Report: Rory McIlroy's clubs missing

Published Apr. 13, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Rory McIlroy can’t buy a break this month.

First, after leading the Masters for three rounds and taking a four-shot cushion into the final day, he suffered an epic meltdown with a final-round 80.

Then, upon arriving at his next tournament, eager to get back on the golf course and get his game straightened out, he discovered he couldn’t.

Because his clubs were missing.

Despite taking a private jet — with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel — from Augusta, Ga., to Kuala Lumpur for the Malaysia Open, McIlroy learned that his clubs were unaccounted for when he arrived.

"It hasn't happened often; it's one of these things you can't help it, going through so many time zones and so many connecting flights your bags are going to get lost sometimes," McIlroy said.

"Hopefully they turn up tonight and I'll be ready to go tomorrow.”

McIlroy said he had plenty of time to reflect on his Masters experience during the long flight.

"I'm really just looking at the positives," McIlroy said. "I led that golf tournament for 63 holes, and that's really all I can look at. Everyone's going to have bad days — mine just happened probably on the most important day of my golfing career.

"But I'm a very positive person, I know I'll get over it. When I get back in that position, if I have learned from it, I won't let it happen again.”

"All the respect to Rory, he seems fine,” Schwartzel said. “Rory is just such a good guy, he seemed to get over things very quickly.

"Obviously, I think deep down he must be hurting a little bit, but he's 100 percent fine. He seems to get over it and he's by far a good enough player. He's going to win lots of majors, lots of them."