy

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, like to welcome Rory McIlroy to the press center to this year's Masters, thank you very much for joining us.

Second-place finish in the 2022 Masters, record equalling 64 last round, and I believe you've been here the last couple of weeks, you've played well, putted well. What kind of confidence has that given you coming into this week?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, good to be back. Obviously the last time this tournament was played, I walked away from the course and the tournament pretty happy with myself, as you can see on the screen over there. But yeah, it's always great to be back at the Masters. I feel like, you know, obviously the whole field has sort of been building up to this point the entire calendar year.

So, good to be back. As you said, I've been up here quite a bit. Recent weeks I've played 81 holes in the last sort of 2 1/2 weeks. So sort of very familiar with the place again, and obviously looking forward to getting the week started good.

Q. Playing a lot here in advance, what's the thinking behind that, and what's your take on 13 after playing it again yesterday with Tiger in the group?

RORY McILROY: I think more than anything else, it's fun. It's fun to be here. It's fun to play. It's a treat. I came up here last Thursday. It was sort of just on a whim. I texted Shane Lowry and I said, look, we're going to be practicing in Florida, why don't we just come up here for a day.

Yeah, it's just a treat to come up here and play, and you know, just I feel like you go around here, and whether you learn something new or not, it's just a nice way to spend a day.

So yeah, there's no real thinking behind playing more so than other years. It's just it's fun to be up here.

Yeah, 13, the second shot is much more challenging than it used to be. The tee shot is a little -- there's probably less thought that needs to go into the tee shot. You don't need to do as much with it. You don't need to turn it around the corner as much.

But that second shot, I hit a really -- I hit two tee shots there yesterday, and the second tee shot I took just a little further left, and had a 5-iron in, and, you know, that ball was a good, you know, 18 inches or two feet above you. It's a big decision.

I listened to some of the guys, I think DJ said yesterday, if he had more than a 5-iron in, he was probably going to lay up. I think depending on where the hole location is, as well, you're going to see guys lay up to some pins and maybe go for some others.

But it certainly puts the choice back in your mind; that you're never -- since I've played here since 2009, there's never really been a choice, if you hit a good tee shot, you go for the green. But now there's a decision to be made.

Q. It's obviously different communicating online or through headlines than being in person with someone, but in a week like this, where there's 18 LIV guys and a bunch of PGA TOUR guys and all of you guys are intermingling and it seems like everything is okay, does it change the dynamic between you guys?

RORY McILROY: I see some of these guys at home, I see Brooks a lot, I see DJ a lot, we sort of practice at the same place.

As you said, I think the more face time you get with some people, the more comfortable you become in some way. I'm going to go play nine holes here with Brooks in a little bit. And look, there's so many -- it's a very nuanced situation and there's different dynamics. You know, it's okay to get on with Brooks and DJ and maybe not get on with some other guys that went to LIV, right. It's interpersonal relationships, that's just how it goes.

But this week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that, I feel, and it's just great that all of the best players in the world are together again for the first time in what seems to be quite a while.

Q. You've had so many great experiences here over the years, and a few other challenging years. Just wondering, what's the difference between accumulating experience and perhaps accumulating a little bit of scar tissue?

RORY McILROY: I think you have to go through everything, right. Like it's not -- I don't think -- not every experience is going to be a good experience. I think that would lead to a pretty boring life. You know, you have to learn from those challenges and learn from some of that scar tissue that's built up.

You know, I felt last year that I maybe shed some of that scar tissue and felt like I sort of made breakthroughs. Yeah, I'm feeling as sort of relaxed as I ever have coming in here just in terms of I feel like my game is in a pretty good place. I know the place just as about as well as anyone.

But yeah, good experiences, bad experiences, it all adds up at the end of the day, and you probably learn a bit more from those bad experiences, and I feel like I've done pretty well at sort of putting those lessons into my play and being better because of them.

Q. I guess you've had a few years to think about the answer to this question: If you can win here at Augusta, how would it feel to be mentioned in the same breath as Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Jack and Tiger?

RORY McILROY: Feel pretty good (laughter).

Yeah, look, it's one of the biggest sport tournaments in the world. Wherever you rank them, it's up to you as we've seen this week (laughter), but it's a major championship. I've won four of them. I've been knocking on the door for that fifth one for a while.

I feel like I am as good, if not better a player, as I was the last time I won a major championship. So I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Q. The start, for you, not particularly ideal, the last four in particular, does it have anything to do with the potential accomplishment of winning here? And secondly, there's only one guy since 2005 that was outside the top 10 after the first round that has won, and that was Tiger, twice, in 2005 and in 2019. Do you have any theory as to why that might be?

