TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 21, 2025

Rory McIlroy

East Lake Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Just start with the birdie on 18.

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, pretty lucky in the end. I think as well, if it hadn't have come down and we had to drop, we mightn't have got finished, so lucky in a lot of different ways, lucky for the score and lucky we got done.

I feel like I played well enough to shoot 4-under if not better, so it was a nice and lucky way to finish.

Q. What was your instant reaction when that ball came off the club?

RORY MCILROY: Oh, no, pretty much. Got a little thin, came out a little faster than obviously I wanted it to, but at that point you're just hoping that something is going to happen -- all the TIO lovers are going to love that one on Twitter tonight.

Q. As for the other 17 holes, what do you feel like you did well and what do you need to improve on?

RORY MCILROY: I felt like I drove the ball a lot better than I did last week, so that was a big improvement. Honestly, my iron play, I struck the ball much better. I felt -- I sort of shook a lot of rust off last week, and I felt like I was going into this tournament a better golfer than I was last week.

Still didn't feel like I got the most out of my round; a three-putt on 14 and then the bogey on 17. But overall I played much better than last week, which was a positive.

Q. So you're satisfied with the start?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, I feel like I could have been a couple of shots lower, but I'm satisfied with how I played for sure.

Q. Did this golf course feel like you could attack it today?

RORY MCILROY: Yeah, it was definitely a lot softer after the rain yesterday and greens were a little bit slower than they were in the practice rounds, as well, which took me a bit of time to adjust to. But overall it was very gettable.