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3 IRISH OPEN

July 28, 2010

Rory McIlroy

KILLARNEY, IRELAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Rory, good morning, thank you for joining us. I suppose just look ahead to the week for us, to start us off, 3 Irish Open, big tournament for you which I can check.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely a big tournament for a lot of the Irish guys. Seeing PÃ¡draig win in '07 to sort of end the wait for a national victory, and to see Shane win last year, as well, it's an exciting time for Irish golf; and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a good home challenge this week and hopefully I'll be one of those guys that can get into contention.
But I mean, it's a beautiful location. It's a great setting for the tournament. Hopefully the weather just gets a bit better during the week, and it should be a great tournament.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: I was going to say, I'm sure you'd like to join PÃ¡draig and Shane. What would it mean to win it?
RORY McILROY: It would mean a lot. I think, you know, I've won twice in my professional career, but to win here, your home championship, is always very, very special. It would definitely rank up there with one of the biggest achievements I've had in my career to date. So hopefully I can play well enough to get myself into position to do that on Sunday.

Q. You had an outstanding open, there was just one round that scuffled you, but still a great finish, is The Open out of your system? You were so close I guess?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I've had a bit of time to sort of think about it and reflect on it. I suppose the first couple of days when I got home after, it was quite tough, just thinking back about that Friday. But I'm over it now, and I realise that it was still a very, very good week. I shot three very good scores, and, yeah, I mean, if I could have just maybe turned that 80 into a 74 or 75 in the second round, it could have been a little bit different. Could have put a bit more pressure on Louis.
But the way it worked out, that just didn't happen, and even if I was to improve on that second day, you know, Louis played so good, I don't know if anyone could have caught him.

Q. What lessons did you learn from it?
RORY McILROY: I let the conditions get to me. I let being brought off the course get to me a little bit. At the start when we got brought off the course I was sort of thinking, this is brilliant, it's going to be quite calm when we got back out there and actually it probably got a little bit worse.
I just didn't handle the whole deal very well and that's something that if ever happens again, I'll just have to try -- yeah, I got a bit frustrated with the ball a little about it.

Q. Were you actually ratty?
RORY McILROY: I wasn't ratty, no. I just got a bit frustrated and I suppose a little bit -- I was still trying my hardest but I was probably a little bit -- it was just such a tough day. I tried my best, and 80 was as good as I could have done.

Q. Are you comfortable with the favourites tag?
RORY McILROY: Yeah. As I saw yesterday, I'm the top-ranked player in this event, and I should be the favourite. It brings a nice little bit of added pressure just to try and perform well in front of the home crowd.

Q. In a week like this where the scoring is expected to be fairly low, does that putt pressure on you from the start? Do you need to make birdies at the start?
RORY McILROY: Not really. You've just got to go out there and you've got to expect to shoot low. I mean, if you're expecting everyone else to shoot low, you should have a good chance to go low yourself.
So it's going to be tough because there's going to be a lot of players making birdies and that makes it a little bit harder to get yourself in front. But yeah, I think if I can go out and put my ball in the right spots off the tee, this course gives you a lot of chances to make a lot of birdies.

Q. Is that a new experience being the top-ranked player? Has that ever happened before?
RORY McILROY: Not sure. I can't think of any. It probably is, yeah.

Q. Does this course set up nicely for you? Do you get that sort of Quail Hollow feeling coming off?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I mean, you don't have to -- you don't have to play great out here to make the score. You just have to putt it -- because the rough isn't up that much, and you know, there's not many fairways that are tree-lined and stuff like that. So you can sort of hit it a little bit sort of -- I'm not going to say you can spray it about but you can still miss a few fairways and still get away with it. I think it's just about staying clear of the few hazards that there are out there. Like the first there's a bit of water that cuts into the back of the green, and the par 3s are all very tough.
I think if you play the par 3s well this week, you're going to have a good chance and you have to take advantage of the par 5s because they are all reachable and they are all where you can make your score.

Q. Is the back issue totally under control now?
RORY McILROY: The back, it felt a little bit sore the weekend of St. Andrews but the last couple of weeks -- well, last week and into this week, it's felt as good as it ever has.

Q. And what's improved it?
RORY McILROY: Not much. I've done a little bit of training to sort of look after it a little bit. I had a good session with Cornell this morning, the physio, and it feels great.

