Rory McIlroy, Caroline Wozniacki repair to Monaco ahead of British Open

Rory McIlroy, recovering from yet another poor performance on the course, has taken his Nike golf clubs and gone home -- to Monaco, that is, home base for his tennis-playing belle, Caroline Wozniacki.

Both members of the power couple have some healing to do after bombing out of their respective tourneys last week -- he, from the Irish Open after two lackluster rounds, and she, after a premature exit from Wimbledon. The duo retreated to the playground of the rich and famous earlier this year following McIlroy’s first MC of the season in Abu Dhabi.

With the British Open straight ahead and problems with his Nike equipment continuing to plague him, McIlroy no doubt hoped his latest sojourn to the Riviera would do more for his game than teeing it up at the Monte Carlo Golf Club in January had. The two-time major champion returned from his early-season respite from the rigors of tour golf only to lose in the first round of match play and concede that he should have added more competitive rounds to his schedule.

McIlroy, after missing the cut, spent the weekend pounding balls on the range at Carton House, site of the Irish Open.

Even so, the Monaco jaunt was curious since he admitted he was “lost” and scuffling off the tee, but too busy to add another tournament to his calendar as a tune-up for the Open Championship.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland said sponsor commitments as well as a Thursday meeting with Nike technicians to tweak his wayward Nike Covert driver precluded prepping for Muirfield, which looms in a little more than two weeks, in either the French or Scottish Open.

McIlroy, during his stay in Ireland acknowledged that the driver “hasn’t been the best club in my bag this year,” and expected to get in some practice rounds at Muirfield next week.

Wonder if Rory will run into another world-class golfer who’s been licking his wounds? Hard to tell, since Tiger Woods offered little clue, following last week’s AT&T National, as to whether his sore elbow would allow him to take the field ahead of the major.

“I’m still doing the same thing,” Woods told reporters on Sunday, after Bill Haas won the contest that benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. “I start the strengthening process this week and see where that puts me. And then ball striking after that.”