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WGC CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 5, 2014Rory McIlroyMIAMI, FLORIDA STEVE TODD: Thank for joining us at the WGC Cadillac Championship. Talk about your thoughts on the changes to the course . RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think all the changes to the course are very, very positive. They have definitely made it a tougher test. I don't think you'll seeing 20‑under par this week like in previous years. Obviously it's a new golf course in terms of the turf and everything. So the greens are very firm. So you're going to have to think about where you have to land your ball, certain pin positions where you need to hit approach shots from. You're going to have to think a little bit more than you did in previous years. But yeah, I think it looks really well. It's a big improvement on what's been here the last few years. STEVE TODD: Just your thoughts on your own game coming into the tournament. Obviously plenty of positives to take from last week. RORY McILROY: Yeah, looking at last week as a whole, definitely a lot of positives to take. I think I was up there in putting in the statistical categories, I drove the ball really well. There was a lot of positives. I was just disappointed with how I played coming down the stretch. It obviously wasn't what I would have liked. But plenty of positives, getting myself in position to win, it was my third stroke‑play event of the year, and third chance to win. So, you know, if you keep giving yourself those chances, then hopefully learn from the mistakes, then you're going to eventually walk through the door and win, and then when you get into the habit of it, it becomes a bit easier. But I feel like my game is there to get into contention again this week and that's what I'll try and do. Q. Is there anything that you can do in your day‑to‑day practice to replicate the emotions and adrenaline that you face when you're in contention on the final nine of the tournament, or is it simply you just have to keep putting yourself in that to get used to all the stuff that you're dealing with then? RORY McILROY: Yeah, for me, there's no better way to prepare for that than to be in it. I don't think by putting yourself under pressure in a practice session or even playing Monday games with people, it's not the same thing. So it's just about putting yourself in that position week‑in, week‑out, until you‑‑ I'm not saying that I felt uncomfortable, but I just didn't‑‑ I may be just didn't make as committed swings as I should have at some points during the back nine last week. But I know that, and if I get myself into that position again this week, I'll try and do a better job of seeing my shots and making more committed swings. But no, I don't think there's anything that you can really do in practice that can replicate what you're feeling on the back nine on Sunday. Q. For years, Tiger has raised the expectation level for himself where he was expected to win almost every week. With what you've done in your early part of the year, you've kind of elevated yourself to that point now and Sunday was a pretty good example of that. Is that just a by‑product of where you're at and are you still getting used to that kind of‑‑ playing under those expectations? RORY McILROY: No, not at all. It's nothing to do with expectations. It's nothing to do with what happened on Sunday. It was nothing to do with that. Like I don't expect myself to win every tournament I play. I expect myself to at least have a chance. You're not going to‑‑ you're not going to win every event that you play, but you're going to‑‑ if you can give yourself at least a chance going into Sunday, then that's all you can really ask of yourself. I don't think‑‑ it's not realistic to sit here and say, I want to win every tournament I play, because, you know, history shows it's just not possible. But giving yourself a chance and getting yourself into contention is what I expect of myself, and I made it clear, I didn't‑‑ and everyone knows that I didn't do that enough last year at all, and I've started this year better because I've been in contention every time that I've teed it up. So I'm happy with that. Q. A couple questions. Have you gone back and looked at anything from maybe that final round last week? And secondly, how important is it to you when you see those results sort of building up, not just from maybe a confidence standpoint, but to maybe validate sort of the things you were going through and the changes you were working on and that sort of thing? RORY McILROY: I haven't looked at anything, I haven't watched it back at all. But I had a really good practice session yesterday up in Palm Beach, and just working on the shot that I struggled with coming down the stretch, which was just that little hold‑up shot, because a lot of the shots that I faced on Sunday on the back nine were right‑to‑left wind and I was holding the ball up and I was losing it left. Worked on that a lot and worked on it on the course as well, and any time I have a right‑to‑left wind, I always fight it. It's a comfortable shot for me. I just didn't execute it well enough on Sunday. So that's the only thing I can really point to and the only one that I did execute well was the 5‑footer on the last. That was the one that‑‑ when I really needed to. It's in there and I know I can do it. It's just a matter of repeating it more often I guess. Yeah, I mean, the run of form that I've been on, it does, it validates what I've been working on and what I've been trying to do with my golf game. I'm in a really happy place with