Rory McIlroy Says He Regrets Storming Off The Course Last Week, Suggesting The 'Tooth Pain' Excuse Was Bogus

Rory McIlroy was seven-over par when he hit his ball in the water, walked off the course, and withdrew from the Honda Classic last Friday.

Officially, McIlroy quit because of "wisdom tooth pain."

But in an interview with Golf.com's Michael Bamberger yesterday, McIlroy said he should have never walked off, suggesting that his tooth pain wasn't actually bad enough to sideline him. Here's what he said:

“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.”

While Bamberger wrote that the root of Rory's issue came from his brain and not his mouth, he also gave some background on McIlroy's tooth issues.

McIlroy said his wisdom tooth was growing sideways and he's going to get it pulled after the US Open this summer. Unlike then he's taking painkillers, which he didn't take Friday.

Interestingly, he compared himself unfavorably with Tiger Woods, and said he needed to borrow some of his toughness:

“He might be the best athlete ever, in terms of his ability to grind it out. I could have a bit more of that, if I’m honest.”

So to sum it up, McIlroy's tooth really did hurt, but not enough to make him pull out of a tournament.