Rory McIlroy walks off course at the Honda Classic

[jamo]

Years ago Payne Stewart signed a big deal with Top Flite and had to use cast irons instead of forged ones and his game took a nosedive. Sometimes equipment does matter. Perhaps you're right about Rory, but so far it's looking like a bad decision. Returning to form and winning will stop all of the speculation.

Rory went from forged blades to forged blades. From a titanium balloon on a stick to a red titanium balloon on a stick.

[BallStriker]

Bad form?  Absolutely....but not so bad that we shouldn't let it slide....Rory is young and will learn from this......this game can be humbling and I chalk it up to a lot of frustration.....either that or woozy caught him cheating and dumped his ass to the curb...

[Chas]

According to a WSJ article, the journalist was told by Michael Bannon, Rory's coach, that the 'main issue was swing flaws that crept in over the winter'.  Bannon is quoted as saying "He's coming in under plane".

So, did Rory spend too much time trying out and tweaking different Nike clubs instead of relaxing over the winter break, or did he spend too much time with wassername instead of working on the new clubs?

Forget the consequences of the sequester, we need to know the answer to this vexing question .... right now!

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by AmazingWhacker

I feel bad for the guy.  I would want to quit, too.  It would seem pointless to continue . .can't make the cut and although a lot of fans want to see Rory . . they want to see him making birdies . .not triple bogeys.

I guess he could've tried to slog on for 8 more holes, miss the cut and then go home . . but I don't really blame him for quiting.

I don't really buy the tooth story, though.

I also have some problems with the tooth story.  It has been bothering him for 3 months but no one knew about it?  Rosafort reported that he had been controlling it with painkillers but that his prescription ran out and he was reduced to using advil and it didn't work well enough?  Really?  The #1 golfer in the world has a legitimate need for a prescription pain killer and can't get a new prescription?  He never mentioned a tooth problem in his pre-tourney interview at the Match play.  He didn't mention a tooth problem at his pre-tourney interview at the Honda.  He didn't mention a tooth problem to his fellow competitors when he withdrew.  He didn't mention a tooth problem when he spoke to reporters when he was leaving the course.  He will be playing 6 days following the WD and THEN get the tooth taken care of?

There are just too many things that don't add up.

That said, clearly he will get fined but he will get past it.  But he will take a lot of heat and he might not be the happy go lucky kid he was before any more.  I'm old enough to remember the change in Tiger after he got burned by a reporter reporting on some off-color jokes he cracked when he thought he was off the record, and when he made a few other PR missteps and got slammed.  There is a reason that he doesn't trust anyone.  It is the price those at the peak pay in our internet/media/TMZ  24/7 news cycle.

Originally Posted by jamo

The WD disqualifies him from the Vardon Trophy, right?

Yup.

Originally Posted by CR McDivot

Pardon me, but...

If a fellow decides he is not up to playing at the standard that is required to compete, whatever be the cause, is it not just as reasonable to withdraw as to be cut.

Why subject oneself, ones fans, and fellow competitors to being witness to sub par play?

Maybe those ripping on Rory are more motivated by the vicarious joy of seeing a regularly fine golfer play as poorly as themselves, than their superior sense of sportsmanship?

That is fine on your local course, but it is against the rules on the PGATour.

[WWBDD]

http://news.yahoo.com/golf-tiger-says-mcilroy-choose-words-more-carefully-003500866--golf.html

Quote:

Woods managed to refrain from firing back at his critics throughout his difficulties in making a transition and said he did so because he knew that many of those commenting on his game were lacking the right knowledge.

"That's just because people don't understand. Most of the people that are commentating or analysing don't understand the game of golf, so I didn't have a problem with it," said Woods.

"They don't see it. They don't see the range sessions and they don't see the practice at home. Plus, they generally don't understand the game, especially at this level."

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by jamo

That GC quote said he took Advil ibuprofen which I believe comes in 200mg capsules. He could have taken a bunch.

I'm taking four Advil, every eight hours now... And my wisdom teeth were removed on 2/14.  Three were impacted, and the wounds still hurt and throb with pain.  I wish I just left them in my mouth, as the pain was much lower than now.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Jmdmbike

Hearing on Morning Drive that there have been 16 WDs this year, and 3 from the Honda. Seems like a lot and haven't seemed to be a lot of high profile types withdrawing (or maybe I'm not paying attention?). Last one I remember being a big deal was when Michelle Wei left in the back of an ambulance with heat exhaustion. This seems to be on that level for media attention.

Bubba Watson WD from Torrey because he had the flu.

And Dustin Johnson WD from the Sony due to the flu.

Guys WD... But it is rare that they walk off the course during the round.

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by jamo

Rory went from forged blades to forged blades. From a titanium balloon on a stick to a red titanium balloon on a stick.

For me it is not so much the switch itself but how the media is going to treat the switch if he struggles at all. With the money of the contract comes extremely high expectations and even though the switch may have been minor in terms of the equipment itself, the mental burden seems to be quite heavy so far. Of course Rory has gone through periods like this before, but not with a $250M equipment contract hanging overhead.

I picked early in the season for Rory to struggle. I said that not because of the equipment itself but the burden of expectations after making the change. Golfers have surely struggled with changes even small ones, see even as recently as Graeme McDowell. It took him almost a full year to get comfortable with the new sticks.

[k-troop]

And Dustin Johnson WD from the Sony due to the flu.

I think Rory caught the same flu over the winter that DJ had in Hawaii.

[tpj070]

I think its going to take some time before Rory will get used to those clubs. Same problems in Abu Dabi

[iacas]

I think its going to take some time before Rory will get used to those clubs. Same problems in Abu Dabi

Just a guess... You didn't read the posts above? He didn't change equipment so much as he changed the shape of the logo on the back of the same equipment.

