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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 22, 2007

Rory McIlroy

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND

MALCOLM BOOTH: Ladies and gentlemen, Rory McIlroy, 72 today. Total of 289, 5-over par, winner of the Silver Medal.
Rory, first Open Championship. Start of the week you wanted to win the Silver Medal, you must be delighted.
RORY McILROY: That was my goal at the start of the week, and then after my good first round, I'm sorry the amateurs didn't really play their best, so, yeah, I said to myself on the weekend to just finish in the top 10. But I obviously didn't do that. The draw didn't really help me. If I -- I would have shot a better score in the second round, I would have been a little bit later, and the condition would have been a bit better for me.
But overall I'm really happy. To end the week with a birdie on the last was pretty special.

Q. What are your immediate plans now? Do you know your next pro tournament?
RORY McILROY: No. I mean I'm going on holiday next week for ten days and then I've got a Scratch Cup in Ireland and then I've got a Walker Cup session, hopefully if I get picked, on the 14th, 15th and 16th of August, and then I've got the European Amateur in the third week of August and then I've got a week in between that and the Walker Cup week and then Walker Cup and whatever invites I get after that, I suppose.

Q. So, where is the holiday to?
RORY McILROY: Dubai.

Q. Are you taking the sticks or not?
RORY McILROY: No, no. I'll probably spend most of my time inside. It's very hot there at the minute, so I'll probably do a bit of skiing, on the ski run. I'll probably do a bit of shopping.

Q. After the bogeys at 15 and 16, how satisfying was it to get that shot down the 18th?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, you know, I just had a really, really good drive up 18. Kind of perfect yardage and went straight to the flag. Probably one of the best iron shots I hit all week. I probably pushed it a little bit, but got lucky back off the slope of the bunker, and it was a nice putt to finish with. But yeah, I mean, I was slightly disappointed after picking up shots on 13 and 14, giving them straight back at 15 and 16.
But the closing stretch, I played the last four holes this week for all four rounds at 1-over par, which is pretty good. And I think I played the back nine -- I must have played it under par, anyway. So I'm really, really happy with that. The ovation and stuff I got walking up 18 was phenomenal. It's probably -- I'm going to remember that forever.

Q. You've finished ahead of some big names in this tournament. Are you surprised at the shape of things to come?
RORY McILROY: Hopefully it's the shape of things to come. I think I'm getting better all the time, progressing as a player. Hopefully I've got a few more Open Championships in me. I think it's a great performance, first major, first Open Championship, and hopefully I can go on to bigger and better things.

Q. Are you prepared for the fact that your life may change a bit after your first really high profile performance?
RORY McILROY: No, not really, still the same old Rory McIlroy. I'll go up to Holywood Golf Club after this, I'll see my mates and stuff, and nothing will have changed. But I'm sure I'll probably have a bit more attention after the way I played this week. I'm sort of prepared for it, but it's still going to be a bit of a change for me.

Q. You said you set yourself the goal to finish in the top 10. Is it sort of a disappointment that you didn't?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'm not disappointed the way I played, it was just everyone -- the scoring yesterday was unbelievable. I couldn't believe how low the scores were. I thought it was quite difficult yesterday and I played pretty good to shoot 73. But overall the way I played on the weekend, I'm not disappointed at all.
It would have been nice to get back in next year, but I've still got a couple of chances to do that. I'm pleased the way I played and it's the best I could have done.

Q. What have you learned from this week, Rory?
RORY McILROY: That you don't have to do extraordinary things to do well out here, you just have to play solid golf, hit fairways, hit greens. You don't have to do anything very special. You just have to take your chances when they come and then play for pars on difficult holes.
I think that's what I learned, especially playing with Jiménez this week. He knew when he could go for things and he knew when he couldn't. And when he couldn't, he just hit middles of greens and took his two-putt and got out of there.
There's no easy holes out there, but the more easy ones, then he took his chances there. And I think you don't have to hit phenomenal shots, just play solid golf and you'll do well.

