	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 23, 2011

Rory McIlroy

MARANA, ARIZONA

PAUL SYMES: Thanks for coming in, Rory. Tell us about a great morning for you.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it was good. I got off to a bit of a sort of shaky start, bogeyed the third. But I made a nice eagle on the 4th, which sort of kick-started me, and was never down in the match from there. I played very solid golf, four birdies and an eagle. And had a couple of bogeys on the par-3s, but a parted from that it was pretty good.
PAUL SYMES: Looks like Ben Crane up next tomorrow, your thoughts on that match up.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, looks like it. I've only played with Ben a couple of times before, but he's a really nice guy. It should be a good match. He's a steady player, great putter. So if he hits it well, he's going to be a tough opponent to sort of see off.
PAUL SYMES: A quick word on the man who was sitting there a few minutes ago. He's taken the No. 8 out as a 17 year old that's --
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it's awesome, it's fantastic. I'm happy for him. I played a practice round with him on Monday. We played Skins, it was a three-way. I took the Skins. But he's so mature for 17. I know I started off in this tournament early as a 19 year old, but to do what he's doing, already to have won on the European Tour, it's fantastic what he's doing, and I'm really happy for him.
PAUL SYMES: Does he make you feel old?
RORY MCILROY: A little bit, yeah. It was funny, on the range this morning, there was four guys on the range, it was myself, Matteo, Ishikawa and Steve Stricker (laughter) Stricker was pushing the average age up by a bit there, so it was funny.

Q. Just back on Matteo, when you were that young, you did it at a 19 year old, is there almost like a nothing-to-lose mentality, you're playing a big name and he's a kid?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, of course. Everything at this age, even at my age, I'm speaking like I'm a veteran, here.

Q. Comparatively.
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, everything is experience, you know. It's a great experience for him. I'm not sure he's going to play tomorrow, but that will be a great experience. It's all these little things are -- he's still learning and they're put into the memory bank and it can only serve him well in the future and that's why all the experience that I've had, good and bad, they should serve you well in the future. And to get all these experiences so young. By the time Matteo and myself, 24, 25, you know, we'll have tons of experience that we can use and hopefully use it to our advantage.

Q. How long have you been off the course?
RORY MCILROY: Ten minutes.

Q. So where are you now? Is there still a buzz from the victory?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, I'm obviously very happy to get through to the second round. I'm almost happier for Matteo (laughter) yeah, I'm very happy to get through. I played some good golf out there. I still think I need to go and work on a couple of things. I lost a couple of iron shots out to the right today, but I'll go and work on that this afternoon and it will actually be good, because the ones that I did lose out to the right was when the wind was off to the right. And that's the way the wind is on the range, so that's a good thing.

Q. You just seem quite relaxed for only having been off the course for ten minutes?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I sort of feel like I'm a laid back sort of guy.

Q. Is there a real sense among the young players that this is a changing of the guard, that the older players, the Phils and the Tigers are beginning to come towards the end of their career and the stage is now for you young players to take over?
RORY MCILROY: Well, I definitely think there's an opportunity for the younger guys to come and show what they've got on Tour. I mean, I think this was my first event as a professional in America a couple of years ago. And this is -- the same for Matteo, as well. So you come on, and as I said before, you feel like you've nothing to lose. You just go out there and you're playing your game.
I mean, regardless of Tiger or Phil or Steve Stricker or Jim Furyk are coming towards the end of their careers, I think the young guys are not good enough to compete with them, no matter -- I mean, I don't think Tiger and Phil have got any -- well, yeah, I mean I don't think -- Phil hasn't got any worries. I mean, Tiger isn't as dominant as he used to be, and Phil, I mean Phil won The Masters last year. They're great players and they're going to continue to be great players until their mid-40s. I think it's just -- I think it's a good opportunity for guys, the younger generation to come through and show what they have.

Q. Everyone seems to want to, of course, clump you in with all the younger players, because you are young. But is it okay with you? Because you kind of have proven yourself, that you are a top-10 player, are you okay with that?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I'm okay with that, because I'm in the same age bracket. I feel like I've got a little more experience than the rest of the guys. Like this is my -- I turned pro in sort of the middle of 07, end of 07, where the guys like Rickie Fowler; Ishikawa to a certain extent, he turned pro and played a little bit more in Japan; Matteo; Noh Seung-yul.
I've had more experience playing all around the world and playing in Majors and playing in the big events. But I'm totally okay with being put in that bracket because we are the same age. I might be ranked a little higher than them, but there's no doubt that one day they're going to find themselves in the same position that I'm in.

Q. You talked about when this was your first event in the States. Can you kind of tell me how far you've come since then? Do you ever sit and think, wow, I felt like this when I was here last time?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, again, I come back to the experiences that I've had since this tournament two years ago. I feel like I'm a much more rounded golfer. I've learned a lot in those two years, on and off the golf course. Every year you're just trying to get that little bit better and mature. And I feel like I'm doing that, you know.
PAUL SYMES: Thanks, Rory.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297