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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 31, 2014Rory McIlroyDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Q. The round got off to a bit of a wobbly start you and settled in, out in 33. Did you think you were going to build the lead? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I thought so, making a few birdies on the front nine and turning in 2‑under par was a good effort, especially the wind started to get up. I birdied 10 and then played 11 okay, 12 okay. Missed that little one on 13 and had a chance on 15 and didn't convert and made bogey on 16. But it was nice to birdie the last and at least give myself a one‑shot lead going into tomorrow. But yeah, just go back tonight and sort of regroup and realize that I'm still leading the tournament. Q. Take you back to 13. What happened there? RORY McILROY: Actually I felt like I hit a good first putt and it did‑‑ I saw Tiger's, and once it got past the hole it really started to turn left and mine did the exact same thing. So I'm thinking on the putt on the way back, it turned a lot past the hole, so I hit the putt inside left thinking the green is going to take it to the hole and it stayed there, and obviously a hard lip‑out. I regrouped after that. I hit a couple of loose drives out there which I haven't really done the past couple weeks, but still feel like I'm playing well enough to obviously go on. Q. So you didn't dwell on the problem; suddenly it looked like you lost the plot, you weren't playing the same way, but you weren't dwelling on the issue? RORY McILROY: No, not at all. Not at all. I was just sort of‑‑ more frustrated because the back nine is the nine that you sort of want to build your score on and playing the harder nine in 2‑under par, I thought I did well there. I was a little frustrated not to, you know, I guess get a few more birdies on that back nine. But as I said, a good, positive way to finish the round with a nice birdie on 18. Q. Final question, cheeky one I sometimes ask Tiger: From the situation you're in, as well as you've been playing in Abu Dhabi and here, people will expect you to win; do you? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I do. I'm leading the golf tournament. I've been in this position before and I've went on to win. I've led from the front quite well in tournaments that I have won. And I feel like I'm still playing well. I know the course just as well as anyone else. So, yeah, I mean, I expecting to out there and shoot two good scores over the weekend and hopefully lift the trophy. Q. What is your verdict on day two? RORY McILROY: It was a round that could have been much better. Still shooting a couple under par and finishing with a nice birdie the way I did. I still have to realise that I'm in the middle of this golf tournament, even though it wasn't quite as good as yesterday, hopefully that was my bad round out of the way and I can shoot a couple of better ones over the weekend. After birdieing 10, I got two par 5s coming up and then a couple of holes where you have wedges in your hand. Frustrating to miss that little putt on 13, and then not take advantage of the 17th playing short, making par there but it was nice to birdie 18. It looked for awhile that I could have built a sort of three‑ or four‑shot lead, but one will have to do, and I'm still in the lead of this golf tournament, so it's not all bad. Q. Was the course, the conditions, markedly different? RORY McILROY: The wind was certainly up. I just didn't feel quite as comfortable as I did yesterday. But you know, it was playing a little differently. Yeah, I think the wind is supposed to get up the next couple of days, as well. It was good to play a little bit of golf in that wind, and I don't mind if it gets up the next couple days because I feel like I'm hitting the ball well enough that the wind usually makes it a bit more of a ball‑striking contest. So I don't mind if it blows a little bit. Q. And you did touch on this, the putt on the last; the birdie makes it all taste that much better. RORY McILROY: It does. I really wanted to birdie the last and when I went up to the drive and saw that it wasn't quite lying well enough to go for green, I said, all right, just make sure you get it up‑and‑down here and make your birdie and it will make the day seem a little bit better. It was nice to be able to do it and looking forward to coming back out tomorrow and trying to build on my lead. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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