Short summary
Rory McIlroy shot a bogey-free 66 today, with four birdies and one eagle. When asked about his thoughts on the leaderboard, he said he was only focused on his own game and not worried about the others. Regarding the 13th hole, he explained his decision to go for the green from the pine straw, acknowledging that he got a bit lucky with the outcome. McIlroy discussed his emotions after the tough finish yesterday and how he was able to bounce back with a strong round today. He also talked about his thought process on certain shots, such as the 15th hole. When asked about his approach to the week, McIlroy emphasized the importance of staying patient and not getting too caught up in the ups and downs of the tournament. Overall, he expressed pride in his resilience and the ability to respond positively after a challenging start.
Main body
Good afternoon. I’d like to welcome Rory McIlroy back to the media center. Rory shot a bogey-free 66 today, four birdies, one eagle. Great round, Rory. I’d like to open it up to questions. Rory, just saw you glancing at the leaderboard. When you look at the top of it and see those names, what are your thoughts? I was just looking for my name. I’m not really worried about the others. Rory, can you take us through the 13th hole and kind of your decision from the pine straw and what you were thinking when that ball was sailing through the air? Yeah, I only had, I think it was like 189 front. So it was, I don’t think it was really a decision to go for it or not, but I was between a four and a five iron.
Um, and usually the ball comes out a bit spinnier out of the pine straw so I had a four iron and um you know the follow-through I definitely like I saved it and I was glad that I had four iron I covered that little corner there and um yeah but when the ball was in the air I was like, ‘You idiot, what did you do?’ But um yeah, it wasn’t it’s one of those ones as well. It’s a it’s a pin that even if you do hit it into the hazard, it’s a pretty Not a routine up and down, but it’s a little easier than say where the pin was yesterday and that front-front section.
So yeah, I rode my luck a little bit with that second shot, but was wasn’t, you know, nice to take advantage of it. Steve, yeah, very congratulations on this round. Your career has had so many great moments. You’ve had some tough moments. I’m just wondering about the emotions yesterday-that great round; two double bogeys at the end. Obviously not very good. And then today, just this remarkable round. You’re in this wonderful position right now. How do you feel after having a big bump already, being in this great position midway through? Yeah, I think overall just proud of myself with how I responded today after the finish last night. I just had to remind myself that I played really good golf yesterday. And, you know, I wasn’t going to let too.
Two bad holes sort of dictate the narrative for the rest of the week. But yeah, just ultimately just proud of how I got back into it today. Rory, can you walk us through 15 yesterday and then compare that to making birdie there today? Yeah. I hit two good shots into 15 yesterday. I felt like I hit a pretty good chip shot. I was really surprised at not so much the speed. I knew it was a fast chip. I’ve hit that chip a hundred times around this golf course. It was just more the first bounce was so firm. I mean, that green is so much firmer than any other green, even the three newer greens. At that point, I didn’t know that a couple of people had done that before I did it as well.
I was obviously surprised that I had done that. I forgot that I could try to play it again. I went straight to the drop zone. Then afterwards, I was thinking, I could have tried to just chip that again. You know it was just one of those things where you know I was I think that’s the thing I was so frustrated last night because I played so well and you can make these big numbers from absolutely nowhere um on this golf course just like the most benign position so um it was a good reminder it was a good reminder last night that you just really have to have your wits about you on every single golf shot and um and then today when the second shot was in the air, it was a little touch and go.
Even where the ball finished, sort of on the slope, I was thinking of running just a marker to make sure it wasn’t going to run back down the hill. It was nice to make a four there. I guess just keep the momentum going that I built up through those previous holes, 10, 11, 13. Bryson was saying that he’s working on a lot of stuff. You’ve hit a lot less balls this week. Are you working on anything or is it all just kind of all systems go right now? I’m working on trying to get the ball into the hole as fast as possible. That’s basically it. Jeff? I’m good. Okay, good. Rory, how about your thought process from the pine straw on 14 going high?
Yeah, it was a pretty shot, but I was fortunate to have a gap And it was it was a perfect window I had nine iron out at the start But I you know that the wind started, you know when the wind gusts here It really just funnels down a lot of the holes so it was funneling down. So I switched to a wedge And it was a perfect lie in there. I could get spin and yeah, it was um, you know, I got lucky with that, you know, I i rode my luck a little bit on on 13 and 14 there and 15. Um, thankfully got away, got away, um, with it a little bit, and yeah, I think those are the the sorts of things that you need to happen in major championships, and you know, I feel like I got a little unfortunate yesterday in some parts, and I i got a little fortunate today so Trent okay, Michael Jamie, Michael.
