World number one Rory McIlroy admits he should not have quit Honda Classic

World number one Rory McIlroy admits he should not have quit Honda Classic

McIlroy quit midway through the second round of the tournament, initially saying he was in "a bad place mentally", before later citing a painful wisdom tooth.

The world No 1, who was seven-over-par and in danger of missing the cut when he withdrew, told Sports Illustrated: "It was a reactive decision.

"What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85. What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me - it was not the right thing to do."

Comfortable

McIlroy lost in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship to Shane Lowry, and missed the cut in the Abu Dhabi Championship.

His dismal form has led to speculation that he is struggling with his new Nike clubs which he started using competitively in January.

But McIlroy said his issues are technical and nothing to do with the equipment.

"The driver and the ball took some time to get used to, but I had weeks at Nike before the start of the year, and I feel comfortable with all the equipment," he added.

"The problem is, I'm bringing the club too upright on the backswing then dropping it in too much on the downswing."