Q. What's your emotion like after that today?
RORY McILROY: Frustration. I just didn't, yeah, I just didn't have it on the greens. I really struggled to read them. It's hard whenever you struggle to read them, and then when you do get over the ball you're trying to trust what you're seeing, but everything else that you have seen hasn't went the way you thought, so it's hard to put a committed stroke on it. So yeah it's been a tough one on the greens the last two days. But tee to green I've actually been pretty happy with how everything else is. I just need to try to hole a few more over the weekend.
Q. How hopeful are you of getting back into the mix where it's pretty healthy with Irish golfers at the top?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, Shane's going well, Tom's had a couple good days. I'm hitting the ball well enough, I just need to try to hole a few more putts or get a handle on reading them a little bit better. But, yeah, I feel like I certainly have the ability and at least have the long game to do it. Just need to hole a few more on the greens.
Q. The dark art of putting sometimes comes and goes even with the very best. Do you feel it was just a reading issue or is it something that you've been familiar with before and you've possibly not remedied?
RORY McILROY: No, it's a reading issue, for sure. Yeah, I'm starting them on my lines, so that's not really an issue. I feel like I'm pretty good at that. It's just getting the right read and then trusting it I think is -- like the putt that I holed on 17. The only reason I holed that is because I saw what Brooks did before me, it was on the exact same line. So if I can get me some more putts like that where someone can show me the line then that would be good. But, yeah, just what I'm seeing when I'm reading them and then what's actually happening when I'm hitting the putter are two different things.
Q. About eight putts inside 12 feet on eight greens went awry. If they had gone, half of those had gone in, you would have a great round. Is that possible for the weekend if you get that eye in on the greens?
RORY McILROY: It absolutely is. Tee to green I feel like I'm right there. I'm pretty happy with how I've hit the ball over the last couple of days. Some bad weather coming in tomorrow as well, so that should put a premium on ball striking and hitting it in the fairways and on the greens. So if I can do that and just see a couple go in, then hopefully it's a different story.
Q. You know what it's like to have the fans behind you and Shane's definitely got that out there. I'm sure you could hear a lot of that with him just being behind you. How much do you think that's sort of helping him at the top of the leaderboard?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's amazing what he's doing. He's no stranger to it. Obviously what he did in Portrush a few years ago, and obviously winning this tournament back in 2009 as an amateur. So he knows how to handle all this stuff. But definitely any time you have the crowd on your side it's a big positive.
Q. Was there a distraction on 10? Did something happen there?
RORY McILROY: Just a phone, cameras, just clicking.
Q. There was a brilliant eagle on 8, you just couldn't get the momentum after.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I had a good look for birdie on 9, didn't convert. Obviously in a good position on 10, didn't make birdie there. Then bogey 11. Yeah, it's just, yeah, I think when you're not holing putts it's hard to get that momentum that you need to keep going.
Q. What makes Shane such a good player in windy links conditions?
RORY McILROY: He believes he's a good player in windy links conditions, so I think that's half the battle is believing that you are or knowing that you are. I think he feels like he has an advantage when the conditions are like that. And that's the way he sees the game. He sees the game with that flight. He doesn't really hit the ball up in the air that often, he usually flights it a lot, even when it's in calmer conditions. So I just think that this type of golf suits the way he likes to see the game and then I think it gives him that little bit of extra belief that he can handle it better than most.
Q. Talk about the quick turnaround.
RORY McILROY: It was certainly a quicker turnaround than we probably wanted. By the time you got back, had some dinner, went to sleep, got up again this morning, yeah, it was a pretty quick turnaround. But we're used to that. We're playing these tournaments week-in and week-out and, yeah, sometimes you get draws like that that you just have to deal with. But nice thing is that us that were out this morning, we can go back and take a nap and feel ready for the weekend.
Q. You touched on the pace of play yesterday with the weather and the wind. Different pace of play out there today, sum it up for us.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, the conditions were a little bit easier. Because of that the pace of play was much better. Yeah, the course was certainly gettable. There was a lot of pretty low scores out there. I felt like I hit it well enough to shoot a low one, but I just couldn't get the putter going at all. Sort of the last two days the greens have confused me a little bit, been struggling to read them. But, yeah, look, I hopefully turn it around tomorrow, hole some putts, and try to get myself back in it.
Q. You generate fans wherever you go. But what makes the Irish fans some of the best in the world?
RORY McILROY: It's always a pleasure to come home and play in front of them. They appreciate golf. They appreciate what a good shot is. They're very knowledgeable, very respectful, and they're enthusiastic. So when you get a combination of all that, it's a really nice atmosphere to play in.
Q. Your good mate Shane setting the pace out front, but if anyone can produce some momentum over the weekend it's you. How do you approach it from here?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I just need to get a handle on the greens and start reading them a little bit better. But, yeah, I will get out early tomorrow, try to make a few birdies and get myself up the leaderboard. What Shane's doing is amazing, which is great for the tournament to have him up there, Tom McKibbin up there as well. So, yeah, we're set for a great weekend. I just need to get myself in the mix as well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports