Rory McIlroy Talks Golf Strategy and Emotions Ahead of the Truist Championship

In this press conference ahead of the Truist Championship, Rory McIlroy opens up about his approach to the upcoming tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The four-time champion shares his thoughts on competing at a new venue, his strategy for tackling the historic course, and how he’s feeling as he returns to the routine of professional golf after recent challenges and triumphs.

All right, we’ll go ahead and get started. We’d like to welcome Rory Mroy to the interview room at the Truist Championship. Rory, you’re a fourtime winner of the Truist Championship, but at Quill Hollow Club and this week we’re here at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. So, can you open up with some thoughts about defending uh at this historic course? Yeah. Um, you know, the last two times I’ve won the the Nitro Championship. Um, I haven’t been able to defend on the same golf course the next year. We won in 21 then played PTOAC and then won last year and and we’re here. But uh so it doesn’t quite feel like a defense but um it’s good to you know it’s good to be here. It’s it’s always I think at this stage of my career it’s cool to come to new venues, see new golf courses and and do new things. So um you know it’s been nice to um to play this golf I’ve heard a lot about this golf course and you know to to play it over the last couple days has been has been cool. um you know trying to trying to learn you know a little bit about it and and try to um you know come up with the strategy to play it. So um yeah good to be here um you know first week as a I guess as an individual coming back and and playing you know over the last few weeks. So I’m I’m excited to get back to being a golfer. It’s nice to get back into the routine again and um you know get back to you know to what I know know how to do. And you had a chance to play nine holes this morning. Can you just share a little bit more about maybe what’s standing out to you at this golf course? Yeah. Um, so I played the uh the back nine yesterday. I played the front nine today. It’s um, you know, it’s it’s very similar to a lot of these old school courses that have been renovated over the past few years. Um, you know, a lot of trees have been taken out. Um, you know, you know, the the green complexes are the are the in for me the interesting thing about the golf course. Um it sort of to me feels like a smaller version of Oill. Not a lot of strategy off the tea, you know, because there’s no, you know, there’s no real hazards. Okay, there’s some fairway bunkers, but you know, if you avoid those, you know, the rough’s not that long that it’s not a huge penalty. So, um, you know, a little, um, I don’t know, simple off the tea, I guess, is the best way to describe it, but then, you know, making sure with the with the second shots that you’re below the hole and, um, trying to get to learn the greens a little bit more. So, yeah, sort of. Yeah, a mini a sort of smaller, shorter version of OIL is sort of how I see the course. Fantastic. We’ll open it up to questions. If you raise your hand, we can get you a microphone. We’ll start right here in the pink buttonup. First off, Rory, have you ever played much cricket in the played a little bit? Bath or both? Bit of both, actually. Um, yeah, I played a little bit at uh my at Sullivan, which is the the school I went to. Um, but yeah, I was actually preferred bowling than batting. I never really wanted to get hit by the ball. So, um, you just implied there in your opening that this is your business head back on this week. Are you keen after all the celebrating to kick back in now? Yeah. Uh, I don’t even think it, look, it’s not that, you know, it’s not even the celebrating, it’s almost like the obligations that you have afterwards. Um, you know, I I wanted to go home and see my folks after. Um, and then, you know, that was nice, but then having to play straight after in New Orleans, which is a, you know, it’s a it’s a different week and a fun week, and I didn’t feel like I had to really prepare all that much. Um, you know, I could lean on Shane a little bit when I needed to. Um, but especially last week, you know, I I had Michael Bannon in town. We practiced for three days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Um, but then I was up in New York for three days doing, you know, a few bits and pieces. So when I got back home and sort of got back more into my my real routine, Sunday, Monday coming up here, um yeah, it it feels it feels more, you know, that period is sort of behind me and, you know, I’m I’m I’m looking forward to the next few months. If you can pass the microphone up to the second row here. Do you have