Q. It seems to be close.
RORY McILROY: A few too many mistakes. Sort of similar story to yesterday. You know, making the good swings and making enough birdies and another eagle today. But yeah, just offset by a few too many mistakes over the first couple days.
Q. Did you realise it hit the flagstick?
RORY McILROY: Did it hit the flag? I didn't even know. I didn't even know. I didn't even know. So I mean, guess I should be disappointed.
Q. Good shot on the last?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was a good shot on the last especially after the double on 17. Again going into those last three holes, if someone was going to tell you that you would make a double on one of them and you would play them in even par, you'd be like, well, it was okay.
Yeah, I just felt like I played better than what the score suggested. Obviously I got punished for an errant tee shot on 17. Loose wedge shot on 10. But apart from that, I felt like it was pretty good.
Q. Does the course allow you to be aggressive like maybe you would have to be tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: I think so. I don't even think you need to be super aggressive because even hitting irons and 5-woods off tees, you're giving yourself wedges in your hands. But the greens are still receptive. It looks like the forecast is going to be dry over the weekend but the storm we had on Thursday morning and then the bit of rainfall we had overnight, it's just kept the course quite receptive and that's why you're seeing a lot of low scores.
Q. I take it even if you had not had the rain it would have played a lot different than the Ryder Cup in late September. It's firmer then?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I was expecting -- I think, you know, summertime in Paris, I expect it to be sort of warm and dry. So I was expecting the course to be a little firmer than what it is. And I thought the rough wouldn't be quite as lush. But it obviously has not played that way.
But yeah, if you put yourself in position off the tee, you've got plenty of chances.
Q. Pleasant surprise, the conditions?
RORY McILROY: I don't know. I'd say if you would have asked me five or six years ago, I'd have said yes but I've really started to enjoy those firmer, drier conditions.
So as I said, with a bit of drier weather over the next couple days, Sunday night have a little bit of bite to it.
Q. How do those finishing holes rate for the leaders coming down the stretch in terms of what you've got to get through?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it all depends on the hole locations. You know, I would say 15 was quite a generous one today but then 16 was tricky. You know, and 17 is just a tough hole, even though there's no water. And then 18 was a tough one. So it really all depends where the hole locations are. That sort of determines how aggressive or how conservative you have to be on those holes.
Yeah, it makes you think a little bit for sure.
It's a great atmosphere to play in. It's awesome, just the enthusiasm of the crowd is great.
Q. Do you think that's what the Olympic golf needed?
RORY McILROY: I wasn't in Rio.
Q. Rio was a little subdued because it wasn't a golf mecca.
RORY McILROY: I wouldn't say this is either but at the same time, they have had the Ryder Cup and that was a huge success. And then Tokyo with COVID and everything. So feels like this is the first proper go-around that golf has got in the Games, and it's amazing to see such a great turnout.
Q. Do you have any issues at all with the scheduling? There's so much going on in world golf for you guys, on the heels of a major, so much coming um?
RORY McILROY: I think from what I've read, 2028 in L.A. is going to be much more of a headache than this one was. But maybe the world of golf looks a little different then.
Q. The Open might have to be after it, right?
RORY McILROY: I don't think you can -- well, it will be the week of the -- the second week of Wimbledon which you can't do, either. There's so many golf tournaments and not enough weeks in the calendar. Something needs to give.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports