Q. Rory, welcome back to Ireland as a grand slam winner too. Tell us what it’s like to be back.
RORY McILROY: It’s lovely to be back. I’ve got some great memories of the K Club. I came here to watch the Ryder Cup in ’06 with my dad and to win my only Irish Open here nine years ago.
It’s got a lot of great memories for me, and hopefully I can add to them this week.
Q. Obviously an amazing year, but what’s the reaction from the fans and the people been like? I think you described it’s cathartic.
RORY McILROY: I think it was for the whole golf world in a way, the world of golf. Professional golf anyway has been through a lot over the last few years, so I think there was quite a cathartic reaction to it.
It’s been amazing. It’s just — yeah, I think everyone was sort of on that journey with me. So to have that collective reaction and to see genuinely how happy people were for me to be able to achieve, it was something that I’ll never forget that.
It is, it’s cool to be back in front of them. Hopefully I can reward them all with playing some good golf over the weekend.
Q. I believe after tomorrow’s round you’re going to have a green jacket and all the other three majors here with you for people to see. How much pride does that give you in front of the home fans?
RORY McILROY: It’s absolutely amazing to be able to share that with people. I keep saying — you know, over the years when I dreamed of winning the green jacket, I always said, if I ever did it, I’d never take it off, and I probably haven’t worn it as much as I should have. So any opportunity to put it on, alongside the other major trophies, is very, very cool. I’m excited for that.
Q. I know you came up a bit short last year at Royal County Down, but you said that walk up 18 on Sunday was one of the best walks you’ve ever had. Try to describe that, what it’s like in front of the fans.
RORY McILROY: Again, it’s amazing. I feel so fortunate that I get to experience things like that and that people are so invested on this sort of golf journey that I’m on. It really does, it feels amazing to have that support and just the — look, I still wish I had held that putt on the last and be able to get Rasmus in the playoff, but just to have that experience and to feel those feelings, again, it’s amazing.
I know that I’m very fortunate I get to experience it, and I certainly don’t take it for granted.
Q. Three weeks away from the Ryder Cup, I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve been in multiple Ryder Cups. You’re the most experienced player in the Ryder Cup this year. Where are the excitement levels three weeks out from that?
RORY McILROY: Honestly, since The Open passed, it’s the one thing I’ve really been looking towards and making sure my game is in the best possible shape. I think we have a wonderful opportunity to do something — honestly, one of the greatest achievements in the game right now is to win an away Ryder Cup, and I think this European team has a great opportunity to do that.
We’re all very excited. We know it’s going to be a tough task. There’s a reason why every Ryder Cup for the last 10 years has went to the home team. So we know it’s going to be very tough, but I honestly think we have 12 guys and the captain and the vices and everyone else involved, we’ve got all the ingredients. We just need to put them in the oven, and hopefully it all works out for us.
I’m excited for the opportunity. I’m also excited for the challenge too. We know it’s going to be a very challenging environment to play in, but that’s what we want. The best players want to challenge themselves, and that’s what it’s going to be.
Q. Finally you’ve obviously got this week, Wentworth and the Ryder Cup. You’ve had the most amazing year. Try to describe 2025 in your words.
RORY McILROY: I guess it’s the year that everything came together for me. It was basically the one piece of the puzzle that was left for me to complete. When I look at my career and my whole picture as a golfer, I basically, I’ve done everything I wanted to. I guess everything after that, it’s a bonus, but you have to reassess your goals.
Again, the one thing for me — obviously I’d love to win this week. I’d love to win next week at Wentworth. But the one thing for me this year to reassess my goals, an away Ryder Cup, after everything that’s happened this year, would be — I would look back on 2025, and there’s no way that I would — if I did have a better year in the game, I’d love to see it.
But if we were to win an away Ryder Cup with everything else that I’ve been through this year, 2025 would be the best year of my career.
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