A back nine collapse ended Rory McIlroy’s hopes of defending his UBS Hong Kong title at Fanling on Friday.
The world number one picked up four birdies early in his second round, but four bogeys and a double in his last six holes saw him miss his first cut since June.
“I just got on a slide and couldn’t stop it,” said the 23-year-old who clinched the European Tour money list on Sunday in Singapore.
“It’s obviously not the week that I wanted. I was only four off the lead and thinking I could make a couple more and be right back in contention. Unfortunately it just went the other way.
“I didn’t putt well last week and sort of got away with it. This week was the same, so I think a bit of putting practice is required in Dubai (The DP World Tour Championship starts there next Thursday).
“I think these couple of days off might actually do me good. It’ll give me a chance to rest.
“I think if I was completely fresh I wouldn’t have been making the mistakes.On the last I saw the projected cut was plus two, so I wanted to try to hole it (his 30-foot birdie attempt caught the lip, but ran on five feet and he took three more).”
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