Aching ... Rory McIlroy walks off the course in pain. Source: Stuart Franklin / AFP
Rory McIlroy has walked off the course at the Honda Open leaving all to wonder what is wrong with golf's No.1 player.
McIlroy was already 7-over par through eight holes of the second round when he hit his second shot into the water on the par-5 18th at PGA National.
He shook hands with Ernie Els and Mark Wilson and was headed to the parking lot before they even finished the hole.
"There's not really much I can say, guys," McIlroy told three reporters who followed him to his car.
"I'm not in a good place mentally, you know?"
He said there was nothing wrong physically. When asked about his swing, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland replied: "Yeah, I really don't know what's going on."
About an hour after he left, 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."
McIlroy apologised to the tournament, saying he had every intention of defending his title at the Honda Classic.
If his golf wasn't shocking enough, the manner in which he left raised plenty of questions about the state of game - and his head - in the month leading to the Masters.
McIlroy, coming off a year in which he won a second major in record fashion, already set himself up for scrutiny when he left Titleist to sign an equipment deal with Nike that was said to be worth upward of $20 million a year.
Nike introduced him with blaring music and a laser show in Abu Dhabi, but it's been all downhill from there.
McIlroy missed the cut in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship with rounds of 75-75.
He took a four-week break, and then was eliminated in the opening round of the Match Play Championship to Shane Lowry in one of the most poorly played matches of the round.
McIlroy played 36 holes with Tiger Woods at The Medalist on Sunday and said on Tuesday it was no time to panic.
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