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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2011

Rory McIlroy

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

ED HERLIHY: Good afternoon, like to welcome Rory McIlroy, our second round leader in his third Masters appearance. Like to open it up to questions.

Q. Comparing that round with yesterday's round; hard to back up a 65?
RORY MCILROY: It's always hard to back up. I didn't expect to shoot another 65 out there today. I knew that I played pretty much flawlessly yesterday. I played pretty similar today to be honest. I hit it really well. I didn't hole many putts on the back nine.
You know, I've got myself into great position in this golf tournament.

Q. Can you just talk about the atmosphere, playing out there with the other two young guys and having fun and pretty much treating this place like you've been coming here for years?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it was great. It was fantastic. You know, Rickie and I both got off to pretty good starts. Jason played great the whole day. And you know, we sort of fed off one another. We got a bit of momentum going, and the crowd really got behind us on the back nine.
It was great to see Jason shoot such a good score, and you know, he played really well all day. I didn't actually realize he was going that low until I looked at the board on 15. I think we really enjoyed it out there.

Q. How did you spend last night to keep yourself on a grounded level to come back out today?
RORY MCILROY: I did the same thing. ISM have a hub house in this sort of little community that we are staying this week and went over there for a bit of dinner. Threw the football about with the guys again. That was basically it. Didn't get told off by the old lady, though.

Q. Can you talk us through your birdies?
RORY MCILROY: On the second hole, I actually got pretty lucky, my tee shot was heading a little left, caught one of the branches and dropped down. Hit a 3-wood just short right of the green and chipped it up to a couple of feet.
The fifth hole, I hit probably my best drive of the day on 5. Left myself with a wedge in from 138 or something and hit that to six feet.
The ninth hole, hit another really good drive down to the bottom of the hill and left myself a sand wedge from 118 and knocked that to four or five feet.
And then hit a driver and a 6-iron to 13. I left it in the perfect spot. I just didn't give it enough break and missed it on the low side but 2-putted for birdie there.

Q. You know St. Andrews so well, you've always had a huge amount of success there; coming here, there could not greater contrast in the two golf courses. Can you tell us how comfortable you are finding yourself on Augusta National?
RORY MCILROY: The greens here are similar to St. Andrews with the slopes and everything. But yeah, I mean, the conditions out there today, it was a little breezier than it was yesterday. But it's as good as you're going to find Augusta. It's a pleasure to play this golf course in these conditions, and you know, I'm feeling pretty comfortable on the golf course. I'm picking my spots. I know where to miss it. I'm playing smart. I'm trying to leave myself in the best possible position.
Even if I don't like firing at a pin, I'll fire 30 feet away, take my two putts and play for par. That's basically what I've done all week because I've only made one bogey in 36 holes and that's what you need to do in major championships.

Q. Playing the most beautiful golf for two years, you've should so many chances for birdies, some of which you've converted and some you haven't; how do you it deal with a natural sense of disappointment for not converting more of the chances?
RORY MCILROY: I'm two ahead at a Major Championship. (Laughter).
You can't be disappointed with that.

Q. Where do you think a couple of 69s would leave you; 16-under, would that be enough?
RORY MCILROY: It could be. I don't know. I really am not one for putting a number on it.
I don't think I'd be too far away.

Q. Tiger's burning up the back nine and looks like he's got another birdie shot at 16. How will it feel going out on Saturday with Tiger on your tail?
RORY MCILROY: I'll just be concentrating on the golf course. If you start thinking about anyone else here, you can -- if you let your mind wander at all, it can cost you a couple of shots. I'll be focusing on my targets and focusing on where I want my ball to go on the greens, and that's all I can do.
I don't really care what anyone else does. I don't need to know. So it will be great for the tournament if he's up there. But I'm two shots ahead and I'm in a better position.

Q. The bogey, could you tell us what happened there?
RORY MCILROY: I actually felt as if I hit a pretty good shot. I hit an 8-iron and tried to squeeze it in there and came up just in the front bunker on 12. There's not much sand in that bunker so you're always a little bit tentative. You're always a little bit tentative with that shot. I splashed it out to maybe ten feet below the hole and I actually hit a really good putt. Just I read it right edge and it just stayed there.

Q. Is there a sense that because you can switch off, and be a young 21-year-old guy when you leave here and throw the football around, and yet out there, everyone talks about your maturity and the way you manage your golf game, is that something, the fact that you can have those two different aspects?
RORY MCILROY: Definitely. I think it's a big help having the guys with me this week, especially in the position I'm in, because I can switch off. I'd rather talk about anything but golf whenever I leave this place.
It's great to have them there. It's a nice bit of company. Takes your mind off it. You know, it let's you get a good night's sleep.

Q. They will need to come up every week if you're success.
RORY MCILROY: Exactly.

Q. Do you feel comfortable in this position as a result of what's happened in the past?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, I do feel comfortable, but the only reason I feel comfortable is because I feel as if I'm playing well. And if I continue to play the way I have, I feel as if I've got a great chance this week.
I'm very comfortable with the work that I've done over the past few weeks, and I feel my preparation for this tournament has been very good. And that's really why I'm so comfortable in this position, because I feel as if I've prepared as good as anyone else. I feel as if I'm hitting it as well as anyone else.

Q. How much confidence do you have right now, not just in the way you're playing but just in your ability to win a Major Championship right now at 21?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I feel -- I look down everyone in this field, and at some point or another, I've beaten them before. So there's no reason why I can't beat them again.

Q. Can you give -- I think the Irish guys know the background, but the details on your three buddies that you have with you and where you know them from and for how long and what social circles?
RORY MCILROY: We all just grew up playing together at Holywood Golf Club. Harry Diamond, we played on the same team -- and Mitchell Tweedy, he was a couple of years younger than me in school and played golf at Holywood, and Ricky McCormick, he's a similar age to me.
Yeah, we all just played as members of Holywood Golf Club and grew up together.

Q. All around the same age?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, pretty. Harry is four years older than me.

Q. Can you just tell us how helpful the caddie you had from the club was on that Friday you came and played the 27 holes?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it was a great help. Any time that JP or myself asked him a question, he gave us the information that we needed. And it was just around the greens. One of the best -- one of the biggest things that he told us was after they re-laid the green on 17 this year, it's the firmest green on the course by a mile. I mean, I don't know if you were watching the coverage, but I'm sure there was so many balls going through the green today. That was something, just that little snippet of advice that I knew to land the ball ten yards short of the pin because I knew it would skip up. Just stuff like that.

Q. Were you concerned at all with your chip on 15 getting away from you?
RORY MCILROY: I was. It was a bit of -- I had a sand wedge out and then I took my pitching wedge out to chip it, because I thought I got a better contact on it, because the grass is a little sticky at the back of that green. I hit it and I knew that it's come out a little fast. But I never thought it was going to get in the water, because you know, it seems like the last couple of years, they haven't shaved the bank the front of 15 as short as they have done in the past and balls seem to be staying up there.
I knew it wasn't a great chip shot, but it never looked like it was going to go in the hazard.

Q. You get a lot of guff for the photo of you throwing the football?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, everyone said you look like you're throwing it to the moon. (Laughter) I was trying to throw it far but maybe it was a little too high, I don't know. I need to work on my technique.
ED HERLIHY: Thank you very much.

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