Rory McIlroy misses cut to mark poor start to new Nike deal

In the week Nike unveiled McIlroy as its new 78 million man, he replaced his Nike putter after one day use. Yet, if anything, Woods exit was more surprising. The overwhelming majority here did not know that a two shot penalty was impending when the 14 time major winner finished his round. The huge galleries believed five birdies in a nine hole stretch from the eighth had yanked him the right side of the cut line.

But Andy McFee, the European Tour chief referee, advised Woods at the back of the 11th green there was a possibility he had infringed the rules on the fifth. So, on the 18th, instead of having a shot to spare, Woods sensed he needed to hole a 20 footer for birdie to make the weekend. It stopped on the edge of the hole and then, in the scorer hut, the penalty was confirmed to Woods. The resulting 75 meant Woods was three over and gone.

Woods drove into a bush on the par four and after consulting with the third member of the Nike Cyber Monday Deals group, Germany Martin Kaymer, the pair agreed he should be allowed a free drop because the ball was embedded in sand.

Like all professional tours, the European Tour extends the local rule for embedded balls in preferred lie situations to all areas. The exception is that it does not apply to balls plugged in sand. The result was a retrospective two shot sanction which turned the bogey five into a triple bogey seven.

Neither Woods nor Kaymer knew the rule, which hardly fits well with their reputations as consummate professionals. I broke a rule and consequently I get two shots, said Woods with a look of frustration.

Woods is proud of providing value for his appearance money. This was the first time he had missed a cut in a regular European Tour event and the first time he had not qualified for the final two rounds in an event in which he has received an appearance fee. Yes, golf rules must seem a bit maddening when you have paid 1.8 million for Woods to turn up.

At least, he put on a show, Nike Black Friday fighting back from a torrid beginning which featured him not hitting a green in regulation until the seventh. tough because I didn get off to a very good start and fought to get it back, he said. have some work to do because next week I playing at Torrey [Pines, in the Farmers Insurance Open].

McIlroy has four weeks off and vowed to put in the hours with his coach, Michael Bannon, as he accustoms himself to his new equipment.

After his first round 75, in which he employed his new Nike Method putter, McIlroy chose to put his old Scotty Cameron model, back in the bag. When asked what this meant to his deal, McIlroy replied: here to talk about my golf, not my contract.

He explained why he gave the Method only 18 holes. just felt it was a little light for these greens, he said. didn feel I could get anything near the hole yesterday. The greens I been practising on in Florida are a lot faster than these. The Nike putter is great on them.

The result was another 75 for a six over total which left him Nike Black Friday 2015 stranded in a tie for 98th. He refused to blame the transition.

the first week out here I wouldn look too much into that, he said. anything, it more the Indian than the arrows at this point. It only the start of the season and there a lot work to be done. As long I feel good about my game going into Augusta, that all I worried about.

In the absence of the big two, the path is clear for the world No 5, Justin Rose, to take control of the headlines. The Englishman followed up his 67 with a 69 to take the outright lead on eight under, one clear of Wales Jamie Donaldson, Denmark Thorbjorn Olesen and Spain Gonzalo Fernandez Castano.