RORY McILROY: I think the way that -- excluding the back nine on Sunday with some of the hole locations, I think it's a very difficult course to chase on. You start to fire at pins and short-siding yourself and you're missing in the wrong spots, it's hard to make up a lot of ground.

You know, once you get off to a good start, you can -- you know, what's the biggest thing here in Augusta? Greens in regulation, hitting greens. If you get off to a good start, it's way easier to get into that mindset when you've been off to a fast start.

Yeah, say you shoot a couple over that first day, then you start having to chase just to make the cut or try to get yourself back in the tournament, that's when this golf course can really sort of step up and bite you. I think that's part of the reason.

Q. Talking with the Patrons, there is an incredible amount of support for you this year. People really want to see you clinch that career Grand Slam. Do you feel that Patron support, and does it make a difference?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, look, I'm incredibly lucky that I feel like I get supported pretty well wherever I go. Yeah, no one wants me to win this tournament more than me, right (laughter).

I don't feel like -- I don't feel like the support is like a weight of expectation, but it's incredibly nice and I'm incredibly grateful that I do have that support. You know, if that can help me half a percent to get through this week, then I'll take it.

Q. Have you spoken to Phil Mickelson at all, and curious about your thoughts about his return after last year's absence?

RORY McILROY: I have not. I have not spoken to Phil. But it's great to see him back. You know, he's a three-time champion here. We're not even two years removed from him doing what I believe is one of the greatest feats in the game of golf, winning the PGA Championship at 51 years of age or whatever it was. It's good to have him back.

Q. I want to ask you, with the ball changes proposed by the USGA and R&A, and what's happened with 13 in 2023, there's so many ways that you can moderate golf courses. Do you think changing or trying to rein in technology a better way to do it?

RORY McILROY: You know, there's so many angles that you can come at this argument. I think the only thing that you can regulate when it comes to golf is the equipment. Like we can't regulate the way a course is set up. We can't regulate the size of a course. We can -- you know, for me, it's -- does Augusta -- Augusta National have lengthened the 13th tee, and they have gone to great lengths to do that in terms of the money that was spent and everything else that goes on around it. Not every golf course in the world has that luxury.

To me, if we really want to keep the old, historical venues relevant, if that's something that's really important to the game of golf, then I would say that this is a step in the right direction.

But as you said, or as I said, there's so many different angles that you can attack this argument, and it's so nuanced, and everyone has a unique one argument, and someone has just as good a counterargument the other way.

It's a big deal, and you know, it could dramatically change the landscape of our game going forward. I'm certainly in the camp that I believe that it's the right thing to do.

Q. When you think about the struggles you've had here over the years, a bunch of Top 10s, second last year, but when you think about them, do you categorize them as physical, mental or emotional struggles?

RORY McILROY: I would say the majority of mental or emotional struggles rather than physical. I've always felt like I have the physical ability to win this tournament. But it's being in the right head space to let those physical abilities shine through.

Going back to Gary's question a few moments ago, it's been tentative starts, not putting my foot on the gas early enough. It's been -- I've had a couple of bad nine holes that have sort of thrown me out of the tournament at times.

So it's sort of just like I've got all the ingredients to make the pie. It's just putting all those ingredients in and setting the oven to the right temperature and letting it all sort of come to fruition. But I know that I've got everything there. It's just a matter of putting it all together.

Q. Last month at THE PLAYERS, you were trying to get your driver worked out. Were you concerned about your readiness for this event? Obviously things worked out well in Texas?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, arguably the biggest tournament of the year before this one, I missed the cut and I played the first two rounds with the guy that went on and won the tournament by five and felt like I was not in the best place.

But as I said before, those struggles and those experiences, I think they are the things that you learn from, and I definitely used that week after THE PLAYERS, I came up here for a couple of days and I worked with the guys at TaylorMade to find a driver and get really dialed in. Obviously I was really happy with how that performed at the Match Play in Austin a couple weeks ago.

That was a huge -- I guess a huge weight off my shoulders in way. If I can drive the ball well, it's the foundation of my game, and I can really play from there and take advantage of that.

I sort of struggled with the driver for most of this year, but I feel like I really I found one that I'm comfortable with, that I can shape both ways, that I can maneuver and hit the shots that I need, not just for here, but for the whole year going forward.

Q. You've been around Tiger for not all of his levels of play but quite a few. Curious what you've seen out of him and how he looked yesterday in your mind, and if you think he still has it in him to contend here and win again?

RORY McILROY: He looks good. You know, if he didn't have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I'd say he'd be one of the favorites. I mean, he's got all of the shots. It's just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this.

