Is Rory and Caroline's storybook romance in the bunker?
Niamh Horan asks if the Nike Curse has struck again as the golf genius and his tennis ace lover appear to go into meltdown
Last week when questions about marriage plans Caroline said: 'I think that question will be for him to answer.' 03 March 2013. Bleachersreport
Speculation is mounting that Rory McIlroy's meltdown is linked to his romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
The golfer said he was in a bad place mentally after walking off the course on Friday midway through the second round of the Honda Classic.
He had completed only eight holes in the second round of the competition at Palm Beach, Florida, when he made his dramatic exit to the shock of playing partners Ernie Els and Mark Wilson.
Close to tears at the time, he told reporters in the car park shortly afterwards: "There's not much I can say, guys. I'm just not in a good place, mentally."
He had seemed distracted and in melancholy mood the previous day.
Only 48 hours earlier, his sports star girlfriend also crashed out of the Malaysian Open in what was one of the worst defeats of her career.
The former world No 1 was beaten by a competitor ranked 186th.
McIlroy apologised for his meltdown and blamed a toothache, despite being seen enjoying a sandwich a short while before he walked off the course, while Wozniacki claimed she was feeling unwell and had a high temperature.
The pair, who are usually very communicative with one another over Twitter, have not publicly conversed on the social networking site for several days.
Last week, the Danish beauty was questioned about her future with the Co Down golfer.
Asked if there were any marriage plans on the cards, she replied: "I think that question will be for him to answer."
UPDATE:
Rory Set To Speak "Honestly" Tuesday About Going Dental
Brian Keogh's source in the Rory McIlroy camp says the lad practiced Saturday and will speak "honestly" about his embarrassing WD during Friday's second round of the Bear Trap Classic.
According to a friend, who was speaking on condition on anonymity, the world number one will speak honestly about his implosion when he gives a media conference on Tuesday morning ahead of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral in Miami.
**It's been moved to Wednesday.
Meanwhile Tiger offered some advice for Rory through the reporters who asked him about the incident, reports Ewan Murray.
Advice for McIlroy soon arrived from Tiger Woods, a man who knows a thing or two about negative publicity. "He's just got to be more – just got to think about it a little bit more before you say something or do something," Woods said.
"It can get out of hand, especially when you get into social media and start tweeting and all those different things that can go wrong."
And James Corrigan offered this interpretation of Tiger's comments when pointing out this chain of events that McIlroy will be forced to address.
In other words, do not tell the truth. The saddest part of this farce could be the ending of McIlroy’s innocence. He is too honest for his own good. If he had told the journalists who interviewed the defending champion immediately after his withdrawal “I have so and so wrong with my body” then there would have been no outcry. Yet he did not and there was.
McIlroy was asked three times if a physical problem had forced his premature exit. Each time he replied “no”. “I’m not in a good place mentally,” he said.
Then the story changed to a sore wisdom tooth, before a picture was released of him munching a sandwich moments before he headed for the car-park. Cue ridicule mixed with a layer or two of outrage.
Golf: Rory's Romance Cause for Withdrawal?
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