AUSTIN, Texas – Rory McIlroy’s resume at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play tells an impressive story, including his victory at the event in 2015 and two other trips to the final four, but he still saw room for improvement.
In his three trips to Austin Country Club to play the event, he’s failed to advance past the group stage twice and that had everything to do with slow starts that featured first-day losses the last two years.
That changed this year when he started his opening match with back-to-back birdies and never trailed against Luke List on his way to a 5-and-4 victory.
“I wanted to get off to a good start because I haven’t the last couple of years. And then your fate is not in your own hands and it makes things a little more difficult,” McIlroy said. “To get a good win under my belt today was nice, especially in sort of tricky conditions, as well.”
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For McIlroy, it was simply more of the same results he’s produced all year. In six starts in 2019 he’s posted six top-10 finishes, including his victory earlier this month at The Players, and he said he won’t change his strategy heading into the rest of the week following his fast start.
“I played well. [List] led me away on a couple of holes, but to birdie 13 and 14 to close the match out was nice,” he said.