Thank you. Rory, pardon, it’s a little off topic, but 72 to 66 is a great improvement. Nick Dunlap, as you know, shot 90 yesterday. He’s three under. I did not know that. Oh, he did. But he’s three under today. How do you guys do that? How do you turn things around? I think you’ll have to ask him. It reminds me of a story. At Memorial the other way. I shot 63 the first round at Memorial in 2014 and backed it up with a 79, and I came in to have lunch and I saw Jack there and he said, ‘How the hell did you shoot 16 shots more today than yesterday?’ So it’s just, you know, like championship golf, it can be volatile. The conditions can be tough.
You can just start to, you know, the momentum can start to go the wrong way on you. But, you know. We’re all great players. We’re playing in the Masters and we’re all capable of shooting good scores. John. Jack Nicholson. Rory, in here yesterday morning, Jack, Gary and Tom were asked who they thought would win and who they would like to win. And you’ve probably heard that they said you. How does that make you feel? They’re getting old. John. Rory, talk about resetting last night and how it might be different now than it would have been a year ago, two years ago. Yeah, you know, I sort of just tried to leave, you know, once I left the property last night, I just sort of tried to leave. What had happened here?
You know, I rushed out of here to get home to see Poppy before she went to bed. So that was sort of nice to be able to get to see her before she went to sleep, and Yeah, I guess that’s something that I didn’t have a few years ago to be able to you know Get home and have that sort of, you know, take my mind off off the golf a little bit. So But yeah, I just I feel like I just did a good job of resetting I had a good conversation with Bob Rotella this morning, mostly around Not pushing too hard too early and trying to get those shots back straight away. And you can sort of see how I started today with you know, eight pars and a birdie on the front nine.
I just tried to stay really patient, and You know, I feel like that patience was rewarded with you know, a nice little stretch there in the middle of the round. Marty To yourself and to the world, what did you prove today? I don’t think I proved anything. If anything, I just backed up the belief that I have in myself and the belief that I’m as resilient as anyone else out here. I’ve been really proud of how resilient I’ve been the whole way throughout my career, and I think today was just another example of that. Andy? Roy, where would you say your mindset is right now compared to where it was yesterday at this time after your round? Not as frustrated, obviously.
But, I mean, it’s— it’s only it’s only halfway you know we’ve got 36 holes to go on a very very tough golf course anything can happen um you know and all i’m focused on is is trying to hit a good tee shot on the in the fairway on on the first hole tomorrow that was two questions mark or i just wonder um how energized you are right now after what you did today following yesterday as you look forward to the weekend and you see how close you are at the top of the board Pretty tired. It was a quick turnaround. This course takes it out of you physically and mentally, more so than most other golf courses. So I wouldn’t say I’m too energized.
I’m ready to get some food and chill this afternoon and get a good night’s sleep. I just mean kind of the prospects of the weekend for having gotten right back into this thing when last night you probably were kicking yourself. Yeah, I guess. I mean, I think more just excited. For the opportunity, yeah. Last question, Mike um, you spoke to us a couple of days ago, Rory, you said that you were ready when you suggested you were ready to kind of embrace heartbreak, I know we’re only halfway there but do you feel like you’ve already done that this year, like at this tournament? This tournament? Yeah, no, not at all, no. Um, again, like golf tournaments are so long and There’s so much that could happen even in the next 36 holes, I you know, my mindset was I shot even par yesterday. I probably need to get to somewhere between 12 and 15 under to win this tournament, and you know, there’s there was plenty of time to do that. So yeah, again just about staying patient. Thank you very much. Thank you, Roy. Let’s have a great week.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ 1: How did Rory McIlroy recover from his disappointing finish in Round 1?
After two costly double bogeys late in Round 1, McIlroy reset mentally by focusing on his strong overall play and seeking advice from sports psychologist Bob Rotella. He emphasized patience and avoiding the urge to “push too hard” early in Round 2. This mindset helped him shoot a bogey-free 66, highlighted by strategic play and key birdies/eagle.
FAQ 2: What were the critical moments in McIlroy’s Round 2?
Two pivotal shots stood out:
- 13th Hole: A risky 4-iron from pine straw that narrowly avoided a hazard, leading to an eagle. McIlroy admitted he “rode his luck” but capitalized on the opportunity.
- 14th Hole: A precise wedge shot from pine straw to set up birdie, executed despite swirling winds. McIlroy credited adaptability and course knowledge for navigating these high-pressure situations.
FAQ 3: How does McIlroy approach the weekend at the Masters?
McIlroy remains focused on incremental progress rather than chasing immediate results. He acknowledged the volatility of major championships and the need to stay patient, emphasizing resilience: “I don’t think I proved anything… I just backed up the belief I have in myself.” His goal is to continue avoiding mistakes and trust his process over the final 36 holes.
