section_path: Professional career/2013: Equipment change, downturn in form
section_name: 2013: Equipment change, downturn in form
paragraph_text: 2013: Equipment change, downturn in form
  
  McIlroy struggled with an equipment change at the beginning of 2013, having signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike in January. He missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January and withdrew from the Honda Classic as the defending champion in February. In April, he finished runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, two strokes behind Martin Laird, and at the 2013 Masters Tournament the following week, he tied for 25th place. McIlroy tied for 41st place at the 2013 U.S. Open, missed the cut at the 2013 Open Championship and tied for 8th place as defending champion at the 2013 PGA Championship.
  
  As a result of his downturn in form, he dropped from first to sixth in the OWGR. McIlroy recorded his first win of the year in December, at the 2013 Emirates Australian Open. He birdied the final hole to beat Australian Adam Scott by one stroke.
  
  McIlroy struggled with an equipment change at the beginning of 2013, having signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike in January. He missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January and withdrew from the Honda Classic as the defending champion in February. In April, he finished runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, two strokes behind Martin Laird, and at the 2013 Masters Tournament the following week, he tied for 25th place. McIlroy tied for 41st place at the 2013 U.S. Open, missed the cut at the 2013 Open Championship and tied for 8th place as defending champion at the 2013 PGA Championship.
  
  As a result of his downturn in form, he dropped from first to sixth in the OWGR. McIlroy recorded his first win of the year in December, at the 2013 Emirates Australian Open. He birdied the final hole to beat Australian Adam Scott by one stroke.