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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP


March 9, 2018


Rory McIlroy


Palm Harbor, Florida

Q. Tough few days, isn't it?
RORY MCILROY: Tough two days. Tough conditions yesterday. It was out there today. It didn't play that difficult this afternoon. Actually hit some better shots coming in which was encouraging, if nothing else, trying to cling on to something here.

But, yeah, I've got a few days to work on my game before going up to Bay Hill and playing there.

Q. What do you feel you need to work on before going to Bay Hill?
RORY MCILROY: Iron play, timing. Just missing -- I birdied 14 to get back to plus 4 and needed to birdie one of the last four to make the cut and then I hit an 8-iron that's 25 yards right of the target.

Just really need to work on a few things just sort of syncing everything up again. Yeah, that's the real big thing.

Q. Does your game feel that far off from your first two tournaments of the year?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it does a little bit. It's hard because when I play my weeks off or practice, it feels pretty good. When I get out on to the course it isn't quite the same. Trying to match everything up.

Q. Level of concern?
RORY MCILROY: No. I mean it's early in the season. It's a long year. I've shown signs of good play this year already and I just need to see a couple, you know, couple of good scores and I think that will maybe give me a little boost going forward. So it's nice that I'm playing again next week and have a chance to try and do that.

Q. (Inaudible).
RORY MCILROY: Head back tonight. He's going to stay on for a little bit. Actually the 60th birthday on Monday. Going to stay for that. Planning a birthday party.

Yeah, he's going to stay on and work on a few things. We had a bit of a debrief last night after the round and sort of feel like we're getting somewhere and had a good chat and worked for about a half hour before going out there today. I felt a little bit better. Another few days work before heading up to Orlando.

Q. Is the timing thing one of those things you feel you can turn quicker than like -- does that make sense?
RORY MCILROY: It's a bit of both. Definitely a bit of technical stuff in there that I need to address but the timing thing -- I think if I fix the technical thing the timing will come back with it, just where the club is at the top it's having to travel a greater distance to get back to the ball.

It's hard to time that when you're not sort of having to use your hands more than you should. Work on that a little bit and hopefully that will be good by next Thursday.

Q. A few weeks away. When you're missing something -- and Jordan is in the same boat -- what does a week like Match Play do for you or what can it do when you're still trying to swing and do the right things and score but looking at it differently, aren't you?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, a little bit. Even in match play -- even if I lose matches I still be happy if I saw good golf. Obviously I want to win in match play. I feel like I've got a good record. I like that format of the game. But I need to just go home for the weekend, work on my game and come back at Bay Hill and hopefully I see some improvements there.

Q. The nature of this course which you played here for the first time, has it been challenging, too?
RORY MCILROY: A little bit. Tough couple of weeks with Honda and then here, two tough courses. You shoot anything under par and you've done pretty well.

So, again, it's very -- it's fine margins on golf courses like this and I was just on the wrong side of those margins the last couple weeks.

Q. You said a month or so ago you played with Tiger early days in December he didn't miss a shot, if I read that correctly. Do you think everyone is starting to believe you a little bit now?
RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I mean like I seen this three months ago. So, yeah, like he's playing great. He's the Tiger of old in terms of the recoveries and the nearly breaks his hand off a tree and all that sort of stuff.

His short game is incredible. He's hitting the ball much better than he did the first couple of starts of the season. I love to be here for the weekend to be in contention but I'll an interested observer watching TV over the weekend see how it unfolds.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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