Q. Teed off 7 shots behind knowing you needed to shoot something in the mix 60s to give yourself a chance to win the championship and defend your lead at the top of the rankings. How does it feel to do just that?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, feels good. Didn't get off to a great start with a bogey on 1 but hit two quality shots into 2 and was able to make eagle and bounced back from that.
Overall, just hit it in the fairway a bit more today which made a big difference. I was able to get control of my approach shots and hit them close and make some easy birdies.
So yeah, obviously just need to do more of the same tomorrow.
Q. Second shot to 8 and 9, nearly holed both of them.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, so this is 121. This is like a little three-quarter sand wedge for me and yeah as soon as it left the club it was all over it. Harry said to me, he goes, "You're pretty lucky it didn't hit the stick. It could go anywhere." It was nice to hit a wedge shot like that and make an easy birdie, especially after not making birdie on the par 5.
This again was another three quarter 9-iron from 160, slightly downwind and yeah, two of the best swings of the day. I've been working hard on that little three-quarter shot and it was nice to, I guess, see the fruits of my labor on those two shots.
Q. You described your golf over the first 33 holes as average. How would you describe the last 21 holes at 11-under?
RORY McILROY: It's been a little better. I thought that last three holes yesterday could really kick-start a little bit of momentum for me, and I've brought that into today.
I've played so well on this golf course over the years that I know how to shoot low scores here and I know how to make birdies. It was just a matter of getting it out of myself. And as you said, over the last 21 holes, it's been a lot better.
So as I said at the start, I just need to continue to put the ball if play off the tee and in the fairway and give myself plenty of chances from there.
Q. Top of the DP World Tour rankings is still very much in the balance going into the final round. How much do you want to end the year as Europe's No. 1 and put it on top of world No. 1 and winning the FedExCup?
RORY McILROY: It's really cool, I've got to this stage in the game over 15 years as a pro, and I'm still trying to do things for the first time. I've never won the FedExCup and this tour's rankings in the same year, so it would be really nice.
It's been a wonderful year. I've played some really, really great golf and really consistent golf. If I'm able to go out there tomorrow and shoot a good score and get the job done, it would be a really nice way to end what's been a great year.
Q. Your performance over the last couple of days, a bit like Lewis Hamilton or a Max Verstappen potentially with a grid penalty but then surging through the field. Did it feel like the foot was to the floor today?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think so. I got off to a bit of a slow start but then really got going around the middle of the round.
Yeah, it was much better. I said in the interview there, I think those last three holes yesterday definitely kick-started my week.
You know, then to follow that up with a great round today, great to put myself in a position to not only win the DP World Tour rankings but the tournament as well.
Q. The first dropped shot today could have unseeded that momentum that you garnered last night. So that must be very satisfying to bounce back like you did immediately?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was really nice to make that eagle. Made a bogey on the next, so it was a very roller coaster-ish first three holes to be even par but after that I started to hit some really good shots. I hit the ball in the fairway a lot more today. You really need to do that around this golf course. You start hitting it in the rough, it's a massive penalty. You're better off hitting it in the fairway bunker, not so much of a penalty compared to the rough. Just need to continue hitting fairways and if I can do that, I think that will set up the rest of my game.
Q. I found another metaphor. Are you feeling like a surfer riding a wave and a wave that has run basically through this entire golfing year?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, a little bit. I don't feel like it's a massive wave. I just feel like this is the golf that I should be playing week-in, week-out. So hopefully you catch slightly bigger waves on the bigger weeks.
But yeah, I've consistently sort of been putting in this performance week-in, week-out for most of the calendar year. As I said, I feel like this is the calibre of golf I should be playing this week.
Q. And potentially a massive day tomorrow.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I am excited to put myself in the mix. It's a big day. Just have to go out there and try to shoot another good score. There's some of it that's outside my control but if I can play a good round of golf, that makes it a bit easier.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports