Running 2013 Golf Thread

Rory was +7 today at the Honda through 8 before withdrawing without explanation. Not sure yet if an injury or what.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golftalkcentral/mcilroy-withdraws-walks-off-honda-course/

Edit: He was in a "bad place mentally."

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/9002255/honda-classic-rory-mcilroy-walks-course-ninth-hole-7-par

Playing like Tiger again -- Tiger of 2010-2011.

Even as disastrous as he looks so far -- and not knowing what that line means -- it's worth noting how terrible he looked midway through last season before he turned it on at the PGA and FedEx. Still, at least Tiger would fake a physical injury.

 

Translation: Rory was on his way to carding a 90 and got out while the getting was good.

Translation 2: Rory's still a few years away from being like Tiger, nutting up and getting to Saturday when his game is WAY off.

 

From Sobel:

"PGA Tour states that Rory McIlroy's withdrawal was due to "severe wisdom tooth pain affecting concentration." Didn't see that coming."

 

A+ for creativity.

 

Here's the odd timeline ...

1. McIlroy withdraws, leaving a par-putt attempt for a 42 on his front nine.

2. Tells reporters who followed him to his car that he's "not in a good place mentally."

3. Tour issues a statement that said McIlroy withdrew because of "wisdom tooth pain." But McIlroy said nothing about wisdom teeth to Ferguson and others who got him in the parking lot.

4. His agent tweets to a Golf Channel reporter that McIlroy "is not sick or hurt."

4. McIlroy releases a statement blaming it all on the tooth pain.

This is John Daly Bizzaro World stuff.

 

He's not sick, but he's not well.

 

I knew the new Nike wisdom teeth were going to require some getting used to.

 

Maybe Wozniacki is rubbing off on him:

http://www.businessinsider.com/mcilroy-wozniacki-suffer-bizarre-losses-2013-3

When she goes after his face with a 9-iron, his wisdom (and other) teeth will really start hurtin' ...

 

I agree with Shipnuck that Rory does deserve the benefit of the doubt and was maybe embarrassed about using wisdom teeth as an excuse so didn't mention it originally (although you'd think he'd just say it was a physical issue). And as Shipnuck says, Rory doesn't have a history like Tiger of, well, never telling the truth about injuries.

Of course even with that the terrible play to the start of the season is a bigger issue. The clubs? Pressure? He went downhill last year after taking over No. 1 at the Honda and had the terrible summer but just when people were moving away from him a bit he dominated the last two rounds of the PGA and the end of the season. Maybe he still has to figure out how to totally deal with being the man. Or, question for golf experts, is his swing any different or anything?

 

For the guys at the tippy-top, adjusting to new equipment takes at least six months of tournament play, and involves some very ugly golf in the adjustment process. They're still looking for the drive Phil Mickelsen sent OB at Oakland Hills in the 2004 Ryder Cup when he played Callaway in competition for the first time. He got over it.

 

What you have to remember about injuries and the PGA Tour is that they're not playing for a league or a team. The Tour doesn't get involved in injury reports, other than to facilitate an athlete or agent's statement on an injury. They're independent and they make their own decisions about injuries, including what to tell the media and what not to tell the media. Tiger doesn't lie so much as he simply doesn't give all the details -- or is he obligated.

That said, the wisdom tooth excuse for Rory is backfiring big time, especially since one of the Brit papers had a photo of him eating a sandwich in the 18th fairway just before he dunked his second shot.

 

Oh Sergio, yesterday it was Tiger's fault you chunked a shot. And you were glad not to be playing with him today.
When Tiger doubled 14 you had an opening. He left the door open.
Sorry, but there's no one to blame for your meltdown on 17 and 18 today.

Another Sunday collapse by Sergio Garcia?... Yea, no one is surprised by that.