HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 19, 2025

Rory McIlroy

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. A closing round of 66 for a total of 12-under par, your 12th top 10 in a row here. How do you feel about this one?

RORY McILROY: That's pretty cool. Yeah, I probably just left myself a bit too much to do after three days. I had chances, and I was burning the edges.

Felt like I putted pretty well without anything going in and then today, didn't really feel like I played that differently the way I played the last few days. I just held a couple of putts and made a couple of good up-and-downs when I had to. I feel like I got progressively better as the week went on, which bodes well for obviously the next few weeks.

Q. Start of the year, establishes where your game is good and needs work. What are your thoughts on your swing?

RORY McILROY: Probably just a little bit of game management. I think when you take a few weeks off and you come back to play like a really good tournament setup like this, I look at some flags on greens and like, whoa, that's quite a bit further to the right than I thought it would be or that's quite a bit further to the left.

When you're playing at home and the greens are in the middle of the greens, it just gives you a different visual. Then you get out here, and your aim lines start to become a little different. So.

I think playing a week like this, it sort of gives me a good appreciation for what I need to do the next few weeks.