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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC


February 4, 2016


Rory McIlroy


Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Q. 68, what's your overall assessments of that round?
RORY McILROY: I thought I did well, considering the start and having some of the shots I hit throughout the round. 68 was probably a fair reflection of how I played. I don't feel like I could have really went any lower than that but at the same time, I gave myself enough chances to make some birdies.

All in all, a decent day, decent score, especially looking at the conditions this afternoon, looks like it's going to be quite tricky for the boys out there.

Q. We know as a professional golfer, it would be great if it was plane sailing all the way. That you did get off to a slow start, does it make it all the more rewarding when you can deliver a good score like you did?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, definitely. It wasn't the best way to start, bogeying a par 5, and then even the bogey I made on the front nine on the second hole, which is a birdie hole out here. But to bounce back and to birdie some of the tougher holes on the course, I was really pleased with that.

When I got myself out of position, I was able to get back in play and make my pars. Yeah, considering the start, I'm happy with how the rest of the round went.

Q. And we actually talked quite a lot about your putting, how much it's come on and we talked about the routine that you go through, the use of the mirror; is that the part of the game you're most proud of, the improvement?
RORY McILROY: I still feel there's room for improvement in that part of the game, but it's definitely got better. Even since winning this tournament back in 2009, the strides that I've made in my putting going forward have been great. I feel like I've got a consistent routine in practice and I feel like having a consistent routine in practice definitely helps on the course.

Putting, sometimes it goes your way one week and sometimes you don't quite hole as much as you think you should. Overall I feel like the consistency of my putting has gotten much better, so I'm very happy about that.

Q. A golf course you clearly love, but it's ever-evolving; what do you make of the new changes this year?
RORY McILROY: I think with the way the weather conditions are, it's made it quite tricky out there. I don't think I'll ever hit as many bunker shots. There's just balls going into bunker. But it's good. I think aesthetically it looks well and it will probably make it a little trickier as the week goes on and as the course gets that much firmer. Balls will be running through dog-legs and into bunkers and water, like mine on 18 today. It will make it tricky enough. I think it's good changes.

Q. Is that a good foundation for the week?
RORY McILROY: I think it is, yeah. Especially after the way I started the round, I started quite slowly. So to be able to shoot something at least in the 60s today was very pleasing. I didn't have any best stuff out there at some points, but when I got myself out of position, I was able to get myself back in position and make pars, and a few birdies out there. So all in all, I feel like it was a good round of golf.

Q. You always have a sense of theatre, a nice one up 18 when you find yourself in the water and still make birdie and a lovely approach that almost holed, as well.
RORY McILROY: I hit a lot of nice shots out there. I sort of had an idea of that tee shot on 18, when it was going to go in the water, it came off way too hot for my liking. But yeah, I stayed positive, because I hit a great tee shot.

So I actually said to my caddie, JP, before I hit my third shot, it would be great to make birdie here; was able to do that. Hit a couple of really good shots on the front nine which set me up for birdie. For the most part, I was really pleased with how my game was today. Just need to tidy it up a little bit in some areas.

Q. First competitive round under your belt on a course that has seen some changes; how it is it playing?
RORY McILROY: This morning, I don't feel like it played too much differently because it was still quite soft. But I think the guys are going to notice a big change this afternoon as the wind gets up and the course dries out. There's a lot more fairway woods off tees and you can run through fairways easier. It will just make it tricky.

The greens are pretty firm already. I think the changes to the course are very good, and I think if anything, it will definitely make scoring a little more difficult in the afternoon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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