AMGEN IRISH OPEN

September 5, 2025

Rory McIlroy

The K Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Rory, 66 here on a Friday at the K Club. Try and describe your day out there.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it was good. I felt like I hit the ball pretty similarly to yesterday, maybe gave myself a few more chances with the approach shots. Yeah, I just didn't make a bogey, which was nice. A couple of good par saves on the back nine and finished well with a couple of birdies on the last three holes.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the day's work, and it keeps me within touching distance going into the weekend. Obviously the two boys are a little bit ahead of the rest of the pack, but I feel like I'm close enough, if I do have a good weekend, to chase them down.

Q. The commentary that from the 12th hole it looked like your intensity increased and you really focused. Did it feel like that to you out there too, on that back nine?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, a little bit. I made a good putt for par on the 11th. After not birdieing the 10th hole -- yeah, I felt like I was 3-under for the tournament at that point and felt like I was playing better than that. The birdie -- the two birdies on 12 -- sorry, 13 and 14. I had a good shot into 12 and missed that putt.

Yeah, I got it going, and I hit some good shots coming in. I guess in the middle of the back nine, I felt like I should be a few shots better than I was and just sort of stayed patient, knuckled down, hit some good shots, and took advantage of it.

Q. You almost holed out on 18. You weren't far away.

RORY McILROY: I couldn't believe. I was hitting a three-quarter 8-iron. I couldn't believe how much it came back. Yeah, it looked like it nearly flew into the hole.

It was nice to make some good iron swings on the way in: The two par-3s, even the 9-iron into 17, that 8-iron into the last. So pleased with that.

The reason is because I'm hitting it on the fairway, which I probably haven't been doing as much over the last couple months. If I keep doing that, give myself chances, hopefully it will be a good weekend.

Q. I know you had thousands out there following you today. How about that walk down 18?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, amazing. The whole day, even just walking to the range for the warmup today, the support is absolutely incredible. I'm looking forward to playing in that atmosphere for the next couple days as well.