HORIZON IRISH OPEN

September 8, 2023

Rory McIlroy

The K Club, Ryder Course

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about that eagle on 16?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I guess I sort of had some good moments on that hole over the years and that was another one. I missed the tee shot right off the tee and laid it up to what I thought was a good number and hit a lovely little wedge shot in there with a bit of cut spin and came off the slope and into the hole. Harry said to me when I held, he goes, "Thankfully we missed the fairway," because probably wouldn't have made the eagle another way.

But yeah, it was a lovely highlight and went great to follow it up with a double on 16 and give those two shots back. But it was certainly a nice highlight of the day.

Q. 70 to add to yesterday's 69. How would you sum up today overall?

RORY McILROY: I thought a played a little better today from tee-to-green. I just didn't hole anything. I hit good putts. I just was misreading them. Some putts lacked a little speed. Some putts sort of I hit through the break. So a little bit of sort of speed control issues rather than anything technical.

If I can hit the ball like that or a lit better over the next couple of days and just get a couple of putts to drop, obviously there's people showing out here that you can go pretty low.

Q. Still guys out on the course and at the moment you're eight behind the lead. You can go out there over the weekend and shoot a silly low one with the four par 5s?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think sp with the four par 5s, and wedge is in your hand if you do drive it well, you can go really, really low. I'll be out quite a bit before the leaders tomorrow, so try to go out and post a number. Get myself back in the tournament and then hopefully it will be all to play for on Sunday.

Q. Thoughts on day two?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I felt if anything, I hit the ball a little better from tee-to-green. I just didn't really get a putt to drop. Nice to have that highlight on 16 and birdie the last as well. But yeah, you get yourself out of position off the tee here and you make life difficult for yourself. Just need to tidy that up a little bit over the weekend.

It's the sort of golf course that if you do get it going with the four par 5s and the amount of wedges that you have in your hands for second shots, you can certainly go low as people have proven over the past couple days.

Q. There was a little bit of magic out there, as you say, that shot into 16, what do you need to do over the weekend to try and win this tournament?

RORY McILROY: You know, I need to go out tomorrow and shoot a low one. I need to take advantage of the par 5s, like I started to do. Once I get the ball in play off the tee, then this course is, you know, it's there for the taking. You know, you've seen people go out shooting 64s and there's no reason why if I play the way that I know that I can; that I can go out there tomorrow, shoot something like that and get myself back in the tournament. And even if I do that, I'm sure I'll probably still be a few behind going into Sunday but I'll probably be a lot closer to the lead than eight shots.

Q. How do you look back on a round like that?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was a bit of everything. I feel like I hit the ball a little better from tee-to-green today than yesterday but I just couldn't really get a putt to drop. Yeah, it was one of those rounds where I was trying to stay as patient as possible. Made a couple of nice birdies on the back nine and obviously that shot on 16 as well. But just need to try to limit the mistakes a bit more. I made a double-bogey on 16 and I was saying to Harry after the round, I can't remember the last time I made a double-bogey. It's been a few months. Need to just eradicate the mistakes, and if I can do that, get the ball in play off the tee a little bit more, I feel like I'll still have a decent chance.

Q. That double was part of an eventful final three holes. You mentioned 16; what is it about you and that hole?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was a lovely third shot. Any time you hole a shot like that, it's a bonus that it goes in but it was exactly the sort of shot that I saw. Yeah, another nice moment to add to the list on the 16th here at The K Club.

Yeah, I just need to be a little more consistent over the next couple days to have a chance.

Q. Putts didn't quite drop today but they were so close, so often. Does that help you going into the final two?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I healthy good putts. Just some lacked a little bit of speed and some were too hard and went through the break. If I can match my read up to the speed a little better, hopefully get my eye in a bit early in the round tomorrow, and hopefully shoot a low one and get myself back in it.