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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 23, 2014Rory McIlroyVIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND Q. Strong finish, tough conditions and a tough course setup. So does that add up to a very satisfying day? RORY McILROY: It does, yeah. I mean, standing on the 10th tee, my goal was to get back to even par for the day. I thought that would have been good, and I was able to go one better. 5‑under par going into the weekend, when the conditions are pretty tricky, is a good effort, and you know, I stood here yesterday saying that I would be happy to make the cut, and I'm in for the weekend, which is nice. Hopefully I can make a run at it. Q. I was going to say, you've more than made the cut; you've put yourself into a position where you can seriously contend over the weekend. RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. Depending on what the guys do this afternoon, see how far back I am, but still 36 holes to go and a lot of golf to play. So feel like I'm playing well enough to shoot something in the mid 60s tomorrow‑‑ maybe not tomorrow, the weather doesn't look too good, but playing well enough to get myself in the mix going into Sunday. Hopefully I can do that. Q. How satisfying is it that you are scoring as well as you are, given obviously all that's going on and as you say, the difficulties of concentrating this week? RORY McILROY: I'm taking advantage of the holes that I should be taking advantage of, which is very pleasing. The par 5s, some of the short par 4s; that's been something that was missing in my game last year, and this year, I've been able to play the par 5s better. My wedge play has been better. I've sorted highlighted a few things that I needed to improve, and I'm worked on them and I have improved them, and it shows in the scores. Q. You talked beforehand about the need for strategy and perhaps just thinking a bit more cleverly around a place like this. Has that been the case, or has it been the case that you've been able to be more aggressive because the course has been that much softer? RORY McILROY: I think a little bit of both. I'm still playing to my spots and I'm still playing quite conservatively for me, but it has helped that it's softer because you can be a little more aggressive. You know, the ball isn't bouncing off the fairways. If you pitch it on the fairway this week, it usually stays on the fairway. So a little bit of both. I like that it's softer this week, because once it gets bouncy out here, especially around this golf course, it just gets really, really tricky. So for it to be a little softer, I think is good for me. Q. And how tough has it been to keep your concentration over the first 36 holes? RORY McILROY: It's been tough. I think yesterday was a little tougher than today. I was apprehensive going out yesterday. I didn't know what was going to happen, and at least going out today, I knew I guess what to expect. I think it was good that I had the quick turnaround from last night to this morning just to get straight back out on to the golf course. You know, that was a good thing, too. Q. After 7, you must have thought, 3‑over for the round, must have thought it would be easy to let things slide, so how pleased that you managed to turn it around completely? RORY McILROY: Even the way the conditions were, 3‑over after 7, it wasn't great but it wasn't disastrous, and 3‑over after nine wasn't too bad, either. I knew I had some chances coming on the back nine. So it's sort of been a characteristic of my game for the last few weeks and I knew that I would be okay. Q. Reasonably exceeded your expectations, or wildly exceed? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I've exceeded them I think so far. I don't know if wildly, but reasonably, yeah. Honestly didn't know what to expect. Didn't know what was going to happen and didn't know how I was going to feel. So to be in here for the weekend and to be in with a chance is good. Q. 12 is always a birdie chance, but have you done as well as you have in these last two days? RORY McILROY: It seems like a hole that just fits my eye, it's a nice draw off the tee, usually nice draw second shot and just really comfortable for me. I went in with a 5‑iron yesterday and a 7‑iron today, and I don't think a lot of the guys are going in with those clubs. Makes it a bit easier. Q. How many eagles in the past; do you know? RORY McILROY: I can't remember. Q. Clearly unusual circumstances for you here this week but if you look at the pattern of the last, eight, nine, tournaments, a lot of Top‑10s, building and progressing, so you must be pleased with that? RORY McILROY: Yeah, I've been sort of saying that they have been backdoor Top 10s, but a Top‑10 is a Top‑10. It's been getting better. I just feel like it's been a run of holes a tournament which has cost me getting into contention and that has not quite happened yet. Yeah, I was 3‑over through seven today or 3‑over through nine but it wasn't like I made a real‑‑ it wasn't like 6‑over for seven holes or something like that. That hasn't happened this week. And if I can keep that sort of going where I can keep it quite steady and not have a bad run of holes like that, then I should have a decent chance. Q. What happens in those patterns when you get like that and shots just go; do you know? RORY McILROY: I guess it's a little bit of momentum goes one way or the other. If you miss a putt that you don't you might hit a bad tee shot and then it all just sort of goes from there. It's quite hard to put your finger on what it is, but I think when you're really confident and you're playing well and you're in a good place mentally, it doesn't really happen. But saying that, the last few weeks, I've been in a good frame of mind out on the golf course. But these things just happen. You just lose it for a few holes and then you get it again. But I haven't lost it so far this week, so hopefully I won't over the next few days. Q. (Inaudible.) RORY McILROY: With the conditions over the last couple years I've learned to play‑‑ I still can't feel this finger or this thumb on the last hole today. So that's why I hit my second shot fat on 18. Got a way with it, but, yeah, need to keep a pair of mittens in the bag from now on. Q. In the circumstances have you surprised yourself out there in that you have maintained and bounced back from such a challenge? RORY McILROY: In a way, yes, but I think once you get inside the ropes, you're concentrating on your golf, and it's almost like it's a nice four or five hours of, you know, it's like a release in some way just to get everything out of your head apart from doing the job at hand. So it's nice. It's the hours in the day when you're away from it that are probably a little more difficult. Q. And being in contention is a great help, isn't it? RORY McILROY: Of course it is. You can't let your mind wander at all when you're trying to win a golf tournament. Q. You said you switched the phone off. Is it a case that the other guys are giving you a bit of space to work it out yourself rather than sort of coming up to you all the time? RORY McILROY: No, it's not. I mean, you know, I think everyone saw it and has been supportive and saying keep your chin up, everything is okay, whatever. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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