Rory McIlroy quits: Walks off course, withdraws from Honda Classic

Rory McIlroy, the top-ranked golfer in the world, walked off the golf course Friday and withdrew from the Honda Classic in South Florida after hitting his second shot into the water on the par-5 18th hole.

After the ball landed in the water, McIlroy walked straight to his car and drove off. He told reporters as he walked to the parking lot that he was not in a good place mentally.

“There’s not really much I can say, guys,” McIlroy said. “I’m not in a good place mentally, you know?”

He said there was nothing wrong physically. When asked about his swing, he said, “Yeah, I really don’t know what’s going on.”

The defending champion was seven over for the tournament when he left the course in Palm Beach Gardens.

It has been a difficult year for McIlroy so far. He missed the cut in his first tournament of the year and lost in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship last week.

This will only increase rumors that McIlroy is dissatisfied with his golf equipment. He switched from Titleist to Nike at the beginning of the year.

Later in the day Friday, McIlroy released a statement that attributed his withdrawal to a sore wisdom tooth.

“I have been suffering with a sore wisdom tooth, which is due to come out in the near future,” McIlroy said. “It began bothering me again last night, so I relieved it with Advil. It was very painful again this morning, and I was simply unable to concentrate. It was really bothering me and had begun to affect my playing partners.”

A sore wisdom tooth? McIlroy was seen eating a sandwich on the 18th fairway before hitting his next shot into the water.

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