Rory McIlroy told Sports Illustrated that he made a mistake by pulling out of the Honda Classic midway through the second round.

The world’s top-ranked golfer had played his first eight holes at the PGA National course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in 7 over par and informed playing partners Ernie Els and Mark Wilson that he was quitting after hitting his second shot into a pond on his ninth hole of the March 1 round.

McIlroy, who was the defending champion at the tournament, blamed his withdrawal on pain from an impacted wisdom tooth. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland said that he knew within an hour of walking off the course that he’d made a “reactive decision.”

“What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85,” McIlroy, a two-time major tournament champion, said. “What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me.”