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June 28, 2012
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND
Q. How disappointed are you with that?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, wasn't a great way to finish to be honest. I felt like I played pretty good golf all day, and yeah, I mean, it would have been nice to even after birdieing 14, to pick up a shot or two on the way in and to drop a couple is pretty disappointing. But out early in the morning, and hopefully I can get the shots back pretty quickly.
Q. Change in conditions today, before and after the rain?
RORY McILROY: There's still a bit of wind out there when we came back after the delay but the conditions were as good as you could have hoped for out there this afternoon.
Q. What kind of score do you think you have to shoot tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: I mean, probably don't have a number in mind but I think if I play the way I did and just be more clinical and make more of my opportunities, that should be good enough.
Q. What wasn't quite right in terms of your game?
RORY McILROY: Actually felt like my game was pretty good out there today. Just a couple of 3‑putts coming in. But apart from that, I actually felt like everything was pretty good.
Q. 4‑under par with three holes to play, to finish 5, 5, 5, is that one that got away?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. After making 2 on 14, you're sort of thinking if you can pick up a shot or two coming in, it would be a good score. But to drop a couple of shots was pretty disappointing. Yeah, definitely a round that should have been better.
15, I was trying to just hack it out left of the green and it somehow skirted out right. It was an element of luck, I was trying to keep the clubface as up as possible on the way through and not let the club get tangled in the rough. It came out better than I expected it to.
Q. Some players think this is the best golf course they have ever played. Where does it rank in your list?
RORY McILROY: It's up there. It's definitely up there. It's hard for me to play, because I have been playing it for so long, I almost take it for granted a little bit. It's a fantastic golf course, great layout, and I'm glad that all of the guys that have come here this week are enjoying it.
Q. You've said in the past that you felt the pressure of playing in the Irish Open and you're trying a new mind‑set this week; how is that working out?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, great. I felt good out there, not putting too much pressure on myself and just trying to play my game. For 15 holes, did I that. Just a sloppy finish, but hopefully I can pick up those shots early tomorrow and get back to where I was at the 15th hole today.
Q. You've been working hard with your coach, Michael Bannon and he's now going to work with you full‑time and he's given up his club job; how big of a step is that?
RORY McILROY: It's very big, especially with the schedule I'm playing not just this year but probably for the foreseeable future. I just felt like I wasn't getting as much time with him as I was the previous few years. So I think it's great.  He's going to be able to travel more and I'm going to see more of him, and that can only help me.
Q. How does it feel to have literally thousands of people pulling for you on every single shot you hit?
RORY McILROY: It's nice. It's great. As I said it's something I struggled with the last couple of years at the Irish Open but this year I'm trying to welcome it and use it to my advantage. Hopefully I can do that over the next three days.
Q. Disappointing finish to what was building into a very nice round.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, wasn't the best way to finish. I felt like I played some nice golf for 15 holes, four birdies, no bogeys, and hit a loose shot into 16 and 3‑putted that. Not making a birdie on 17 was slightly disappointing and dropping one at the last, it wasn't a great way to finish. But hopefully I can get out there tomorrow morning early and get those shots back quickly.
Q. Is there a score to be made out there, if the conditions stay like this?
RORY McILROY: For sure. You can see today that there's already a 65 in there and if the conditions are going to be like this, then there's definitely similar scores like that out there.
Q. What about the fantastic support you've had out there today on the first sell out day of the Irish Open?
RORY McILROY: It's phenomenal. It is incredible. It's a great atmosphere out there and it's just a pleasure to play in front of so many people. It would have been nicer if I would have shot a better score for them, but hopefully I'll be able to do that tomorrow.
Q. And your girlfriend came in from disappointment at Wimbledon.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, you know, I think we all wish she was still there but it's obviously nice to see her here.
Q. And out first thing in the morning so it gives you a good chance to go out and try and post a score tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, exactly, just go out and play similarly to the way I did today and just take a few more of my chances for birdies. To shoot something in the 60s would be a good round.
Q. 2‑under, disappointing finish, but overall were you quite happy with your game out there today?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I was happy with my game for sure. Not happy with the result at the end of the day, but to be 4‑under through 15 holes with no bogeys, I felt like I played some good golf out there. Definitely a step in the right direction after the last few weeks. So I know that the work that I'm doing on my game is starting to pay off and I just need to stay patient and hopefully the good scores will follow from that.
Q. Bar the suspension, pretty good conditions out there, and a few low scores to be had.
RORY McILROY: For sure. We got lucky that we were called in. I wouldn't like to get stuck out in that weather. But we came back out and the weather was fantastic. When the weather is like this, this golf course is‑‑ I wouldn't say easy, but easier than it usually is, and there definitely is a score to be had.
Q. What is it like to finally be playing the Irish Open at Portrush?
RORY McILROY: It was great. To be honest I was a little nervous on the first tee, which you could sort of tee with my tee shot; it wasn't the best. But once I got the first hole out of the way, it was good, and just great to play in front of such big crowds and crowds that are so supportive. Hopefully I can give them something to cheer about the next three days.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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