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Rory McIlroy talked about his game, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, his Nike clubs and more Tuesday at his Honda Classic press conference.
He (inevitably) was asked early on about his equipment change and how it is affecting his game. Here's what he had to say:
Everything is fine, I knew coming into it it was going to be a little bit of a process. I knew there was going to be comments made if it didn't happen for me right away. I'm only two tournaments into the season, I've still got more than 20 to go so it's not like I'm pushing for answers or I'm looking for answers.
The follow-up question was "Are we making too much of it?"
Yeah, of course. Like you always do, with everything.
He continued:
It's still an adjustment period. It's going to be a gradual thing. It's more about how I'm swinging the club. I'd like to get it back to where it was, say, in the middle of last year. If you put my swing now up beside the way I was swinging last year, it's chalk and cheese. You get into bad habits.
I don't know what "chalk and cheese" is, but I know it must be bad.
Then McIlroy was asked what was the hardest part of his switch to Nike:
The ball was the easiest thing. The bigget thing for me was finding a driver that suited me and I feel like I've got one now that really works. I think like the more you play with it the more confidence you have in it. I just need tournament rounds to get that confidence.
He and Tiger Woods played a few rounds Sunday. Here's what he had to say about those:
We played our own match play final. We had two matches. He beat me the first time, he beat me the second. He putts with the pin in, it was speed golf. Ahmad Rashad played too.
The biggest issue in golf right now is the proposed anchored-putter ban. Here are his comments on that:
I read a thing that Monty said 'this divide isn't good for golf' and I don't think it is. We need to all be on one side or the other. It's up to the governing body at the end of the day to decide. I sort of think it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to how much success people were having with it.
He continued about how the rules affect amateurs:
I'm all for people enjoying the game and trying to make the game as easy as possible and bringing people to the game and if that means they should allow belly putters or anchored putters to make it easier for the general public that's a good thing.
And finally, if he would say the PGA Tour should go along with what the USGA decides:
Yeah, I would. We've put it in the hands of the R&A and USGA for I don't know how many years and we've always abided by the rules they've set. If they think it's for the good of the game, I think golf's pretty good at the minute and it's in good hands.
Lastly, on Jack Nicklaus:
What is he, 72? He's so sharp, it's great to just chat with him. He's got an unbelievable memory -- he can remember what club he hit in the 1964 U.S. Open at the 7th hole at wherever it was. I can't remember what I hit last week. It's great just to know him and spend time with him and have these little talks with him.
I really like McIlroy. He does a great job with tough questions and doesn't shy away from having strong opinions where some guys would just duck the issues altogether.
And him calling out us (the media) for making a big deal out of "everything"? Awesome.
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