But again, as we all know, we never count Tiger out, and he can do incredible things. But you know, you watch him on the range and you watch him hit chips and putts, and he's got all the aspects of the game that you need to succeed around this place. It's just the toll it takes on his body to compete over 72 holes.

Q. A moment ago, you talked about head space being the critical factor, and I'm just wondering, how is your head space this year?

RORY McILROY: Great. I mean, I'm not going to tell you it's terrible (laughter).

Q. I guess the question is, then, have you done anything different in terms of approach then?

RORY McILROY: No. I think the best way for me to feel like I'm in a good head space is to be as prepared as I possibly can be, and I feel really prepared. I think when you feel that way and you feel like you've done everything that you need to do, you sort of just get into a different level of comfort. I think I'm pretty much there.

Q. I don't know if you're aware that "The Times" has reported that the DP World Tour that won it case against the LIV players. Can I get your reaction to that, please?

RORY McILROY: I don't -- it looks like it's not going to be announced until Thursday, so I don't really -- I don't know if I can comment on it too much. But you know, if that is the outcome, then that certainly changes the dynamic of everything.

Q. I know it's hard for you to comment on it now, but do you think that's the right decision?

RORY McILROY: I'm not a lawyer. But if the arbitration panel think that's the right decision, then I have to go by what they say.

Q. Two-part question from the region I come from. You started this season very differently, from Dubai. Is there anything else specifically that you did differently after Dubai getting ready for this tournament? That's No. 1. And No. 2, when a phenom like Maya wins the DCP over here and you have played such an important mentoring role for her, what are the things that you say to kids like that?

RORY McILROY: So in terms of different things from Dubai, I mean, nothing, really. Obviously I played Dubai at the start of the year, and that's actually been a pretty good -- it's been a happy hunting ground for a future Masters Champion. I think Danny Willett won in 2016 and won the Masters, and I think Sergio won it in '17 and went on to win the Masters. It would be nice to emulate them.

Maya, I mean, she has -- she's been targeting that Drive, Chip & Putt for forever, it seems like, and to see her go there and perform the way that she did and win, and the smile on her face, it's amazing, absolutely amazing.

So yeah, I want to give a shout out to Maya. She was incredible, and it was great to see. And she's an amazing golfer and an amazing human being, but I'm really proud of her.

Q. When you work with Fax, you do games, not drills, on the putting green, and you had these kids out there the other day on 18 hitting putts at Augusta National --

RORY McILROY: I saw some of them AimPointing, like, oh my goodness. (Laughter).

Q. That was painful. In a sense, is that the freedom you're seeking as a putter?

RORY McILROY: Bob Rotella tells me all that time. When you were six years old, did you read a putt? No, you went purely on instinct. And usually instinct is -- as you proceed to get smarter and get more wisdom, you start to question that instinct more and more. But every time you go back to it, it seems like that instinct is the right answer at the start.

So yeah, the more we can -- you know, there's a lot of us that play golf in this room. The more that we can be childlike on and around the greens, the better, I think.

Q. You mentioned earlier about your physical preparation, and then you mentioned the mental and emotional toll to Kyle. What sort of mental and emotional practice have you done coming into this to get prepared for this week?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, you know, just I've worked with Bob Rotella now pretty consistently for the last couple years, and just chats with him. I always feel a little bit better about everything, a little bit better about myself after I sort of have a chat with him.

So you know, he's actually getting in today. We're going to spend a little bit of time tonight and tomorrow. I just feel after I talk to him, just a lot more relaxed, a lot more loose, a lot more confident in myself.

Yeah, I'd say if -- talking about the mental side of things, I just sort of focus on the sort of chats that I've been having with Bob.

Q. As you look back at ten-plus years of witnessing changes to Augusta National, I'm wondering, which changes stand out as the most significant?

RORY McILROY: I think the new tees, the new fifth tee I think was a big change. That made that hole play significantly differently. Obviously the tee box on 13 this year. There's been a couple of green changes; the 13th green has been softened quite a bit in the last few years.

I think overall, well, the first time I played here, we were still hitting balls on the old practice range. So I mean, that new tournament practice range is a lot nicer and a lot better than the old one, as well.

But yeah, massive changes. Like probably most of you, I read that "Golf Digest" article earlier this week by Joel Beall talking about the expansion and how Augusta is really -- as much as they are steeped in history and tradition, how they are on the forefront of sort of pushing things forward.

Pretty cool to see, and it's been pretty cool to see how they have balanced that history and that tradition but with an eye to the future as well.

