Q. You've added a 66 to yesterday's 65. How does that one leave you feeling?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, probably a little similar to yesterday. I felt like I left a few out there. Had some good chances coming down the last few holes and missed a little one on 16 and had a good chance on 17 there that just slipped by. It's two solid scores to open the tournament and obviously right into the mix going into the weekend.
Q. Given the benign conditions, are you making adjustments for the fact it's links golf and things are slightly different?
RORY McILROY: Absolutely. Sort of where you want the ball to land. I definitely felt like the greens had just a little bit of fire in them today compared to yesterday and hopefully with these dry conditions that continues going into the weekend so that the golf course can continue to firm up and play, I guess, even linksier.
Today I wasn't totally on with my swing. So I had to manage my misses a little bit but I thought did I a good job of hanging in there even though I didn't feel at my best especially over those last few holes.
Q. So your thoughts going into the weekend, three behind Ludvig?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'll have to get off to a good start tomorrow just like I got off to a good start today. There's a few opportunities in that first six holes. So I think that's pretty important, and you know, from there, see where I am.
But yeah, if I can keep playing the way I'm playing and limit the mistakes, I think like I definitely feel like there's a lower one in me. I saw a 62 and 63 out there today. If we continue to get condition like this, I think that's what it's going to take to be right up there around the lead going into Sunday.
Q. How would you compare today's round to yesterday's round?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, pretty similar. I played the front nine well again today and got off to a good start, 3-under through five. And then, you know, from there, it was a little bit scrappy. Missed a few chances coming in. But overall, a solid round of golf and obviously keeps me right in the thick of things going into the weekend.
Q. You said you were struggling with your swing a little bit. How did you manage that and score pretty well?
RORY McILROY: I managed my misses well and I started to give myself a little more margin for error with the second shots. Still hit some decent ones coming in, and relied on my short game when I needed to.
But yeah, I need to just sort of tighten it up a little bit for the weekend.
Q. What's the biggest key for you heading into the weekend?
RORY McILROY: I think the iron play. I thought I drove the ball pretty well for the most part, even though the only bogey I made was off a bad tee shot. But you know, I started to hit some decent iron shots coming in. I hit a good one into 17 there, but I just leaked a few out to the right. So something to try to, I guess, rectify for the next couple days.
Q. Very good but could have been very, very good. Is that a decent assessment?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think so. I started off very well with three birdies in the first five and then it was probably a little scrappy from there on in.
Yeah, it was okay. He probably feet like I left two or three shots out there and it was a similar story today. Hopefully I can put it all together over the weekend and not leave those shots out there that I've done the last couple days.
Q. No birdies in the last five holes, but the fact that you didn't make the one on 16 will have stung?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, a misread. I read the putt straight. I watched it go past the hole and didn't look like it did much. Hit it straight but went a little left-to-right on me. Felt like I missed a good opportunity on the par 3, 14 and another one on 17.
I'm probably standing here feeling like I should be sort of around Ludvig's score if not a little bit better after the last couple days but I'm still in good position.
Q. Potential for a really big weekend with someone as exciting as Ludvig at the top, you as the defending champion, trying to hunt him down?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's a great leaderboard. Collin is up there. Sahith is up there. Bob has played pretty solid the first couple days. Obviously a home interest to root for for everyone here.
Yeah, it's another weekend where I'm right in the mix of a golf tournament, and that's a nice position to be in after the last three weeks that I've had.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports