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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 9, 2011Rory McIlroyAUGUSTA, GEORGIA ROB JOHNSTON: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to have our leader here with us today at 12-under after three rounds with a great 70 today, Mr. Rory McIlroy. Thank you for being with us today, sir. If you would lead us through your four birdies, I would appreciate it and maybe a couple of comes how you found the course to be playing today. RORY MCILROY: Yeah, first birdie of the day came at the 4th hole, poured a 3-iron, probably the best swing I put on it all day and got it on the back tier five or six feet and was able to make that. Hit a 3-wood and a 6-iron to the 13th, exactly where I wanted to, just on the bottom of the slope there and 2-putted around 30 feet. 15, I hit driver, 6-iron pin-high right just where I wanted to and 2-putted again from 20, 25 feet. Then got away with my tee shot a little bit on 17. I had a bit of -- I didn't have a gap, but I was far enough back from the trees that I could hit it high and sort of hook it a little bit and hit a wedge from 155 and got it to the back of the green somehow and it was a bonus for that putt to go in. I've been waiting for one to go in all day. And that was it, yeah, four. (Laughter). Q. Just talk about all day long, you were kind of patient, not working incredibly hard to make pars, kind of cruising along and to finish with a flurry like that to get out of here with a nice little comfort zone? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, the last six holes were nice. But I've been talking about it with my little team all year about just playing stress-free golf. I felt as if last year, I had a chance to win a love the tournaments and I didn't do it just by making a few little mistakes here and there and really concentrating on picking good targets for myself. And patience was huge for me today. Q. We talked a lot earlier in the week about playing with Jason and talking and having some fun out there and talking cars, talking this and that; how different of an environment was it today with you guys? RORY MCILROY: It was a little different. It was a little different. You know, we're both trying our hearts out to try and play well. And there was still a little bit of chat out there. But you know, it wasn't quite as much as there was the first two days. But that's natural. We are both trying to win a golf tournament. I expect it to be the same tomorrow. Q. What does it feel like going into the Masters, final round of the Masters, with a four-shot lead? RORY MCILROY: Feels nice. It feels good. I'm not getting ahead of myself. I know how leads can dwindle away very quickly. I have to go out there tomorrow, not take anything for granted and go out and play as hard as I've played the last three days. If I can do that, hopefully things will go my way. Q. You talked the other day about watching that '97 Masters. Anything else that you can recall of maybe your own game, how much had you been playing; what do you remember, really? Anymore details? RORY MCILROY: I remember watching with my dad, and I mean, I was -- what was I, seven years old, when that happened? I can't really tell you how I was playing. I was playing a lot. But I was really keen and that was really the first Masters -- I watched the previous year when Nick won, but that was the real -- that's when Tiger sort of grabbed all our imaginations and won it by 12 and broke so many records. It was a huge moment in the game of golf. Q. Do you think a wire-to-wire win for yourself would be something comparable? RORY MCILROY: Not really. You know, he's done so much more for the game than I ever could or will, breaking down barriers. But a win for me, personally, it would be huge; it would be huge. And for the game of golf, it would be nice, as well. It would be nice to get a major early and show some of the young guys that it is possible. But as I said, we'll see what happens tomorrow, because four shots on this golf course isn't that much. Q. Do you have any idea how you're going to feel on the first tee tomorrow? Or are you curious to find out? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I'm excited to find out. Yeah, definitely. This is a great position to be in. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the challenge. Q. Do you think you'll be nervous? RORY MCILROY: It's natural to get nervous. If I wasn't nervous in the first tee tomorrow, there would be something wrong. So, yeah, I'll be nervous, but once that first tee shot gets out of there, you're off and running and you're just trying to do your thing. Q. Yesterday you were asked about Tiger Woods getting close to you after 36 holes; you expressed confidence and you didn't care who was coming for you. That said, were you surprised he was not able to make a run at you at all and put some pressure on you? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, the way he played the last nine holes yesterday, you would expect him to come out and play well. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. But as I said, I really don't care about anyone else in this golf tournament, other than myself. I can only control what I do, and after three rounds, I've controlled what I can do pretty well. Q. The first three rounds, do you feel, A, that you've hit it pretty much as good as you can hit it? And secondly, tomorrow, if those pins on the back nine are birdie and eagle pins, does that change the way you're going to play, do you think? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I mean, we all know where the pins are going to be tomorrow on the back nine. But I feel very comfortable with the way I'm swinging it at the minute. I've hit a lot of good shots over the last three days, and there's no reason why I won't be able to do that tomorrow. Q. Do you think it's as good of a three days as you've put together? RORY MCILROY: I definitely feel my swing is in a great spot at the minute. Q. Have you had any contact with Graeme at all? Has he stuck around? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, he was out watching me today actually. Q. Did you see him? RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I did. Q. Has he given you any words of encouragement? RORY MCILROY: Actually he just texted me and told me he loves me. I don't know what that means. (Laughter) I don't know if that's him or the beer talking. I don't know what that means. No, it's great to see him out there and I appreciate his support. He's going to know how I'm feeling. He's a Major Champion and he got it done last year at Pebble. Hopefully I can emulate that feeling and get a major myself. Q. You talked about you anticipate nerves tomorrow. You are obviously tied going to the 13th tee today. How much different do you think the emotion will be tomorrow with a four-shot lead and a little bit of margin for error than if it was tied or at one? RORY MCILROY: To be honest, I have to, in my own mind, start tomorrow fresh and just say, look, there's no lead, there's no nothing. I've just got to go out there and play solid golf. If I can do that, I feel as if I'll have as good a chance as anyone; obviously with a four-shot lead. But I've just got to really try and say to myself that, you know, it's a new day and we are going to go out and just do the same thing we have done the last three days. Q. There's only one guy with a major victory on the leaderboard over there and as luck would have it, he's playing with you tomorrow. Cabrera is a pretty imposing guy with two majors; is that intimidating or are you happy to have him beside you to keep him in your sights? RORY MCILROY: It doesn't matter who is beside me to be honest. As I said before, all I can control is myself and my own golf game, and that's it. You know, I can't control what anyone else does. You know, to be thinking about someone else or some other players tomorrow would be very naïve and very silly on my part. So I've just got to go out and concentrate on myself. Q. The leaderboard is very international and I don't think there's an American in the top seven. What does that say about the state of golf or is there something particular about this course that sets up? RORY MCILROY: If you look down the leaderboard, Angel obviously has won two majors before. Charl, from playing in Europe a lot, Charl is a very talented player. K.J. I think has played well here the last couple of years. And then Jason Day, Adam Scott, they grew up in Australia where the greens are firm really fast and they are used to surfaces like this. Yeah, this golf course, I think once you play it a lot, you become -- you get comfortable on it and you know the spots to miss it and the spots where you just can't go. Yeah, it's a great -- it's an international leaderboard and it makes it exciting. Q. You used the word comfortable a lot this week and you talk about being comfortable in this situation; where does that come from somebody who is just 21? RORY MCILROY: I think -- you know what, I feel as if -- I said this yesterday. I've prepared as good as anyone else. I feel as if I'm striking the ball, hitting the ball as good as anyone else. The more rounds you play on this golf course, the more you get to know it, and the more you feel a little bit more comfortable on it. Yeah, I just feel with my all-around game this week, it's just been -- it's been comfortable, and I can draw confidence from that. I did a lot of great work with my coach last week, Michael Bannon. I'm really happy with where my swing is and my game is at. When you know that your swing is on a good plane and on a good line, that gives you confidence to hit some shots. Q. How long would you say the putt was on 17, and could you describe your emotions as it was tracing towards the hole? RORY MCILROY: The pin was on 16, and the back of the green there was 27; so 11 yards; 33 feet. Yeah, I mean, it was a bonus. I was just -- after I hit the tee shot, I would have just loved to walk away from that green with a four and moved on to the 18th tee. Hit the putt perfectly where I lined it up. I was tracking the whole way and just dropped in the middle. It was great, because I had been waiting on a putt to sort of drop all day and for it to drop there, it was great timing. ROB JOHNSTON: Rory, thank you very much for being here. You've had a great round and best of luck for you tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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