where everything is at in my swing. Mentally I feel good. My putting feels good; scrambling. So all aspects of my game I'm happy with. So it means when you go out to the golf course, you're confident and you're thinking about shooting low scores. You're thinking about getting into contention straightaway. So, yeah, it's very pleasing that the work that I've done has started to pay off. Q. There's been a fair amount of injuries on the TOUR with some of the older players that are in their 30s‑‑ RORY McILROY: So old. Q. ‑‑ nagging back, Tiger withdrawing, do you take any experience as far as what you do with your team as far as strength and conditioning, and did the equipment last year make any difference, the torque on the knee‑‑ RORY McILROY: Yeah, I had problems with my lower back from when I was maybe 18 to 21, just because of the way I swing the club and the amount of pressure that I put on my lower back, and I had never really done much strengthening exercises or anything. Start of 2011 I got serious. I was like, right, I don't want to feel this; I don't want to feel injured; I don't want to have this. So I started to go into the gym and work on the things that I needed to, and touch wood, since then, I've had no problems at all. I played soccer with my buddies on the 23rd of December back home in Northern Ireland and sprained my ankle. So I was off my ankle for about a week over New Year's. But apart from that, I feel healthy, again, touch wood, and I'm doing the right things in the gym to, more for obviously injury prevention, but still trying to get strong in the right places and stay fit and healthy. No, the clubs didn't make any‑‑ no difference at all. I just got into some bad habits with my golf swing but even that didn't hinder my health or it didn't make my body feel different than what it should do. Q. What was it about the second hole last week that caused you to flight the tee shot the way you did? RORY McILROY: It's just the way I saw the shot. You know, it was one of those, I think especially with the trees on the left, I just feel like if you got it up over those trees, it could just let the wind get at it a little bit. It was just how I visualized that shot and it was comfortable how I hit the shot off the tee. I hit the same shot a couple of times off the 6th hole, as well, but yeah, it felt comfortable to me. Q. How long have you been comfortable going up‑and‑down? RORY McILROY: I feel like when my swing is on, I'm comfortable doing most stuff. But I should be comfortable flighting it like that because of where I'm from, but‑‑ you would think. But I think it's when I'm really confident with my swing is when I can really do it when I need to and under pressure and in the heat of battle. You know, I could stand on the range and do it all day, but it's different once you're out there on the course. You sort of revert back to what's comfortable. But I feel very comfortable with where my swing is, so I was happy to do that. Q.  I just wondered what is soccer? RORY McILROY: For the non‑Europeans in the room, football (laughter). Q. In your opinion, with the tales of Tiger being injured and not being fully fit make any difference at all to the rest of the field in terms of confidence or mind‑set in a tournament such as this? RORY McILROY: Not really. It's not like you're coming into tournaments thinking solely‑‑ I'm staying in this Tiger Woods Villa here and there's pictures all over my room of him. I sent him a message last night: Can't get away from you here, I can't go to the bathroom without looking at you (laughter). No, it's not like you're coming into the tournament thinking of one particular player. But obviously if Tiger's not 100 percent it makes it a little easier on the field for sure. Q. Thank you for what you've done for the first tee of Miami. How have you been preparing yourself mentally and physically for the tournament after your performance at the Honda? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think more mentally than anything else, just trying to focus on the positives last week and focusing on the things that I did well for the‑‑ most of the tournament. So saying there was a hundred positives, there might have been five negatives. So I want to try and just focus on all the positive things that I did. And physically, I said I had a good practice session yesterday at home and worked on a few different shots that I'll probably need this week when it's windy. But basically just went about preparing for this week the way I would prepare for any other week. Even though‑‑ you know, what happened last week is in the past. This week is a new week and a new tournament. You just have to focus on this week and try to play the best that you can here and not dwell on what happened before. Q. When you went over in that game of associated football, was it a worry? RORY McILROY: No, it wasn't a worry. It was a worry, I went over on it, and I went to net and I shouldn't have went to net either; I was standing up about half an hour and it really hurt. It was fine. I stayed off it for a week and it was okay. Q. Did you ban yourself from playing now? RORY McILROY: Yeah, sort of‑‑ probably not a good idea to play anymore (smiling). Q. Given that you have always been sort of a natural talent, do you think that sometimes you take it for granted, like when you look back at last year, is that how you see it, that maybe you've always been able to do it and then when it's not there, what do you do? What do you think? RORY McILROY: A little bit. I think I'm quite‑‑ trying to find the right word here‑‑ like emotionally attached to my golf or how I