a question? Hi, Danny P. just you said it’s nice at your stage of the career to come to a new a new course, right? A new place. Um like you said, you talked a little bit about it just now, but what kind of stands out to you uh both on the course, on the area? Um yeah, I mean and what’s the importance to come to for the tour to come to new places so they’ll come? Yeah. So I I like Philadelphia is one of the best places in the US for golf. You know, there’s so many great courses around here. We’ve got, you know, we’re playing the PG at Aronom next year. We’re playing the US Open in 30 at Marian. Um, you know, there’s a lot of great golf in this area. Um, and it it’s a beautiful spot. Like I, you know, I feel like we don’t play enough tournaments in the Northeast, but a lot of the Northeast golf clubs are smaller venues like this. And just with how big these tournaments have become over the years, you know, it’s it’s very hard for a golf course like this to to hold a a big tournament. So, you know, that’s like the the logistical problems that that causes is the is the main issue. Um, but as a as a golf course, it’s Yeah, look, I you know, you hear a lot, you know, it’s an it’s an older course. It’s been renovated and um and I think that I think they’ve done a really good job with it. It’s just, you know, it was renovated, I don’t know, 10 or, you know, I don’t know how many years ago, but it’s not like a brand new renovation. Um, and I think when it was was renovated, it probably would have held up to the distances that were being hit. But even now, 10 years on, you know, I feel like every par4 out there is like 430, 440. They sort of feel like they’re 40 or 50 yards short of what they need to be. Um, but it’s still it’s a it’s a cool track to play. Michael, thank you. Literally around the world, millions of people were wondering, is this guy ever going to win the Masters? So, there was so much emotion invested in it, but in your own mind, did you always have faith that you would win it? Yeah, I mean, I look, I always had hope. It’s not as if I, you know, I wasn’t going to show up at Augusta and feel like I couldn’t win. Um, you know, the the week that I feel like that, I’ll go up there for the champions dinner and swan around in my green jacket, but I won’t be playing. Um, but yeah, I always had hope. I always felt like I had the game. Um, and like I think as everyone saw on that back n on Sunday, it was it was about getting over it was you know, you know, I don’t know what the right phrase is, but defeating my own mind was sort of the the big thing for me and getting over that hurdle. So, um, yeah, look, I’m just glad that it’s done. I don’t want to ever have to go back to that Sunday afternoon again. I’m glad that it finished the way it did and you know we can all move on with our lives. Wanted a quick followup. Did you always imagine the idea of putting on that green coat? Was that clear in your mind? No, that wasn’t really that’s to me whenever I think about these things I think about the golf. I think about the golf. I think about the sense of satisfaction of of winning the tournaments and um so I no I never like I never imagined the butler cabin ceremony. I never imagined all that things. I I imagined hitting the shots that I needed to hit to to win the golf tournament. Go back here to golf.com. Uh Rory, you were talking a couple weeks ago how you wanted a club that carried 300 yards to be short of some necks and fairways. Is this a golf course that you’re still looking for that club or is this a golf course where it’s going to be open season hit driver everywhere? Yeah, this is you can send it. Um there’s every every bunker seems to be about 300 to 310 to carry, which is thankfully fine. There’s one bunker on nine that’s 331, but it’s down like 10. So, it’s like 320 equivalent. That’s the the longest one to try to get over. Um, so in good conditions I can if you know it’s calm or a little bit of help. But yeah, it’s it’s basically open season. And I you know the way because I I go back to Oak Hill a couple years ago at the PGA and I tried to play the golf course strategically over the first couple of days and I just realized that these new renovated old school courses like the strategy is just hit driver everywhere and then figure it out from there. Um and that’s sort of the strategy of this place this week. Quick followup. Is that still a club you’re looking forward uh looking for for the rest of the summer? uh for for certain courses I I think it is, but I’ve always been apprehensive to to just put a club in for a certain week. You know, I I like to get used to clubs. I like I know the characteristics of my 3-wood. I’ve been using that for over a year. Then I know the characteristics