Rory McIlroy Quits Honda Classic Mid-Second Round [PHOTOS]: Defending PGA National Champ Meltdown Caused by Sore Wisdom Tooth

Rory McIlroy, pro-golfer and defending PGA National champ, stormed off the green in Florida on Friday (March 1) right in the middle of the second round of the Honda Classic. McIlroy hit his second shot into the water on the 18th hole (his ninth time doing so) and walked away without completing the hole - or the competition. Before hopping into a golf cart and fleeing the course, McIlroy told reporters that he just wasn't in the right state of mind. He later confessed that a sore wisdom tooth caused the public meltdown - the pain was just too unbearable. He plans on getting it removed sometime in the near future.

McIlroy kicked off the event by completing his first 18 holes in par on Thursday, but things took a turn for the worse when he entered the second round on Friday. Starting at the tenth, he double-bogeyed 11, bogeyed 14, triple-bogeyed 16 and bogeyed, 17 (bogeyed meaning to "play a hole in one stroke over par). He looked physically upset throughout the round, and threw his clubs in frustration several times. Starting at the 10th, the 23-year-old Irishman hit his approach at the 18th into the water. He took a drop and hit the ball on to the green, but by that time decided that he'd had enough. He shook hands with playing partners Ernie Els and Mark Wilson and then promptly departed.

Before leaving the green, McIlroy told World No1, "There's not much I can say, guys, I'm just not in a great place mentally."

The 2012 PGA National champ and current World Number One then released in a statement:

"I sincerely apologize. 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."

This meltdown adds further stress to a rather miserable start with McIlroy's new partnership with Nike. He signed a £150 million (approximately $244 million) deal with the sports manufacturer in January but missed the cut in the first event of the season in Abu Dhabi. He was also knocked out in the opening round of last week's Accenture Match Play.