Q. So not an issue in terms of deciding a schedule now? You can play a number of weeks in a row?
RORY McILROY: I still have to take it into consideration. I still have to say, well, if I play these next three in a row, will it start to hurt. It's always an issue that's going to be there probably for the rest of my career. Just have to manage it.

Q. Speaking as an older person, is it an issue getting in and out of that sports car?
RORY McILROY: Might be an issue of being in that sports car in the bumpy roads down there (laughing). No, that's fine.

Q. Did you drive all the way down?
RORY McILROY: I did, yeah.

Q. Did you see people getting photographs beside your car out there yesterday?
RORY McILROY: Lovely.

Q. You're playing right now the FedEx, you won't miss one because Ryder Cup comes after? There's a week off built into it anyway?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, there is a week -- yeah, I suppose I'll be in the same boat as most of the Americans there and a few of the Europeans that are going to play The Tour Championship and then fly straight to Wales. I'm not going to -- yeah, I'm going to play. I'm going to try to do the FedExCup and The Race to Dubai.

Q. Two rounds a day in The Ryder Cup, not concerned at all?
RORY McILROY: Maybe not two rounds a day. Depends.

Q. Looking back, what can you say about Shane's achievement last year? You obviously were very excited at the time; from what you've seen, how do you think he's come on through the year?
RORY McILROY: He's definitely a better player now than he was last year at the Irish Open. He's gained a lot more experience. He's a more rounded player and more solid. Doesn't hit as many loose shots. I think his short game, he's always been great with his wedges. I think his putting's really improved this year. And, yeah, I think he's -- he's played well the last few weeks. Loch Lomond, and then making the cut at The Open in his first major.
I think he's sort of in a good bit of form at the minute and I wouldn't be surprised if he popped his head up on the leaderboard at some point this year again.

Q. It would be good to go head-to-head with him?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it would be. I never really had the chance in the amateur ranks to go head-to-head with him. I don't think I ever played him in a match or anything. It would be good.

Q. You were foursomes partners?
RORY McILROY: We were foursomes partners at Western Gailes. Played with Johnny once and might have played with Shane, as well. I definitely played with him, yeah, so it was good.

Q. Was part of you not surprised last year?
RORY McILROY: You know, I played a practise round with him at Baltray and he was hitting it very, very well. I never expected him to -- he said himself he didn't have many expectations going into it. You know, I don't think anyone ever expected him to go and win it the way he did, you know, going out and shooting 62 on Friday.
I think he was 2-over through a few holes on Thursday, as well. So to come back from that, and then play the weekend the way he did -- and I suppose with him playing Baltray so much and knowing the golf course was definitely an advantage, as well. It was one of the most exciting events on The European Tour last year.

Q. You wouldn't have missed it despite the rain?
RORY McILROY: Despite the rain, no. Ruined a nice cashmere sweater for that occasion. (Laughter).

Q. Graham have bragging rights in Portrush?
RORY McILROY: That's right, but it wasn't in Portrush. It was at the valley.

Q. That doesn't compare to yours?
RORY McILROY: I don't know. Still a very, very good round of golf. And he's obviously playing very nicely. Should be looking forward to this week. Yeah, I mean, everyone -- I think it's a good stretch coming up. We've got Akron and the PGA coming up, as well, so everyone is really trying to get their games in shape, not just this week but for two big weeks, as well.

Q. Graeme actually winning the U.S. Open, that's what you needed to see, isn't it?
RORY McILROY: A little bit. Even if he had not have won, the way he led after -- or was in the final group after -- led after two days, in the final group on Sunday, if he had not won, I still would have taken a lot from it, because he played great to get himself into that position. You know, I think he handled himself -- I've said this so many times but he handled himself so well under the pressure. I don't know if I needed to see it, but it definitely didn't hurt seeing it.

Q. There must few tougher down on the back nine on Sunday.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think any time G-Mac has had a chance to win a tournament, he's always been very close. He played the back nine in Wales -- when he won at Loch Lomond a couple of years ago, he played the back nine fantastically. He when won the Ballantine's he hit a 7-iron to a couple of feet in the playoff. He sort of -- he definitely knows how to get to done.

Q. Some battle if the two of you got together.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it would be. It would be nice to do it here this week.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Rory, thanks for joining us.

End of FastScripts

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