Los Angeles Golf Club 6, Boston Common Golf 2
Q. Rory, you went from Pebble Beach, one of the finest golf courses in the world, AT&T, what a venue. Is there anything that you can take from this experience, you've been through it a few times, that if you were commissioner for a day on the PGA TOUR you'd like to maybe add an element to the PGA TOUR that you think would be good?
RORY McILROY: From this format?
Q. Yeah.
RORY McILROY: Look, if you could somehow implement the shot clock in some way and be able to police it consistently, I think that would be a really cool thing. Much easier to do in this controlled environment compared to a golf course that spans 100 or 200 acres.
Q. Rory, you've got to walk me through your last 48 hours, from Pebble to here. Did you get any swings between then and now? How did it go?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, so probably tapped my last putt in at about 3:00 p.m. local time, was wheels up at 5:30, had two In-and-Out Burgers by about 6:00, had a couple bottles of wine by about 8:00 and then landed back into Palm Beach by 1:00 a.m. Didn't really do anything yesterday, but I came in here with Keegan today about noon to practice and hit some shots and just familiarize myself with the environment.
Yeah, yesterday was a nice day off, but today got a workout in, got a good practice session done, and then obviously you saw us tonight.
Yeah, that was pretty much it.
Q. Question for all three. There was a letter made public today from a fellow player who had some criticisms for guys with exterior commitments, including TGL. Curious if playing in these matches has in any way altered your normal PGA TOUR schedule or routine.
RORY McILROY: I think the thing he forgot to mention is the PGA TOUR owns 20 percent of TGL, so he's criticizing his own product. They also own a good chunk of European Tour Productions, so again -- I thought some of the elements of the letter were fine, addressed some issues. He was criticizing the Aon Swing 5. He was sixth in that.
He talks about having it be for the good of the TOUR, but he's also talking about himself, as well. I thought a couple of them were pointed at me a little bit because TGL, Race to Dubai, non-PGA TOUR events like the Showdown that Scottie and I did in December, I've been vocal about not wanting to play quite as much so it seemed like it was pointed at me.
Yeah, I mean, I guess all -- look, what every player has to do is look out for themselves. We have to do what's best for our own individual careers, and yes, at the back of our mind try to do whatever we can to help the TOUR, but I think the best way for any of us to help the TOUR is to tee it up and play as best we can.
Q. Quickly on this match, what were you thinking as those putts were falling for them and it seemed every one of you guys were lipping out or coming over the edge?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was that typical momentum in like a match play situation of playing for the whole where they got the momentum early and it went their way and we got nothing. Momentum counts for a lot. This moves really quick, and the points got away from us tonight. It was hard to claw it back, and the hammer seemed to vanish.
As that stayed away, our chances dwindled.
Q. You mentioned the hammer. How hard was it to try to regain any of that momentum without sort of the multiplier being in play for much of the night?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I think personally there should be some sort of rule where if you don't use it after three or four holes you lose the hammer because it's such a valuable thing in this league, and I think it creates a lot of fun atmospheres and stuff.
I think it would be cool if there were some sort of -- you didn't use it after three holes or four holes, then the other team gets it, and I think that would maybe force them to throw it faster. It's a big advantage to have that in your pocket, especially when you're down like us. We were trying to egg them on to throw it, and smartly they didn't, but I think that would be a cool thing.
Q. Obviously tonight didn't go as planned, but I'm curious, Keegan, are you still completely confident in the fact that you do have the best facial hair in all of TGL?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Very, very confident in that, yes.
Q. Rory, have you considered at all going with the power 'stache?
RORY McILROY: I wish I could grow one, but unfortunately I don't quite have the follicle growth as Keegan does. It wouldn't be as nice and bushy and thick as his.
Q. Rory, having gone into business with Tiger, I'm wondering how well you got to know his mom and what you felt today when you heard the news.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, obviously very sad, sort of surreal. She was here last Monday night. Yeah, it seemed sudden.
I got to know Tita a little bit. She was always very warm, very courteous and generous with her time. Yeah, it was always a delight to see her at tournaments. As time went on, you sort of saw her less and less, and you'd bump into her in player dining and it was always nice to see her. She always had a big smile. Yeah, you obviously feel for Tiger and Sam and Charlie and wish them all the best. Yeah, it's a sad day.
Q. What do you have to say about hopefully having Hideki out with you in the next couple matches and how that will change the dynamic a little?
RORY McILROY: We need something.
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, he might be the secret weapon.
RORY McILROY: Could be the silent assassin that we need.
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