McIlroy in crisis after Honda walkout

Rory McIlroy shakes hands with Ernie Els before walking in.

“I’m just not in a great place mentally,” he said, adding “I don’t know what’s going on.”

Rory McIlroy walked off the course into a major crisis after a stunning meltdown in the Honda Classic.

The troubled world No 1 denied there was a physical issue as he soared to seven over par through eight holes and then called it quits after hitting into the water for the third time in the course of a torrid morning on the 18th, his ninth hole.

Near tears as he stood in the car park with a police escort by his side, a bewildered McIlroy said: “I can’t really say much guys. I’m just not in a great place mentally.”

He then added: “I don’t know what’s going on.”

He later claimed in a statement that he had a massive toothache in his wisdom tooth but in truth McIlroy’s problems are all in his head as he struggles to regain confidence in his swing.

The troubled superstar slammed clubs as he racked up two bogeys, a double bogey and a triple-bogey seven in his opening eight holes to soar to seven over. After carving his second shot into the lake at the par-five 18th, his ninth hole, he didn’t even bother to take a drop.

After shaking hands with playing partners Ernie Els and Mark Wilson he made a beeline for the car park and denied three times that he had any physical problems before getting into his car with caddie JP Fitzgerald and coach Michael Bannon.

Asked if there were any personal issues bothering him, he said mysteriously: “No. Well, there’s a couple of things.”

A wag in the press room joked that McIlroy should have said he wasn’t in a great place dentally because within half an hour he issued a statement to the PGA Tour that could save him from a hefty fine — claiming he had toothache.

Players can’t walk off the course in the middle of a round without presenting a valid excuse for injury or a personal emergency within 14 days.

But McIlroy said in a statement: “I sincerely apologise to the Honda Classic and PGA Tour for my sudden withdrawal.

“I have been suffering with a sore wisdom tooth, which is due to come out in the near future.

“It began bothering me again last night, so I relieved it with Advil.

“It was very painful again this morning, and I wassimply unable to concentrate. It was really bothering me and had begun to affect my playing partners.”

If McIlroy is forced to have his wisdom tooth removed next week he could miss the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami — damaging further his preparations for April’s Masters.

Augusta, of course, was where McIlroy had a very public meltdown in 2011, when he blew a four-shot lead on the final day to finish 10 shots behind eventual winner Charl Schwartzel.

The two-time Major winner had planned just two more events before the Masters, with the WGC and the Shell Houston Open his only scheduled outings before heading back to Augusta.

His withdrawal yesterday shocked playing partners Wilson and Els, with the South African critical of the Holywood star’s decision to walk in.

Before hearing of the dental issue, Els said: “I’m a great fan of Rory’s but I don’t think that was the right thing to do.”

McIlroy was seen munching a sandwich on the course, leading his critics to suggest he had simply thrown in the towel. His manager, Conor Ridge, issued a statement to quell that talk, saying: “He desperately wanted to defend his title, but his wisdom tooth flared up this morning and was causing him a lot of pain out there, hence he simply couldn’t concentrate on playing golf.”

His withdrawal was plainly caused by his swing issues, however, and it will put his $250m move to Nike this year under further scrutiny

He shot two 75s to miss the cut on his first outing using the new clubs in Abu Dhabi before crashing out to Shane Lowry in the first round of the Accenture Match Play last week in Arizona.

He admitted after an opening 70 at the Honda Classic that he was struggling to believe in his swing and commit to his shot. But all hopes of making the cut ended when he double-bogeyed the 11th yesterday, his second, and then followed a bogey at the 13th with a triple-bogey seven after finding the water twice at the 16th.

He then three-putted at the par-three 17th to slip to seven over. He then headed to the toilet and came back out to hit his tee shot at the last.

When he found water again on the 18th, he decided he had had enough.

McIlroy’s statement went on: “I came here with every intention of defending my Honda Classic title. Even though the results haven’t revealed it, I really felt like I was rounding a corner.”

Bannon looked a worried man as he watched McIlroy play the 18th but insisted: “All he is looking for is a spark. He will be fine.”

McIlroy is due to reappear in next week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami, where there is no halfway cut.

He is guaranteed four rounds there but will again come under pressure in the Shell Houston Open, which will be his last start before the Masters unless he adds an event to his schedule.