Q. Not to put too fine of a point on it, you gestured to that photo (photo capturing jubilance) earlier, but is there any carryover effect from that moment and that feeling to now?

RORY McILROY: The only thing that I can say is that I proved to myself that I could do it. As much as I didn't really get into contention, there was a part of me on that back nine last year that felt that I had a chance, and to play the way I did and to eagle 13 and to have those feelings, in my mind, anyway, I felt like it was a breakthrough.

So any time I see an image like that or the video of me and then Collin doing what he did, as well, sort of just brings back all those good vibes.

Q. Why would this week be different compared to previous years for you?

RORY McILROY: Why would this week?

Q. Be different for you compared to previous years.

RORY McILROY: I don't know. Did I say that? I mean --

Q. Could it be?

RORY McILROY: Could it be? Hopefully. Yeah, I mean, as I said to Kyle beside you, I feel like I've got all the ingredients. It's just about putting them all together over the next four days.

Q. There's now a clear gap between the world's top three and everybody else. What are you, Scottie and Jon doing that nobody else are doing?

RORY McILROY: I don't know. You know, I look at both of those guys, and it's hard to see them not consistently finishing in the top 10 of every tournament that they play. They both have -- they both do it a different way. They both sort of have different attitudes towards the game.

But it just seems like every week that we're playing, one of us has got a chance to win that tournament, you know, going back to Kapalua the first week of the year and then me in Dubai and Scottie in Phoenix and then Jon in L.A. and then Scottie in THE PLAYERS and then Scottie and I at the Match Play.

It just seems like one much us three is popping up every week we play with a chance to win. That's the level that we all want to be at.

I think that for me, anyway, seeing those two guys consistently performing at that level just pushes me to want to be better.

Q. Have the three of you discussed the dominance that you are now showing?

RORY McILROY: I just had breakfast with Jon Rahm and that didn't come up, no (laughter).

Q. When you look at the structural changes in the PGA TOUR that have happened, how important was the week of the JP McManus Pro-Am for having those conversations and building consensus among the top players?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, so that, I think -- so Tiger's really the one that called the meeting the week of that tournament, and then the first meeting was actually with Jay and the rest of the players, and then the second meeting was us on our own and sort of discussing whether we needed like an outside counsel, not in a legal term, but someone to bounce ideas off that's not within the TOUR to sort of maybe bring a little bit more clarity.

I think when you're in something, it's maybe hard to take a step back and sort of see the bigger picture in a way. So to have someone come in and do that; that was the first sort of -- definitely the initiation of those discussions.

As that summer progressed, Zoom calls, conference calls, different ideas and iterations to get to the point where we met in Delaware and what was presented to the players that evening.

Yeah, the JP McManus Pro-Am was definitely the start of it, and then I would say the sort of -- what was that, four or five weeks after that was a pretty important time. Obviously it was big-idea stuff and pie-in-the-sky and not all the details were fleshed out, but at least a framework that we could work from, basically.

Q. Yesterday Cam was in here talking about the need for them or the want for them for a LIV golfer to win this. What's your reaction to that "us versus them" mentality that they have that I don't think exists with you guys? And if you or a PGA TOUR peer wins, will you storm the 18th green?

RORY McILROY: Depends who it is (laughter).

You know, I think that only puts more pressure on themselves that they are not just playing for themselves and they are playing for this cause. That might help in some way, I don't know. But as I said before, I think this tournament is bigger than all of that.

Look, it's a narrative and a storyline, but the Masters and the four major championships sit above all that noise, and that's the way it should be this week.

Q. When you first burst on the scene, a lot of people said, this kid is definitely going to win the Masters, his game is tailor-made for this course. All these years on, do you feel that about the course and that the course plays to your strengths perhaps more than every other major venue?

RORY McILROY: It does, but they said the same thing about Ernie Els, Greg Norman -- I'm not mentioning LIV.

There's been players before that that has been said; that, you know, this course is tailor-made for those players and they haven't went on to win a green jacket. That's always in my mind, too. It's not just because a place is deemed, you know, perfectly set up for your game, it doesn't automatically mean that you're going to win it one day. There's more to it than that. There's also been players that you would think this golf course wouldn't set up well for them, and they have went on and won a green jacket.

Look, it's a factor and it's nice to know that I come back to this place every year and that if I played the way I know that I can, that I should have a good chance.

Yeah, I don't need to do anything differently this week. I go out and play the way that I know that I can, get myself in with a chance to win, and then, you know, those last couple hours on Sunday, it's not about whether the course sets up well for you. It's about who can hold it together the best.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks very much, Rory, really appreciate your time.