28 September 2010
An Interview With:
RORY McILROY
GORDON SIMPSON: Okay, everyone,
well, Rory, this is The Ryder Cup in case you were
wondering.
RORY McILROY: Is it?
GORDON SIMPSON: A lot has been said
about The Ryder Cup and yourself and now that
you've had 24 hours to experience the team room,
atmosphere and the course, what's your initial
impression?
RORY McILROY: It's fantastic. Everyone
met up yesterday and from the start there's been a
fantastic atmosphere in the team room. The
week's only just started, but you get the sense
everyone is excited. Got out there this morning to
play the golf course and the golf course is in
fantastic condition.
GORDON SIMPSON: You've upset the
Molinaris, though.
RORY McILROY: We have, that's the first
point of the week, which is nice. Myself and
Graeme took a bit of money off the Molinaris today
which was nice. Got them back for the World Cup.
Q. A lot of people over the years have
spoken about the shivers and shakes that can
grab hold on Friday on the first tee -- Darren
Clarke said it's like walking to the gallows
once. What's your feeling?
RORY McILROY: You already have a
sense how big the grandstand is this morning, it
wasn't full of people but I am sure it will be full on
Friday morning. I'm looking forward to it and
excited about the week. There's a great buzz
already and I'm just looking forward to getting
going.
Q. Two questions. What was the wager
for today in financial terms?
RORY McILROY: 50, 50, 50, 50 front
nine, 50 front nine, 50 for the match.
Q. Talking pounds here?
RORY McILROY: Yes.
Q.
Do you regret some of your
comments in the past where you downplayed
it?
RORY McILROY: I think it's probably a
good thing to downplay it because it's such a big
event. You know, yeah, when you get here, you
realise the importance of it and you realise how big
it is and how important it is to everyone that, you
know, I don't want to let myself down this week and
I don't want to let anyone else down this week and
that's the big thing.
You are not just playing for yourself, you're
playing for 11 other guys, plus all of the backroom
staff and most of Europe, as well, I suppose.
That's the big thing. You obviously want to play
well for yourself but you also want to play well for
everyone else.
Q. Just a follow-up on that, you say
when you get here, you realise -- is there
anything, in particular thing you saw or
anything said, or just what actually has
happened that's made you realise?
RORY McILROY: I don't really want to go
into too much detail, but Monty gave a great
speech last night in the team room. It was really
inspirational and really got everyone going. Played
a tape and he said a few words; that started the
week off on the right foot.
GORDON SIMPSON: It put up the hairs
on the back of your neck?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it did. It was
1
great to be a part of, and not just the players were
in there; the caddies were in there and the
partners, as well. Everyone got a sense of how
important it is for Europe and for The European
Tour to win this Ryder Cup back.
Q. Just wanted to ask you, you had
said just recently that you would not minds and
quite fancy playing against Tiger; are you
bothered that you may have given him or the
Americans some extra motivation?
RORY McILROY: No, I'm fine. I'm all
right. I mean, you've got to realise, I said those
things the week after he had just shot 18 over at
Akron, so he wasn't playing too well at that time.
(Laughing).
Yeah, he's obviously getting his game
together, and he's working with Sean Foley and
he's making a few swing changes. I said this week
and last week; I don't mind who. I just want to win
points against the team. If that's against Tiger or
Phil or Steve Stricker or Hunter Mahan or whoever,
you just want to go out there and try to play as best
you can. I feel as if I play to my potential this
week, I'll win a few points.
But you watch so much golf on TV, and
you see so many things and you watch so many
highlights; and I suppose every time -- if I'm
thinking back, you know, watching Tiger winning
the Masters in '97 and winning four majors in a row
in 2000, 2001, you sort of don't really believe it.
You put him on such a high pedestal, and then you
meet the guy and you realise that he's obviously
an unbelievable guy, but he's just a normal guy.
Before I sort of met him, you feel as if he's
super-human. But once you meet him you realise
he's a normal guy and works hard on his game and
sort of gets the most out of it. But yeah, after
what's happened in the last 18 months, you know,
a little bit. He's still a fantastic guy, and I'm sure
he'll get back to winning the way he used to.
Yeah, for the meantime, I suppose a little bit of that
aura is probably gone.
GORDON SIMPSON: Rory, thank you
very much for that. Have a fantastic week.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports ...
Q. Who was giving the team orders this
morning, and what was the pairing -RORY McILROY: Team orders, as in
what?
Q. You and Graeme, who is the senior
partner?
RORY McILROY: I'll let G-Mac take that
role. He won around here in June, so he knows
his way around this golf course, so I was asking
him for a few lines.
But yeah, it was great to go out there and
play this morning. The standard of the match was
pretty good. I don't think between the two teams,
we had a birdie to win the hole for 12 or 13 holes in
a row. Standard was pretty good.
Q. Your comments about Tiger were
obviously partly tongue-in-cheek. Do you think
in your view that there is something of the
Tiger Woods aura diminished in golf for
youngsters like yourself?
RORY McILROY: You know, once -- I
mean, once I met Tiger, even before last year or
whatever, you sort of realise that he just is a
normal guy. He's probably the best player that's
ever lived, and likely the greatest player that's ever
played the game.
2