Rory McIlroy insists new clubs were not to blame for poor display in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy insisted he, rather than his new clubs, were to blame for his poor performance at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The Northern Irishman also revealed that his decision to revert to his old putter on Friday was not a significant issue and would not necessarily mean he would continue to keep it in his bag. "It was just for these greens this week," headded. "I felt like the greens were pretty slow out there and the Nike putter I used yesterday is a little lighter so it was just a weight issue more than anything else. "I feel like the one I used today was a little heavier and I was able to get the ball to hole, but even when I got the ball to the hole it still didn't go in... so the change was to no avail!"