play golf, so when things don't go right or I'm not playing well, I get down on myself very easily, because I know how I can play and I know at some points how simple this game can feel. And then I'm there and it's a struggle and you're easily frustrated and so‑‑ but I went through it a couple of times in my career so I should now know that you just have to stay patient and realize that you're going to go through times where it's not going to feel as good and you're going to have to work on certain things. But I think a part of it being how natural it is to me and for how long‑‑ I mean, I've been playing this game 22 years, basically, so holding a golf club is as natural a feeling to me as anything else in the world. So when things don't go quite right, it's harder for me to get over than, say, I don't know, whatever else that happens in my life. Golf, obviously it's a big thing in my life, and when it isn't quite the way I want it, it's not a panic, but I really want to get it back on right track as soon as I can. Q. Do you feel surprised‑‑ does it surprise you? RORY McILROY: No, it doesn't surprise you. Because then that would feel‑‑ then that would mean that you feel entitled that you should play ‑‑ and I don't feel surprised at all because everyone goes through it and I'm no different than anyone else. So I don't feel surprised. Q. You were saying last week that when you're playing well, you forget what it's like to not play well; and when you're to the playing well, you forgot what it was like to play well. Where are you now? RORY McILROY: I'm good. (Smiling). I mean, I know what it's like to play well. I guess the last time you guys seen me play, there was a bit of both in there (laughter) but I was focusing on the good parts. If I think back to last Sunday all I have to do is think about that 5‑wood into 18 and it puts a smile on my face and go from there. Q. In terms of great golf shots, where would you put that one? RORY McILROY: I mean, it's up there. It's probably the best that I've hit under pressure. I don't think I can think of anything‑‑ any other ones where I've needed it and been able to pull it off like that. Q. You've spoken about your course management in the past. Does it come naturally to you or do you have to set out a very strict game plan before you go out for a round? RORY McILROY: It all depends, because you can set a game plan but then the wind might switch or the flag is in a different position and you think, well, to get to that pin, it would probably be easier from this spot; and whether that's 50 yards down the fairway or 50 yards back. Of course, you need some sort of a game plan, but it should be flexible. You should have some room for movement in there and not stick to the same thing. Because if I stand up on 16, for example, this week, the drivable par 4 and I'm just not quite comfortable with the tee shot, but my game plan was going for the green, I have no problem pulling out a 4‑iron and just landing a wedge on to the green. Or, vice versa, if I don't feel comfortable and I'm hitting 4‑iron all week and all of a sudden I'm driving it great and feeling good, there's no reason why you shouldn't pull driver out. If you're backing yourself and you're confident, go for it. I think you should have some sort of a game plan, but you've got to keep it fluid and flexible so that if circumstances do change, you have a little room for movement. Q. The scores usually favor bombers out here. After the changes, do you think it favors any other type of player anymore? RORY McILROY: No. I think you've got to hit it long around this place now to take advantage of the par 5s, some of the carries over water. And the guys that hit it long and hit it higher going to have an advantage because the greens are so firm. So yeah, I think‑‑ I mean, it's not like a bomber wins here every year. Stricker won here, whenever it was, a couple years. G‑Mac was up there in contention last year with Tiger and he isn't the longest on TOUR. But I think this course sort of tends to give an advantage to the longer players. Q. I don't know if you've been following this story about the England football team and the importance of a sports psychologist, I can't remember in your own experience, have you worked with one and do you work with one regularly now? RORY McILROY: I worked with Bob Rotella for a few weeks in 2010, sort of up until the Masters and just after. I feel it was worth‑‑ if you feel the need for it at that given time, then go ahead, use it and take what you need from it. But I think once you take what you need and you're comfortable, you can sort of do your own thing until you might need it again. But yeah, I followed it and I know he's worked with Liverpool a little bit and Steve and George worked with him individually for a few years. Yeah, I think they need more than a psychologist (tongue‑in‑cheek). (Laughter) Don't print that, please. (Laughter). Q. Talk about the difference on the course, if someone had blindfold you and dropped you off in the middle, would you know where you and if so, why? RORY McILROY: I think you would know because‑‑ Q. The helicopter? RORY McILROY: Yeah, The Donald flying overhead. You would, because you have a sense of the surroundings, but it is so different. You know, there's a lot of holes that have changed drastically and are nothing like what they were last year. So what they have done in a year is phenomenal. It just shows what you can do with a bit of hard work and a bit of cash (laughter). STEVE TODD: Thanks . FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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