The No. 1 golfer in the world was thrown off his game by a painful third molar, according to an article in Yahoo Sports.
Rory McIlroy was trying to defend his title at the Honda Classic in Palm Gardens, FL, when he had to withdraw midround. The golfer explained that he had "severe wisdom tooth pain" and was unable to concentrate. McIlroy was 7 over par after eight holes.
In a statement, McIlroy said that the tooth was due to come out soon and that he had taken Advil to relieve the pain the previous night but that the pain returned in the morning and "I was simply unable to concentrate."
The decision was not made lightly, as withdrawing from a round has significant consequences. McIlroy will now be ineligible to compete for the Vardon Trophy, which goes to the player with the lowest stroke average at season's end. He won it last year, the article noted.
