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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

July 28, 2016

Rory McIlroy

Springfield, New Jersey

RORY McILROY: I was right in the middle of the fairway with 120 yards to go on the fourth hole after making a good up-and-down on the hole before and missed the green to make five. Then followed that up with another bogey, and then from there, I was always just trying to chase a little bit. I knew I had the two par 5s coming up on the last two holes, our first nine. Not to birdie those was disappointing after putting them in a position where I could make four.

Yeah, as you say, just not a lot of momentum out there. But I'm happy with my game from tee-to-green. Driving the ball as well as I have, ever, I think. Iron play feels good. Just when I get on the greens, it's just a different story. I'll need to try and figure it out for tomorrow. You know, try to shoot something in the mid 60s and get myself back into it.

Q. These are poa annua greens which PÃ¡draig Harrington was saying they are difficult to putt on. Is there anything about the surface of the greens which makes it difficult to get the feel?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I'm struggling with the pace. I think you saw out there, there was a couple of putts from quite a short distance that I left short. That's the thing that sort of surprised me all week actually. They look much quicker than they are. They look much quicker than they putt.

So I think there was maybe at least two or three times today when I had putts within 12 feet, thinking they are downhill and going to be pretty quick, and I left them short. So I just need to be a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more free flowing with my stroke. Because when I did hit a couple by, I was able to hold the ones coming back. Maybe just need to be a little bit more assertive with it.

Q. How much work will you spend putting in particular between now and tomorrow?
RORY McILROY: I'll try to spend as much as I can. Obviously it's very hot out here. I'll possible just go back to the house that we rented, chill out a little bit and maybe come back this evening and hit some putts when it cools off. Not that it cools off that much in the evenings. I'll try to hit some putts and then maybe spend a bit of extra time on the putting green tomorrow, as well. Yeah, I'll try to do as much as I can and not wear myself out.

Q. Is it more mental or physical? It looked like on 11, you dropped your shoulders and head and you were frustrated.
RORY McILROY: I mean, it was -- yeah, look, you give yourself chances the first couple of holes, you don't convert it. You want to get off to a good start. I feel like if I had of held one of those first two, it might have been a different story of the day. You get a little bit of momentum and you get it going.

Yeah, as Greg said there, with the poa annua greens there, you start to look a lot into them. You read it from behind the ball and you see one line; you read it from behind the hole, and it looks slightly different. You put yourself in two minds sometimes.

That's why I said tomorrow, I need to be just a bit more assertive with it and just try to go with it and get a bit more of a flow.

Q. You said that you've not won this way, sort of coming from behind in the past. What do you change; are you that much more aggressive? Do you go for broke?
RORY McILROY: I think first and foremost, I have to play a good round to get into the weekend tomorrow. I think that's the first objective, and then go from there.

Q. Do you have any putting coach? Are you working with anybody?
RORY McILROY: Not really. I'm sort of doing it on my own. I have got a few drills that I do and work on the mirror a little bit. That's really it. I sort of try to create my own feelings. It's good on the putting green. It's just a matter of getting it from the putting green to the course. I think it's more of a mental thing, as well. Maybe that's why I'm saying to be a little bit more assertive and not quite as tentative.

Q. You mentioned patience the other day; is it hard to be?
RORY McILROY: It's fine. Look, it's one round of golf. I obviously want to play well, but I was trying my hardest out there to make birdies, and I was giving myself chances in the last few holes, and didn't quite convert them.

So I know my game is there, to keep giving myself chances. Just hopefully I'm not shutout tomorrow. I can't remember the last time I remember without a birdie. Yeah, I'll stay as patient as I can and as hard as I can and hopefully turn it around.

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