of my fivewood. I know that if anything, I’ll miss my 3-wood a little to the right. And if I if anything, I’ll miss my fivewood a little bit to the left. So, like you start to Every club has its own personality. And I think it takes time to to learn what that personality is. So I’m, you know, I’m pretty adverse to to changing a lot. Rory, we’ll go to this side of the room with Tom. Hi, Rory. Uh, can you talk a little bit about the week going home after the Masters? What did you do? How was that experience? Did it help you recharge? Uh, I think Poppy might have been with you. Uh, how was that? Yeah. So, um, yeah, we all went over as a family, Poppy, Erica, and I, um, firstly to London to to see our new house there. That’s, um, that we’ve been building for the last couple years. Um, so that was fun to to see that. Uh, and then we spent the weekend in Northern Ireland and and, you know, I wanted to see my folks and, um, you know, sort of my immediate family and, um, and Michael Bannon as well. So, we did that. Yeah, it was. Look, it was amazing, you know, going home. Um, I didn’t I didn’t want to h I didn’t want any fanfare. I didn’t want to, you know, I I tried to keep it as as private as possible. I just wanted to see my parents um and the people that were, you know, closest to me. And we had a really nice two days. Um, you know, it was, you know, I, you know, with my dad, like I never I never get that emotional with my dad. It was great. It was great to see him, but then you know when I saw my mom I yeah you know we were both a mess for a few minutes but um yeah it’s yeah look as an only child I I have a bond you know you know you know I’m I’m lucky and I you know I know a lot of people feel this that they have a close bond with their parents and you know but I think as time goes on and you know I’m getting a little older and I realize that you know they’re not going to be around forever you know it it means even more that that they for still around to be able to, you know, see me, you know, complete, you know, the slam and and fulfill those dreams. We have time for two more. We’ll go to Ron and finish with Josh. that way into what you’re thinking about versus just trying to win another major championship. Let the grand slam be a byproduct. Yeah, it’s um it’s hard. I think, you know, for Jordan having to do, you know, you have to go back to the same tournament every year for for Jordan, but not the same golf course. So, I think that’s a little, you know, it’s a bit of a different um it’s a bit of a different proposition for him rather than me having to go back to the same venue every year and trying to, you know, I guess do that as well. But yeah, it’s, you know, as much as you try to get yourself in the right frame of mind to just try to win the golf tournament and then let everything else happen, you know, it it’s in there. you know, consciously or subconsciously, you you know, you you feel that. Um, you know, I I said this to people like the worst I felt on Sunday at Augusta was probably when I held the birdie putt on 10 to go for ahead because I’m like, “Oh, I really can’t mess this up now.” You know, it’s just there’s that pressure. There’s that. So, um, it’s a and and you know, you know that you’re you know, you’re not just trying to win another tournament. you’re trying to become part of history, you know, and that and that has a certain weight to it and you know, I’ve certainly felt that at Augusta over the years and um you know, I’m sure Jordan has felt that a bit going into each PJ that you know, he’s had a chance to to do the same thing. Josh, hi Rory. Um you mentioned things getting back to normal, but next week you’re going to arrive at a major for the first time in 10 years without questions of the drought kind of hanging over you. I’m curious as things have settled and you approached the major, how how do you feel differently now that that question’s no longer there? Yeah, I think there’s a few things I, you know, I’m obviously going to feel more comfortable and a lot less pressure. Um, and I’m also going back to a venue that I love, you know, so, you know, it’s nothing but, you know, positive vibes going in there next week with, you know, what happened a few weeks ago and then, you know, with, you know, my history there and how well I’ve played at Quill. So, um, yeah, it it probably will feel a little a little bit different. I probably won’t be quite as on edge, you know, as I have been for the last few years when I’ve been at major championships. I’ll probably be a little bit better to be around for my family. Um, and you know, I’ll be a little more relaxed. So, um, I think overall it’ll it’ll be a good thing. All right, we’ll let you go. Good luck this week, Rory. Thank you.