British press rips Rory McIlroy for 'brain dead' comment

It's hard to believe any professional athlete woke up for Friday's morning coffee and wanted nothing more than to sic the dog on the paperboy more than Rory McIlroy when he saw the headlines.

Kate and William's royal bundle of joy can't come soon enough for the slumping Irishman.

The Fleet Street tabloids jumped all over the golfer's "brain dead" comments after a poor round at Muirfield and roasted McIlroy on the front pages in big, bold print.

After Thursday's dismal round of 79 at the British Open, McIlroy immediately took responsibility for his poor play that featured three three-putts, one putt off a green and into a bunker, two double bogeys, and countless exasperated looks. The world’s No. 2 player — winner of the PGA Championship last summer — must contend not for the Claret Jug, but for the right to play the weekend.

"I wish I could tell you what's wrong or what I need to do to make it right. I feel like I've got the shots. I know I'm capable of hitting them. It's a matter of being in the right place mentally to do it. It's nothing to do with technique. It's all mental."

Then he took it a step further:

"I just need to concentrate. But sometimes I feel like I'm walking around out there and I'm unconscious. I need to try to think more. I'm trying to focus and trying to concentrate. I can't really fathom it. It's a very alien feeling. It's something I've never felt before."

And finally he commented on his putt into a bunker on Thursday:

"It's so brain dead. Seriously, I feel like I've been walking around like that for the last couple of months. I'm trying to get out of it. It's something I've never experienced before."

The British tabloids are always going to sensationalize McIlroy like they did with their front pages today.

But even despite the bad ink, at least the 24-year-old remained honest about his current plight.

Could you imagine Tiger Woods handling it this way?