Home News McIlroy Struggles With Two Double Bogeys On His Nike Debut – First Time A Pair Of Doubles In 8 Months

McIlroy Struggles With Two Double Bogeys On His Nike Debut – First Time A Pair Of Doubles In 8 Months

13 years ago by Fatiha Betscher Comments Off

Rory McIlroy’s debut using Nike clubs has turned sour for Nike with the World No. 1 struggling under the weight of a pair of double bogeys on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

McIroy commenced his new season using the much-heralded Nike Covert driver but it was the crimson-coloured driver that left him red-faced in the company of World No. 2 Tiger Woods.

McIlroy played a wild shot right off the tee at the 14th for the first double bogey.

Then after squeezing out a birdie at his 11th hole and the second on the National course McIlroy drove out-of-bounds at the next – the par four third hole.

It sent the 23-year old back down the board to two over par.

It is the first time in eight months, since McIlroy had two double bogeys since a second round 79 to miss the cut last year’s Memorial event in Ohio. As well, it was the third straight halfway cut McIlroy missed just a fortnight out from his US Open defence.

However while McIlroy struggled girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki breezed through to the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Wozniacki defeated Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-1, 6-4.

However the Danish tennis ace played her 72-minute match during the hottest part of the afternoon when the temperature at Melbourne Park peaked at 106 degrees F.

The 10th-ranked Wozniacki was the No. 1 player in the world here last year, but faced criticism that she had never won a Grand Slam.

She failed to change that in 2012, losing in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, the third round at the French Open and the first rounds at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.