Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Jack Nicklaus feels McIlroy's talent will eventually make the difference regardless of his equipment.

He noted that it's easy for Rory McIlroy to blame his new Nike clubs but he once played three different sets of clubs depending on whether he was in America, Britain or Australia.

"I was able to go back and forth, back and forth. It wasn't that big of a deal," Nicklaus said.

McIlroy, 23, the No. 1 player in the world, seeks advice from Nicklaus whenever he sees him. He signed with Nike during the off-season.

In three starts this year, McIlroy has missed the cut, lost in the opening round of the Match Play Championship and withdrew from the Honda Classic seven-over for the second round after eight holes.

Nicklaus said that McIlroy's decision to walk off the course at the Honda Classic in Florida is wrong.

"He shouldn't have walked off the course," Nicklaus said. "If he would have thought about it for five minutes, he probably wouldn't have done it. He's a good kid and tries to do the right thing but unfortunately that wasn't."

McIlroy, the defending champion at the Honda Classic, attributed his withdrawal to a sore wisdom tooth.

But just like McIlroy's club excuse, Nicklaus didn't buy it.

"I don't know whether it was a wisdom tooth or whatever. Probably he's so frustrated with what's happening and the way he's played for the last month or so," he assessed.

Nicklaus had come to the PGA National as the course designer to watch a finale. His Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation is the tournament's main beneficiary.

Article: Copyright © iHaveNet.com.

Nicklaus doesn't buy McIlroy's new club, toothache excuses