Q. What did Scott Verplank say to you when you were coming off the 18th green?
RORY McILROY: He just said very well done, a great week, good luck in Tour school, and don't beat the Americans too bad in the Walker Cup. So that was pretty much it. He said hopefully you're out on the PGA TOUR in a few years, but by that time I'll be on the Champions Tour. He's a great guy. He was really nice. Nice guy, really nice guy.

Q. Secondly, you talked about idolizing Tiger Woods when you were a kid. At the junior structure in Holywood, do you have a gaggle of kids trying to become Rory McIlroy?
RORY McILROY: I'm sure there is. It's only natural to see someone that you look up to and you try and copy things they do. I think Holywood has got a really good junior membership. There's 40 girls in that, as well. There's 130 boys and 40 girls. I think by me playing some good golf, the interest level in Holywood has risen a bit. It's great to see so many juniors playing.

Q. What's the feedback been from your friends and family? They must be immensely proud of what you did.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, dad was getting ripped into me for throwing a club on 11. But apart from that, I think he's happy the way I played. But he's always got something to moan about.

Q. You told us about your holiday plans. How are you going to celebrate exactly tonight?
RORY McILROY: I might go out into Dundee. I've got a few of my friends that are staying over there this week, so I might go out and -- go out with them for a while tonight, I don't know. I think my flight is not until tomorrow afternoon. I could do that, or I might just sit in and watch the highlights, I'm not sure.

Q. You look tired.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's been a pretty draining week for me, obviously with all the attention. It's more mentally out there, because every shot out there, you have to hit a good shot all the time. It's difficult to do that for 72 holes and early starts and getting home late and stuff. But it's been great and I've really enjoyed it.

Q. Having savored the atmosphere The Open Championship and played a few professional tournaments, as well, are you now impatient to turn pro and get really into that swing of things, or are you happy to just bide your time?
RORY McILROY: I'm happy to wait until Walker Cup. It's only another month away or so. It shouldn't be that long before I'm a pro. But it's -- you only get to play in The Open once a year, anyways. It's just a completely different atmosphere than anything I've ever played in before.
But if I can get to play in an Open every year for the next, I don't know, 30 or 40 years, I'd really enjoy it and couldn't wait to go out there.

Q. Scott Verplank said to us something to the effect that you look 14 and you play like a 28-year-old. Do you feel like that now that you've learned so much this week?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I don't know if I look 14 (laughter). But, yeah, I think I've learned a lot this week and I think I'm quite mature anyway. I've got Gordy on the bag, as well, which is great because he's been on Tour for 15 or 20 years. He helps me around the golf course and he sort of talks me through shots and stuff, which is great. I've got a good caddie on the bag, which makes a lot of difference, as well.

Q. Is he a permanent fixture there now?
RORY McILROY: We'll say hopefully. It depends how I do, I suppose. If I get my Tour card and stuff, yeah, he's going to be on my bag. We'll just see what happens because I've still got a lot of golf to play this year. Hopefully if I can get my European Tour card he'll be on the bag.

Q. Going back to you saying your dad telling you off and about learning from Miguel about taking patience with the course, you are very quick over the ball?
RORY McILROY: Yeah.

Q. Have you learned to slow down a bit?
RORY McILROY: I've always been quick, and that's just the way I play. I just think -- I stand up, look at the shot, assess it, know the shot I'm going to hit and I hit it. I don't mess about because --

Q. In other words change your mind and have doubt?
RORY McILROY: No, I think my short routine is okay, have a couple of practise swings, visualize the shot, feel it, see it and do it and let it go. That's pretty much the easiest way to play for me. There's no point in taking time over things, because you just confuse yourself. So I stand up, look at the target and hit it. That's the way I've always been.

Q. You're walking away with the Silver Medal this time. Do you get the feeling now that having experience this week that you could one day walk away with the trophy, itself?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. Sergio is out there at the minute and he's played in an Open as an amateur before. And look where he is now, he's leading The Open Championship. And he was in the last group last year, and he's had a lot of good performances.
So if I can progress over the next few years and keep improving, I certainly think I can be contending for an Open -- well, in the future, hopefully in the near future.

End of FastScripts

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