How Worried Should Rory McIlroy Be About 2013 Struggles?

Rory McIlroy is only 24 years old, already owns two major championships and possesses a talent level that is off the charts, so a fairly significant dip in performance over the past six months isn't anything to really worry about, right?

Wrong.

When McIlroy made his much-publicized switch to Nike this past January, he was not only the reigning PGA Champion but also the world No. 1 and by far the most promising golfer with an unlimited future in front of him.  

That was then. This is now.

Heading into next week’s U.S. Open, Rory is a big-time “0-fer” in 2013. He is struggling to put together back-to-back quality rounds of golf and to compete for PGA Tour titles.

He’s battling significant confidence issues and has completely lost the momentum he had walking off the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island last August as the 2012 PGA champion.

The significant difference between McIlroy of August 2012 and McIlroy of June 2013 is "The Swoosh" and, more to the point, the very golf clubs they have given him to use. 

Prompted in part by the lure of a $200 million contract, McIlroy switched from Titleist to Nike and officially began using the new sticks this past January. 

It goes without saying that, from a business perspective, McIlroy was spot on with the move. The problem is that when a golfer struggles with faith in his equipment, especially after a recent change to those clubs, it’s a major concern and often results in a continued slump.

To wit, since his January Swoosh switch, McIlroy has only one top-five finish in his nine PGA Tour events. He walked off the course during the second round of The Honda Classic with a weak excuse about a tooth and an even weaker game. And has by and large been consistently inconsistent in just about every start he has made.

That downward spiral was further anchored this past weekend at The Memorial Tournament, where Rory again struggled, opening with a six-over 78 that essentially knocked him out of the event after only 18 holes.

McIlroy managed to improve that score by nine shots on Friday, but just as in other big events this season, his second-round 69 was a single-day recovery. McIlroy played the remainder of Jack’s tournament at three over and finished in a disappointing tie for 57th.

Now, to be fair, McIlroy does have four top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year, and he did contend down to the wire at the Valero Texas Open back in early April. But there are few points rewarded to a player of McIlroy’s caliber for hanging around and finishing well on paper.

When you’re one of the two best players in the world, it’s about wins, and it’s now been a significant period of time since he’s had one of those.

And while all the blame can’t be placed on his Nike switch, and certainly Rory has 200 million reasons not to go there, the change in equipment has absolutely coincided with the Irishman’s prolonged slump.

In 2012, with his trusty Titleists in his hand, McIlroy won four times, including that runaway triumph at the PGA Championship, his second major victory in just 14 months’ time. Two other times, McIlroy finished second and posted a dime of top-10 finishes throughout the successful season.

Golf, however, is a business, and despite all the success he had with Titleist, McIlroy took the money and the significant marketing power of Nike during the offseason. He shouldn't be blamed for doing that, but he has to own the results, which are becoming concerning at the very least.

McIlroy missed the cut in his first attempt with the new clubs at Abu Dhabi in January, a cut also missed by Tiger Woods, who just so happens to be on that same Nike team and the same cat who took the world No. 1 ranking from him not long thereafter.

Save for the total meltdown Rory suffered at the Honda Classic when he walked off the course nine holes into an embarrassingly bad second round, the McIlroy M.O. has been consistent in each tournament he has played.

As he did in the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship and The Players Championship the following week, Rory will have solid rounds that signal a return to form but are inevitably followed by poor play that dooms his chances for victory.

That same scenario played out again this past weekend, as the opening 78 essentially made the second-round 69 a nice effort but a non-factor in the greater scheme of the event.

What it all adds up to is more disappointment than promise for a golfer who just nine months ago was on top of the golfing world. With change comes risk, and McIlroy is dealing with that fact right now.

The bottom line, however, is clear. With the U.S. Open now knocking on the door, it’s time for McIlroy to get his career back on track. The “trial dating” period with Nike is over. The excuses for poor play are exhausted, and the time for a return to expectations is now.

The question is whether Rory has the confidence in his game and the belief in his clubs to "Just Do It" a little more than a week from now.