Mcilroy walks off Honda Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS—The drama of a Rory McIlroy walk-off, a Tiger Woods escape and a spectacular Camilo Villegas meltdown meant that not many people noticed Luke Guthrie taking the lead at the Honda Classic on Friday.

Guthrie exhibited his potential with a 7-under 63 at PGA National. He was at 9-under 131 and had a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson.

He was understandably concentrating on his own game and had not been aware that McIlroy had stolen the headlines by walking off the course after being 7-over par through eight holes.

“I had no clue,” Guthrie said. “I was just kind of going about my business out there.”

McIlroy, who missed the cut in Abu Dhabi and lost in the first round of the Match Play Championship in his previous two starts, made a double bogey on his second hole and rinsed two balls in the water on the 16th hole on his way to a triple bogey.

He hit his approach to the 18th in the water and never finished the hole.

He shook hands with Ernie Els and Mark Wilson and was on his way, but not before conflicting messages.

McIlroy told three reporters who followed him to his car that it was nothing physical but that he was “not in a good place mentally.”

An hour later, he released a statement through his management company that he couldn’t concentrate because of a sore wisdom tooth. The problems that had initially seemed mental were now merely dental.