[Pablo68]

I'm guessing Rory is human, right? So he's subject to the same emotions as the rest of us including doubt & uncertainty. The equipment may look the same but his subconscious knows it's not the same.

[iacas]

I'm guessing Rory is human, right? So he's subject to the same emotions as the rest of us including doubt & uncertainty. The equipment may look the same but his subconscious knows it's not the same.

I'm sorry but no. I can play par golf with my wife's clubs. So could be. He has swing issues. It's very simple.

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by iacas

Just a guess... You didn't read the posts above? He didn't change equipment so much as he changed the shape of the logo on the back of the same equipment.

You don't think there's any possibility that the gear change has contributed to his swing woes?

I get it--everyone gets it--that the clubs themselves have no relevant differences.  I'm sure the irons are the same exact shaft, grip, weight, swingweight, loft, length, and lie.  The head shape and weight distribution likely has very minor differences, but not any that would make much of a difference.  Pros have been bagging a new driver pretty much every year for the last 4 or 5, so that's probably not much to worry about.

And, at Rory's level, "breaking in" the new clubs should amount to 3 or 4 range sessions to dial in distances.  His distances are not likely to change with nearly identical irons, but it's probably comforting to hit 50 or so balls with each club and know for sure that you have exact distances.  Likewise the ball would have caused some distance changes, which could be dialed in, but wouldn't turn a perfect shot into a 60-yard pull-hook.

Heck, I got new irons less than a month ago.  I've played 3 rounds with them, hit maybe 80 balls on the range (that's a 2-year supply for me), and yesterday I started throwing some serious darts.

So what does all of this babbling mean?  The physical properties of the clubs aren't causing Rory's problems.

But that doesn't mean the gear change isn't contributing to his issues.  He cemented his position as #1 in the World last summer from the PGA Championship through the FedEx Cup Playoffs.  Before that, Rory couldn't seem to keep the #1 spot for more than 2 or 3 weeks.  Then he gets this CRAZY HUGE offer from Nike, the single biggest endorsement contract in golf history for someone not named Tiger.  He's got a winter break, and a break from the public eye and fan paranoia that greets him at every tournament, but he knows that when he comes back expectations are very, very high.  Even without the Nike deal he's trying to live up to being #1, fending off the inevitable charge from Tiger, winning early before critics can say he's not up to the task.  But now he has Nike and this huge deal that's getting a ton of press.  He's shooting a blockbuster commercial with Tiger Woods--when was the last time you heard so much buzz about a commercial being filmed?  And he has to switch clubs.  Hear this:  at the peak of his meteoric rise to #1, right when he's made it to the top, he's going to change every piece of equipment in his bag--even his glove!

It has to be tough.  The pressure he's already putting on himself, and then every 8 minutes on the golf channel someone makes a reference to the Nike deal or the equipment change.  Then Tiger wins early in the season while Rory misses a few cuts.  The pressure builds.  Yeah, the only difference in the clubs is the swoosh, but that swoosh is pretty freaking heavy.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Pablo68

I'm guessing Rory is human, right? So he's subject to the same emotions as the rest of us including doubt & uncertainty. The equipment may look the same but his subconscious knows it's not the same.

Originally Posted by tpj070

I think its going to take some time before Rory will get used to those clubs. Same problems in Abu Dabi

Ok so you guys do get Rory had a new set of clubs last year when he was with Titleist?  Used 910 driver and 710 mb irons in 2011 and 913 and 712 mb irons in 2012.  Most pros put a new driver or set of irons into play every 1-2 years, except for Ryan Moore or KJ Choi who switch every week lol  Dusting Johnson went to the R1 driver and won his first week.  Hunter Mahan had 13 new clubs compared to last year and made the finals of the match play.  Not the equipment, his swing is off.

[uttexas]

Rory quitting on his ninth hole, not good. Lame wisdom tooth excuse makes it worse. My first thought was regarding his caddie. I wonder if his caddie urged him to finish the round or just kept quiet. Some might say a caddie is there to just hand the player his clubs, but an experienced caddie could give a young golfer good advice in difficult situations. Rory now faces an even steeper uphill battle to be embraced by the American public. He should be mentally prepared for some goof off yelling "Dentist" or "Molar" when he tees off at the next tournament.

[spike100]

Rory Mcllroy’s meltdown followed by walking off the course at the Honda Classic is generating a great deal of discussion --mostly negative. Even Jack Nicklaus was critical.

Please allow me to play the Devil’s Advocate for a moment, providing a plausible explanation that may be favorable to Mcllroy.

Rory was suffering from a condition known as pericoronitis . This is an infection around a partially erupted tooth (typically a third molar, commonly referred to as a wisdom tooth). The condition can extend from something that is fairly innocuous to a very severe condition. I have seen patients hospitalized for this, so don’t discount its potential severity. The condition often remains at a low level problem for weeks or months that suddenly exacerbates. Mcllroy’s explanation is very plausible if not even typical of the condition. Any player would have trouble playing at the level required for a Tour Event when afflicted with this type of infection at even a moderate level.

Rory may back-off this “excuse,” hoping to save face; but it is the best explanation for his performance at the Honda Classic. The Number One golfer in the world did not suddenly forget how to swing his clubs. There was something very wrong, and a painful and distracting dental infection would explain this . We all have different pain tolerances that are affected by various factors such as fatigue, immunity, etc.

--Spike

[spike100]

Originally Posted by iacas

I'm sorry but no. I can play par golf with my wife's clubs. So could be.

He has swing issues. It's very simple.

But then again, it took Tiger Woods a decade to get all 14 Nike clubs into his bag, the last being his putter.

--Spike