Q Rory, how about the close to the round with the three birdies in a row but how big was the putt at 15 to play into that awesome finish here in the first round?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, that was a good bogey in the end. But yeah, it was a great finish ir. Felt like the round was a bit stop start, a little bit of rust in there, taking a couple of weeks off but found like I found my rhythm and started hitting better shots on the way in.
It was a good opening round. It's the sort of golf course and the sort of conditions where I feel like the field is going to be pretty bunched. So to only be four behind after the first day, you know, feeling like I've still got my pest stuff ahead of me, that feels good.
Q Can you take us throughout birdie putts on 17 and 18 to close it out?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, a good 6-iron into 17 and then had probably 25 feet up the hill, probably about two feet of break from right-to-left. And you know, I struggled with the speed of the greens at the start, obviously coming over here, they are a lot slower than what we are used to.
But could be nice and aggressive with that one. On 18, complete opposite. It was uphill, 20, 25 feet but it was probably two feet of break left-to-right.
So yeah, two really good putts to finish and gives me some momentum heading into the round tomorrow.
Q That was 2023, the finish was like that?
RORY McILROY: It was, in way. The stakes weren't quite as high on a Thursday evening but yeah, look, obviously a lovely way to finish.
Q A hundred percent where you wants to be next Thursday, teeing off over there, where do you think you are at right now?
RORY McILROY: Probably like 80 percent. Felt like I struggle the a lot in left-to-right winds today.
Right-to-left wind, I was fine. Felt very comfortable sort of holding the ball against it. The last three holes were in off the right which was comfortable but some of the holes where I got myself in trouble the tee shots were left-to-right and let it go in the wind a bit too much.
It's been hard, like all last week, I was hitting balls in the wind, it was require and the range here is right-to-left. So haven't had much of an opportunity to hit balls in a different wind direction.
So the next three days gives me that opportunity to get a bit more comfortable with that.
Q We spoke about this at the U.S. Open about where you were at in terms of motivation. You said Portrush coming up, it wasn't going to be a problem getting it back but are you there now?
RORY McILROY: Yeah I'm ready to play. The change of scenery has been nice. It's been nice to get back over here. That renewed my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the season, so yeah, of course.
Q Take us through that bunker shot on 7, especially after Viktor Hovland hit his into the lip.
RORY McILROY: I would say Viktor and my tee shots pitched 30 yards apart and we ended up in the same spot. Maybe not the best design of a golf ball.
I was lucky I was on the upslope and just had enough room to get it up. The lip, I wasn't worried about. It was the wall that was in front of the lip.
So it was just, I had a gap wedge and it was nice the ball was on the upslope. I could try to hit it as hard as I could and get it up there and that was a good hole to save par on.
Q 15, the bunker shot, back in the air --
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it rolled back.
Q Must have been fun.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was fantastic. It did serve me right from trying to hit a 9-iron with the lip two feet in front of me.
Q Was the second shot a good one, out of the pitchmark?
RORY McILROY: It was okay. It was sort of half-plugged, but I feel like the links sand here is so soft that if you just put a bit of speed on it, the ball comes out pretty easy. Trying to get myself back into position.
Q Trying to make you look good.
RORY McILROY: Thanks.
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