Rory McIlroy won’t be around for the weekend at the Players Championship

Rory McIlroy's used to being in contention on the weekend, but for the third consecutive time at the Players Championship, he'll be packing his bags and heading home early.

Very few courses have McIlroy's number, but based on his track record at TPC Sawgrass, it's clear the course is winning the head-to-head battle.

With a 4-over 76 on Friday, he's now failed to break par in six rounds at the Players Championship — a staggering figure when you look at the success he's had abroad in the last year-plus. But as the 23-year-old mentioned on Thursday, there's something about the course he can't figure out.

"It doesn't," McIlroy said, when asked if the course suited his eye. "It's very tricky.  I find it very tricky.  I really have to think about what I'm hitting off the tee.  Second shots and stuff are fine, it's just tee shots for me that I struggle with."

After finishing the two rounds tied for 116th in GIR (55.6 percent) and T76 in putts per GIR (1.80), you'd have to believe McIlroy would be inclined to skip the tournament in the future. Even though it's considering golf's fifth major, his lack of success could deter him from coming back to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in the future.

But like most of today's young golfers, McIlroy's pretty head-strong. When asked if he'd be coming back in the future, he went so far as to promise he'd be returning. Whether that promise is binding remains to be seen; however, the way he talked after Friday's round, it would appear he'd like to give it another go on the one course that continues to give him trouble.