ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 10, 2024

Rory McIlroy

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Overall thoughts on the week.

RORY McILROY: Another great week off the tee. I feel like I found a good feeling with the putting as well. I putted well the last three days. Just the iron play's let me down. It's sort of been the same story the last few weeks, sort of struggling with a left miss with the irons and it's hard because the longer clubs, the woods, feel so good and then the irons don't really feel that good, so I feel like I'm having to put like two different swings on the woods and the irons at the minute, which is a struggle. But everything else feels pretty good, so if I can get the irons tightened up, I feel like I'll be in a good spot.

Q. Do you feel like what Scottie's doing is maybe a little underappreciated because of the state of golf right now and maybe the competition, because if you look back to, I guess the Waste Management a couple years ago, he's been really, really good and really, really consistent?

RORY McILROY: He's been super consistent. I think being as consistent as Scottie has been is really, really difficult in this game. Anyone can pop up and win an event here or there or get on a good run, but the consistent performances that Scottie's been putting in week-in and week-out every time he tees it up, it is incredible.

Then what he's doing this week, I mean, this is a super tough golf course and to be 6-under today going out with the lead and just sort of lapping the field is, it's super impressive, but we all knew that he had this in him. His ball striking is, honestly, on another level compared to everyone else right now. We knew if he started to hole putts, then this sort of stuff would happen.

Q. You've been part of that sort of sensation. Do you think that we -- that because of what's going on in the world of golf, this excellence has been maybe underappreciated?

RORY McILROY: There's definitely been other stories out there that maybe don't give this the play. I think all of what's gone on in golf has -- the play on the golf course has sort of taken a backseat to everything else, which is a shame.

So, yeah, I'd say if we were in a different place in the world of golf, Scottie's golf would probably be getting a lot more applause and praise.

Q. You know what it's like to have success at Sawgrass. What challenges does that golf course or that championship propose to you?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, so I'm going to Sawgrass next week, like, super comfortable with how I'm hitting it off the tee. If you can get the ball in play there, then I think that's half the battle. But then you've got very small, demanding greens that you got to hit it on the right levels, and you have to be pretty precise with your approach play as well. Yeah, I guess for me, in my head at the minute, it's all about the approach play because that's the thing that I'm struggling with. I've got three days here to try to figure it out and get some good work in. Again, I think I'll probably lead the field in strokes gained off the tee this week, for the third week in a row, so I just need the other -- once I do that, then the next part is the key for me.