BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 22, 2026

Rory McIlroy

Bellerive Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Lots of patience on the front nine and back nine. Strong finish. Talk about the patience that's required on this golf course.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think I needed to be patient the last three days, because my game has, it's been good in parts, but then it's been a struggle in other ways. I didn't hit my first fairway today until the 10th hole. Playing this golf course from the rough isn't fun. But I hung in there, my short game saved me a couple of times. And I got some momentum coming in with those birdies on 15, 16 and 17 and then a good up-and-down at the last. I'm in a good spot going into tomorrow in terms of where I'm at on the leaderboard, but it's going to take a heroic effort from one of us to catch Wyndham.

Q. You talked about the good and bad. Let's talk about the good. 2 for 2 out of bunkers. 97 feet in putts. All that is tremendous. But how do you shoot 65 out here hitting four fairways on the day?

RORY McILROY: I think you have to be disciplined with where you're hitting your second shots. Being okay with leaving yourself a 40- or 50-footer and just 2-putting. I think my pace putting, my lag putting's been really good this week. So from the rough it's hard to get it close to the hole, so you're having to rely on 2-putting a lot and I've done that well this week.

Q. Looks like you'll play in the last group with Wyndham. What's too far back, and how do you approach the final round coming from behind? Is it good to be in the final group?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, it's good to be in the final group, but when you start six, seven back, that's a lot make up. But if I focus on myself, go out there, try to shoot a good score -- I shot a 64 and a 65 this week -- shoot something similar tomorrow, you never know.

Q. Par-3s were good to you today. Maybe part of that was you were on greens and not in the rough?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, the par-3s, you get to tee the ball up, give yourself a good lie, better than being in the rough, for sure. Yeah, I hit some nice shots. I hit a real nice shot into the 3rd hole. Another good one into 13. Holed a good putt on 16. So yeah it's been, I think I played the par-3s pretty well this week in general. I think I played them well last week as well. That was probably the only part of the week that was good last week. Yeah, iron play is coming around. If I can just put myself in the fairway a little bit more, I would be able to give myself few more chances.

Q. Can you recall the last time you turned things around as quickly from one week to the next as you've done these last two weeks?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I don't know. I'm trying to remember the last time I played two weeks in an a row, it's been awhile. Honestly, I did the same thing a couple years ago going from Memphis to this tournament. This tournament was at Castle Pines. Similar sort of thing. Finished nearly dead last at Memphis, and then got it together and played a bit better at Castle Pines. So yeah, I would say if Memphis is always my first week coming back, I would say the next week's always, I bet that it's going to be better.

Q. Holistically, how does the swing feel today?

RORY McILROY: It felt good with the irons for the most part. Felt like I'm getting like -- when I try to hit the cut with the driver it definitely seems to be better. If you look at my three tee shots I hit off 17 this week, I aimed it up the left side and cut it off that bunker. So feel like the swing syncs up better and matches up when I try to hit that cut off the tee. Obviously with this golf course it's hard to hit the cut all the time because you're hitting over doglegs and stuff. But I feel like if I can get that feel in the swing a little bit more I'll hit some better tee shots.

Q. You look at some of your birdie or better statistics on par-5s this season it's down a little bit.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, par-5 play hasn't been great.

Q. Is there a single thing you can point to that?

RORY McILROY: I mean, it could be not hitting the fairways as much. Maybe then, when I don't hit the fairway, trying to advance the ball up too far and making a silly decision. Like yesterday on the 8th hole, for example. Just a little bit of that. I think it's a bit of squirreliness off the tee and then maybe just not making the right decision when I am going for the lay up.

Q. (No Microphone.)

RORY McILROY: None. No. I've rented a house. So I've sort of been, I've been in the whole time.

Q. (No Microphone.)

RORY McILROY: We'll see.

Q. Is this a good place to chase?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, I think it gives you the ability to. I think you can be aggressive here. Yes, I think it's a better place to chase than say Southwind last week.