FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP

August 10, 2023

Rory McIlroy

TPC Southwind

Quick Quotes

Q. I thought it was a really solid start for you ball-striking, particularly driving, and that birdie on 9 has to make things a little bit better.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I don't know if I can remember a round where I've driven it that well, at least in recent memory. I drove it really well today and gave myself so many looks from the fairway.

Sort of walking off the course disappointed with 3-under. I felt on another day when I had have been on song a little bit more, especially with the putter, it could have been a 63 or a 64.

You know, it was a slow start, and then the eagle on 16 sort of got me going.

I played solid. I just feel like I left a few out there.

Q. Tell me about the eagle.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, that was nice. Got lucky with the drive. It hit off the base of a tree and came back into the fairway, and that was a great shot. It was a perfect number for me.

I probably hit it maybe five yards right of where I was looking. I was trying to go a little left of the pin and sort of hit it on line. But great shot, good number, and as I said, that sort of got me going.

Q. You're using the Scotty Cameron Phantom?

RORY McILROY: Yeah.

Q. What was your opinion on it?

RORY McILROY: It was good. I'm just sort of trying to get a little more consistency in it. I like the feel of it. It's a real solid feel. My speed is good with it. It's just a matter of getting the thing on line.

Q. Does the garage putter get to stay in the bag or are you going to go back to the usual gamer?

RORY McILROY: I'll give it one more day. I'll give the garage putter one more day and see how we go. Fax has already sent me the putt that I hit at the last, and it was a really good putt from down the line. Ball rolled end over end. It was a good stroke.

I think for me it's just the reads more than anything else. If I can just sort of get my reads a little bit better -- I feel like I'm stroking it well and I'm starting the ball on line.

It'll get another day, and we'll go from there.

Q. What did you feel like you did well with the driving?

RORY McILROY: For me it's all timing and matching it up. If I can sort of get my -- if I can sort of get my club face and my body rotation just sort of matched up, that's when I drive it my best, and today it sort of did that. It was very neutral ball flights, not a ton of shape on it.

It was just a really, really good day. If I can sort of feel like my body is turning and my club face is staying stable through impact, that's sort of the secret to driving it the way I drove it today.

Q. Did you hit driver more often because it was playing longer and softer?

RORY McILROY: No, not particularly. No, I still hit sort of 3-wood on the holes. I hit driver on 18 because it was downwind, and the water wasn't really in play. But apart from that, I still hit quite a few 3-woods off the tees.

Q. I don't know if you've played with Scottie and Jon in the group before, but place like Memphis hasn't necessarily seen the top three players in the world all playing together. Is it meaningful to you to play in a group where it's the guys who are the three best in the world?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'd much rather be a part of that group than not part of it. Yeah, fortunately I've been a part of groups like this for a number of years over my career, and it's always cool to be a part of it.

Scottie and Jon have had phenomenal years, and they're the two guys that I'm measuring myself against because we are the three best players in the world, and to get to sort of keep an eye on them up close and see how I pressure up is a good thing.

Q. The talk of the golf world is this book excerpt that came out about Phil Mickelson. I'm curious what your reaction, what the reaction in there was when you read about it.

RORY McILROY: At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won't be a part of it.