He (Spieth) is sitting on top of the leaderboard, where he has been for basically the last three years here, so he's going out there and it's his to lose, there's a few guys that have a chance and I feel like if I can get off to a good start, you never know.

Rory McIlroy

Categorized in : Sports

It's been 18 months since I won on the European Tour and to win the flagship event, I could not have asked for any more.

Rory McIlroy

events winning golf

I wanted to make a point of basing myself at home, being close to my family. I'll never be able to repay Mum and Dad for what they did, but at least they know they'll never have to work another day. I'll do whatever it takes to look after them.

Rory McIlroy

dad home looks

Home will always be Northern Ireland but my schedule means for the next few years I won't be there as much. I can't do the same things that I did a year ago. That is I'm something conscious of, but I'm not sad about it. It's fine.

Rory McIlroy

home mean years

My parent are very proud, but Dad ripped into me for throwing a club on the 11th. He's happy with the way I played, but he always has to have something to moan about!

Rory McIlroy

clubs dad parent

I mean I don't want to feel inferior to any other golfer in the world. You know if you do that, then you know you're giving them an advantage, you know, right off the - you know, right from the start.

Rory McIlroy

giving mean world

I believe that anybody with Mandela's capacity to endure hardship and then forgive is a born leader and example to us all.

Rory McIlroy

forgiving leader believe

I realise that every time my face is on TV or I'm playing in a tournament, that I am a role model for a lot of people and a lot of kids do look up to me. I try to do my best in that regard and put myself across as honestly and as modestly as possible, as well.

Rory McIlroy

role-models kids people

As an international sportsman, I am very lucky to be supported by people all over the world, many of who treat me as one of their own, no matter what their nationality, or indeed mine. This is the way sport should be.

Rory McIlroy

lucky sports people

Sport was an obvious favourite of mine, and not only golf. I was, and still am, a big rugby fan.

Rory McIlroy

fans golf sports

I used to not really like going to the gym when I was playing tournaments because I'd be sore and stiff. But the more you keep doing it, the less soreness you have. And you actually start to enjoy it.

Rory McIlroy

soreness enjoy used

My dad's a scratch golfer and I've got the knack of seeing something and then replicating it. I saw my dad swing a club and I worked out how to do the same thing. My backswing and follow-through have been basically the same since I was two.

Rory McIlroy

swings dad two

You get thrown off balance out there. And I never recovered. Well, I haven't recovered yet.

Rory McIlroy

wells failure balance

I started to really believe in myself, and my abilities, when I won the World Under-10 championship in Doral, Florida. I was nine and saw for the first time that I was amongst the best players in the world for my age. This was a massive confidence-builder for me.

Rory McIlroy

florida player believe

I'm afraid there are no replays or second chances in amateur or professional golf, and that's the way it should be.

Rory McIlroy

second-chance golf way

I was very excited when I first started to travel so much. In fact, I was amazed that people were paying me to travel to play the game I loved.

Rory McIlroy

games play people

The flight I'm most excited about is the one that takes me back to Northern Ireland to visit family and friends.

Rory McIlroy

take-me-back flight family-and-friends

It may come as a surprise but I also really started to get into history while I was at school. I found the projects about World War Two fascinating - perhaps when I get the time again, I could pick up where I left off.

Rory McIlroy

war two school

I'm sure there was an educational angle to the trips (I think one was to the Ulster Museum) but it was the fun and banter I had with my friends I remember the most.

Rory McIlroy

educational fun thinking

In all honesty, I never actually did anything wrong (in my eyes, at least) at school or misbehaved in any big way. If it was anything, it was probably just a lot of clowning around.

Rory McIlroy

honesty eye school

Because I lived so close to the school and walked there every day, I used to enjoy the school bus trips.

Rory McIlroy

enjoy used school