ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

November 6, 2024

Rory McIlroy

Yas Links

Press Conference

Q. It's been a month since you've competed on Tour, and you've been locked away in a studio on a simulator. Tell me about that.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I probably haven't liked the shape of my golf swing for a while, especially the backswing. The only way I was going to make a change or at least move in the right direction with my swing was to lock myself in a studio and not see the ball flight for a bit and just focus entirely on the movement.

So did that for three weeks after the Dunhill. Started to get outside and hit some shots last week and see how it is. I'm terrible at if I'm trying to make a certain swing or a certain swing change, and I start to mis-strike it or not hit the shots that I want, I'll just revert back to what I was doing because it's comfortable.

I think doing this in the studio it was a big key for me to just try to make a start on getting the swing back to where I want it to be. But it's an ongoing process, as you know, to get out here and play. When there's sequences to the shots that you hit, you're always going to revert back to what's comfortable. Hopefully the more that I do over these next few months, it will bed in and get back to the shape I want to be in.

Q. You're holding a substantial lead at the top of the Race to Dubai. How does it feel to go into these last two weeks in pole position?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it feels good. I'm focussed on this week. Because if I can play well this week, play really well this week, then next week won't matter, for me, anyway. I'll still want to go out and play well and try to win the golf tournament, but I know that I can make life a lot easier for myself with a good week this week. Fully focussed on that.

Q. If you can pull it off, it will be the sixth time you've been European No. 1 on the Order of Merit on The Race to Dubai. Monty has the record. How much are you focussed on that? How much would it mean to you to take that record off him?

RORY McILROY: I think I'm focussed on one year at a time. The last couple years I've recommitted to trying to win The Race to Dubai. I probably didn't play enough on the DP World Tour for a few years to really give myself a chance, but I've really tried to recommit to making it something that's important to me.

It has, to win the last two years, and going for my third in a row, trying to go for six overall, it's a pretty meaningful thing to do. You know, obviously trying to get to Monty's number of eight, or maybe surpass, is definitely a goal in the future. But I think right now, just have focus on trying to get that sixth one and go from here.

Q. In 12 visits to this championship: Four seconds and four thirds. Is there a sense of unfinished business?

RORY McILROY: Absolutely. I've played really well in Abu Dhabi and obviously in Dubai. I've been able to get the job done in Dubai few more times than here. But I've had plenty of chances. But when we played at Abu Dhabi National, seemed like Martin Kaymer was sort of the man over there and I felt like I finished second or third to him quite a lot.

Different golf course. I played here a couple of years ago and played okay. The conditions were a lot different in January than they are now.

But yeah, it is, I'd love to get a win in Abu Dhabi. I've been so close so many times. It would be nice to finally get over the line.

Q. As we speak it looks like Donald Trump is going to be the next President of America. He says he can fix the LIV/PGA TOUR deal in 15 minutes. Your thoughts?

RORY McILROY: He might be able to. He's got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.

Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it's probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously Trump has great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He's got a great relationship with golf. He's a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

But I think as the President of the United States again, he's probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.