News
McIlroy withdraws from Honda Classic
Defending Honda Classic winner Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Honda Classic after an ugly start to Friday’s second round.
McIlroy, who is ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings, was 7-over through 8 holes, and withdrew after hitting his second shot on the par-5 18th (his ninth hole of the day) into the water.
“I sincerely apologize to The Honda Classic and PGA Tour for my sudden withdrawal,” McIlroy said in a statement after the round. “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 was simply unable to concentrate. It was really bothering me and had begun to affect my playing partners. I came here with every intention of defending my Honda Classic title. Even though my results haven’t revealed it, I really felt like I was rounding a corner. This is one of my favorite tournaments of the year and I regret having to make the decision to withdraw, but it was one I had to make.”
The PGA Tour requires that players have a medical reason for withdrawing from a tournament. According to ESPN.com, McIlroy told reporters briefly in the parking lot that “I’m not in a great place mentally. I can’t really say much, guys. I’m just in a bad place mentally.”
McIlroy’s equipment change from Titleist to Nike has made him the subject of constant speculation in 2013. So far, he has only played 80 holes of tournament with the new clubs — he missed the cut in his first event, the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, and was eliminated by the No. 62-ranked player in the OWGR, Shane Lowry, in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship last week.
McIlroy is currently slated to play in the WGC-Cadillac Championship next week at Doral.
Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.
A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.
As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.
Let’s get to the gifts.
Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo
We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.
STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover
If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.
Why Golf: Putting Thing
When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.
OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes
Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!
Therabody Theragun Relief
A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.
World Cup golf apparel
Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.
FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes
Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.
Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker
Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.
Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls
The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!
- GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.
It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.
Check out links to all our albums below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ryan Palmer – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mahanth Chirravuri – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Josh Creel – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Phichaksn Maichon – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Brandon Berry – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ryan Burnett – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- James Song – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Andrew McLauchlan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Gilligan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Alvaro Ortiz – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Russell Knox – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Holt – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mitchell Meissner – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Travis Trace – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Bryce Lewis – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
Pullout Albums
Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.
From the listing:
Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.
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Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
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Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
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Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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bootscrilla
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:43 am
I (was) a huge Rory fan but he has lost all respect from me. You are getting paid 25 MILLION dollars a year (just from Nike!) and you quit because you’re playing bad and “your tooth hurts?” Come on dude..If I was getting paid even a fraction of that to play golf, I would fulfill my obligation and finish the round no matter what! Do your job that you’re getting paid an extreme amount of money to do, even if it means missing the cut by a mile. Play through the pain AND THEN tell the reporters you’re not in a good place mentally. Sorry but this really pisses me off..
donald davis
Mar 3, 2013 at 12:58 am
Wow. boneheaded move. The pr people are working overtime on this one. Gut it out , miss the cut and move on . The press and fans love to pile on stories like this . Rory does not seem comfortable with the number one in the world spot. Look back over the past 10 years and see how long players lasted at number 1. Tiger handled it the best till he cracked up. This is a opportunity for Rory to prove if he can handle number one. We will be watching . p.s. I pay full boat for my equipment and have never kept nike equipment for long.
Dane
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:00 am
I can see switching equipment taking some time to get used to…new ball new heads same shafts made just like his old ones, maybe costing a shot or two a round…but +7 after 8? There’s something much bigger then equipment going on here…he’s 23 and found a female, I think we all can attest to a girl distracting us at some point in our lives.
brokeinorlando
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:37 am
HERE HERE! Enjoy the youth Rory!!!!!
notsohard
Mar 2, 2013 at 12:19 am
sore tooth…..what a load of crock.
V
Mar 1, 2013 at 7:50 pm
@Andrew: Faith has everything to do with golf doesn’t it. Because Tiger was such a religious man when he breeze through Major Championships? Because Fowler and Crane are shining beacons of achievement in golf? Give me a break.
Mental strength and religious faith are very very very different things.
mbc
Mar 1, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Just finish and miss the cut, simple, but don’e quit.
Shanna Carson
Mar 1, 2013 at 6:03 pm
I agree with Rory McIlroy’s decision to withdraws from the Honda Classic. He was simply not able to concentrate and didn’t want to affect his playing partners. It’s definitely better to apologize for a sudden withdrawal than having to apologize for a poor performance. So he took the right decision in my opinion.
bootscrilla
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:47 am
I see your point, but I highly doubt he would’ve affected them by making bogies or even doubles. He only had half of the round left, work through the pain and finish. If this tooth pain isn’t a lie, he would’ve had pain relievers in the bag I’m sure. Take some just to get through the round.
footwedge
Mar 1, 2013 at 4:27 pm
He hit some beautiful drives and irons, even with his mental game being out of sorts. Personal and/or health issues to resolve; who cares, he’s human and imperfect. Some of the judge and jury posters need to get over themselves.
Can’t wait to see Rory back in action and firing on all cylinders.
Rroy
Mar 1, 2013 at 4:04 pm
He is all over the golf course with the new equipment. To have gone from laser approach shots to missing greens by yards tells all. Maybe he should play a practice round with the Titleist clubs and see what happens. Candy apple red driver. Come on! Who is the target of this marketing tactic?
G
Mar 1, 2013 at 5:49 pm
” Who is the target of this marketing tactic?”
Little boys and girls.
bootscrilla
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:36 am
Couldn’t agree more, a lot of the new drivers literally look like toy clubs
RMHampel
Mar 1, 2013 at 2:47 pm
Wow, a lot of lucky people here who’ve never suffered from dental pain. Trust me, an infected/impacted wisdom tooth will make your head throb so bad you wish you could just lay down and die to be rid of the pain. Try playing top level golf with that.
That said, the switch to Nike really isn’t likely a big deal. He played forged blades with Titleist and he’s playing forged blades with Nike. How much different could they really be?
G
Mar 1, 2013 at 5:48 pm
It anything “feels” slightly different, it’s probably differently enough to obviously not be confident to go at it. Even if they are forged, they probably feel way different. Including the forged titanium driver heads – and the Nike one he’s using with the hollow back is very different to the Titty one he was using before. And we’re seeing the effects of all that, obviously. I’m sure the ball is doing weird stuff too.
G
Mar 1, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Oh and lets not forget the putter debacle from his first tournament.
Colin Gillbanks
Mar 4, 2013 at 7:51 am
“Putter debacle” ?!
We’re not overreacting at all here are we?
He changed to a heavier putter to cope with slower greens in Dubai than he’d been used to in his practice in the states. It happens.
The media ‘change in equipment’ obsession with Mcilroy is beyonda joke now. The kid has lost his form. Simple as that.
ProAm Duffer
Mar 2, 2013 at 10:54 am
@RMHampel: Yes we have all been there with that in fact several times.
But how do you explain him munching on that huge sandwich walking down the 18th F/W minutes before he quit????
brokeinorlando
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:34 am
I noticed that too. I think Rory is too wealthy to get mentally correct right now. No motivation + no work ethic= no game.
He is a talent and will get it back when he commits again. He can score with any club in his hands if he is focused.
Yoyo
Mar 4, 2013 at 10:22 pm
If he really had dental pain, then why was he caught eating a sandwich before he eventually withdrew? based on the picture it seemed he didnt have any trouble eating it.
External Link: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/mcilroy-walks-off-course-dropping-seven-shots-165400992–golf.html
blopar
Mar 1, 2013 at 1:14 pm
If he has had a sore wisdom tooth, that’s a simople problem that for 200 million to play Nike he should have had taken care of during his layoff earlier this winter. I think this is B.S. and the problem is his switch from Titleist to Nike—as I predicted would be a problem in this very same comments section months ago when it was first announced. Greed never pays!!!
Trevor
Mar 1, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I agree with you on this. I think he is having a heck of a time trying to get used to the change and I don’t mean just equipment.
I believe they’ve moved to quickly with that 200 million check. He should have spent another year as #1 with his old equipment and lifestyle and then made a move when he is more mature. From my point of view he is not ready for this.
Andrew
Mar 1, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Something is going on…can’t wait for it to come out. Just like Dustin Johnson “hurt his back” lifting a jetski but really went to rehab. Everyone gets carried away with the money, confidence, and spotlight, just a matter of time. Props to Bubba, Fowler, Ben Crane etc for staying strong in their faith.
Mitch
Mar 1, 2013 at 11:57 am
NIKE GOLF: Just Do it………But if you can’t do it, make up some dumb excuse
dapadre
Mar 1, 2013 at 11:30 am
Only HE knows if this is the REAL reason. I have my doubts to be honest, but lets give him the benefit of the doubt. If it was a question of mental breakdown of just non confidence in his new clubs, he is in for HELL in Agusta. There will be no excuses there, at a place his past ghosts are lurking. Golf is a great game which I love dearly, but those that play know that its a MIND GAME.