ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 21, 2022

Rory McIlroy

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

RORY McILROY: It's obviously generous off the tee. Big green. But then it's the lag putting and leaving yourself a lot of six-footers for par. Having to play either double the break or one hole, wind affects it and next hole, it doesn't.

Q. Not going to be stiff, is it?

RORY McILROY: A putt can change by a cup or more. It's just really tricky. I knew I needed to birdie the last to make the cut.

Q. Still changes you're trying to make?

RORY McILROY: No, not really. How I've played is just as thought-free as possible and play the conditions and the shots that I needed to play. Yeah -- maybe in the right-to-left -- I thought I drove it all right. There's a couple iron shots that got away from me but apart from that, I didn't feel like I did all that badly. I think my short of lost shots have been around the greens mostly the last couple days.

Q. Happy with how well you're playing?

RORY McILROY: I had absolutely no idea.

Q. Every shot is kind of contrived, isn't it.

RORY McILROY: Exactly. Feel like I'm hitting it well. Hit it well on the range this morning. It's all in there. But hopefully I get to play the weekend and we'll have a couple of calm days.

I'd just like another two competitive days of play and see where I'm at.

Q. You come here at the start of the year, you don't think this is going to be the case; right?

RORY McILROY: No. It's like, I'll go to the Middle East, perfect. It's different. I can't remember when it's been like this here. I played in a couple of sandstorms in Dubai and a couple of mornings it's been cold in Abu Dhabi, but nothing like this.