McIlroy must ‘move on’

Jack Nicklaus is backing Rory McIlroy to bounce back in time for the Masters but insisted the world number one must “move on” and forget about his problems with his Nike clubs.

Speaking during the NBC telecast of the Honda Classic, the 18-time major winner reluctantly weighed in on McIlroy’s shocking decision to walk off the course after completing just eight holes of his second round in seven over par.

“He’s got to move on,” Nicklaus said. “I really don’t know if it was a wisdom tooth or what it is, but I know that Rory is such a good player, such a talented kid and such a nice kid and he wants to do right.

“He has had a not very good stretch and it is easy to blame it on your golf clubs but I don’t really buy that because I look back at what I did. I represented Slazenger’s England when I went over to the British Open, and the small ball. Then I came back and played our clubs here. Then I played in Australia and I would play Slazenger’s Australia and the B51 little small ball down there.

“I went back and forth and played all those balls and different clubs and frankly you’ve just got to learn to deal with it. Not everything is perfect and his talent is so much greater and a much bigger influence on his golf game than his clubs. He could play with anything.”

McIlroy’s decision to walk off the course in Florida on Friday has drawn plenty of criticism and while Nicklaus agreed it was a mistake, he backed the Northern Irishman to bounce back quickly.

Nicklaus said: “He shouldn’t have walked off the golf course. That was unfortunate. I think if he had thought about it for five minutes he wouldn’t have done it. I think he’s a good kid, he’s a sharp kid and he’s so frustrated with what’s happened and how he’s played for the last month or so that it just got to him.

“I talked to him on Monday and we had this exact conversation before the tournament. I said, don’t talk about your golf clubs, you are too good a talent. It will come around, just go play golf.

“I am sure Nike will work with him to get where he has to get. He will be fine. When the Masters rolls around, Rory McIlroy is going to be playing just fine.”

McIlroy will hold his hands up and intone the ‘mea culpa’ for his surprising Honda Classic withdrawal and confess that toothache and frustration with his game got the better of him in Palm Beach Gardens.

According to a friend, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, the world number one will speak honestly about his implosion when he gives a media conference ahead of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral in Miami tomorrow.

The two-time major winner is also likely to have his wisdom teeth removed after the event at the TPC Blue Monster.

According to his friend, McIlroy will fully accept the criticism he received following his surprising decision to walk in after the red mist descended.

And he will also stick to the wisdom teeth story, confirming he was in severe pain. He had been taking pain-killers for his dental problem and the PGA Tour will be receiving a letter from his dentist in Belfast within days justifying his decision to walk off the course.

“Rory has poured gasoline on a fire that was kindling and now it is roaring pretty good,” NBC analyst Johnny Miller said at the weekend.

A former British Open and US Open champion, Miller also claims that McIlroy’s playing partners, Ernie Els and Mark Wilson, tried to talk him out of walking off the course, knowing full well it would just bring him more problems.

“He’s not even playing close to good golf. I’m pulling for him. He’s good for golf. But walking off the course... I know the guys playing with him (Els and Wilson) said, ‘Don’t walk off the course’.”

Victory went to 27-year-old American Michael Thompson, who shot a one under 69 to win his maiden title by two shots from Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy (69) on nine under. Rookie Luke Guthrie was third on five under after a 73, while Lee Westwood crashed to a 74 to share ninth place with McDowell on two under.

Thompson and Ogilvy will move into the world's top 50 today and qualify to join McIlroy, McDowell and Pádraig Harrington in this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.

“I feel like I’ve got some really nice momentum,” said McDowell, whose title chances went onSaturday when he dropped five shots on the front nine and did well to shoot a three over 73.

Pleased with his 70 in high winds last night, he added: “I played solid at the Match Play last week and I’m happy with the progress I’m making, especially around the greens.

“I scrambled extremely well. My bunker play was sharp, my putting was sharp and everything bodes well. It’s early in the season, only three events in and I’m happy the way things look and looking forward to a test at Doral next week.”