What they said: Rory McIlroy

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RORY McILROY: I couldn't have done much more. Geoff just played great today. I expected it as he is a major champion and has won two World Golf Championships. I made a few birdies but Geoff made a few more and I couldn't do anything about it. I think he will be very hard to beat.

Q. Do you tactics change when someone is making that many birdies?

RORY McILROY: A little. He got two up on me after 12 and didn't birdie the par five so I managed to get one back at me but then he threw three in a row at me to finish me off. I just tried to keep doing what I was doing and making birdies and it was very nice to make that putt on the 16th to keep the match going. But then he holed one on 17 to shut me out.

But I have taken a lot from it. It is my first time in America and I have played great which has given me a lot of confidence to take into the next two weeks.

Q. Plenty of positives from the week?

RORY McILROY: Definitely. I have hit it great and battled well when I needed to. It's bee great.

Q. Another two weeks playing in America?

RORY McILROY: I am playing Honda next week and then Doral and hopefully I can carry the good form of this week up into these two weeks.

Q. How do you rate your play this morning?

RORY McILROY: I played pretty well. I made a couple of bogeys but some birdies and didn't do too many things wrong and I just came up against Geoff who was playing great. He threw eight birdies at me and I just couldn't keep it going. It was nice to hole the putt on 16 to keep the match alive but when he threw three in a row at time I couldn't do anything about it.

Q. What have you learnt from the week?

RORY McILROY: I've learnt that I can compete out there and I am able to hang with the best in the world. It is great for my confidence that I have come out in my first event in America and done so well. There are a lot of positives from it that I will take into the next two weeks.

Q. You have made a great jump up the world rankings in the last six months - Tiger didn't win a tournament like you did in the desert - what are your aspirations? To be Number One in the world?

RORY McILROY: It would be great to get that accolade one day but I am just trying to play my golf, keep improving and see where it gets me. I am not trying to set any major goals like that as Tiger is Tiger and even after the operation he is going to come back great. He has been the best in the world for the last ten years and I see no reason why he won't be for another few years. I just want to try and get in the top ten in the world and see how it goes from there.

Transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports.