Rory McIlroy needs to iron out his game

• Rory McIlroy has played only three competitive rounds in 2013
• Critics have hammered away at his decision to switch to Nike equipment
• %22I just need to go and work on%22 the iron shots%2C McIlroy says

MARANA, Ariz. — Rory McIlroy needs to iron out his game.

The world's No. 1 unexpectedly left the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain much too early to his liking, the victim of poor iron play and the inspired play of Shane Lowry. McIlroy lost 1 up on Thursday to become the fourth overall No. 1 seed to lose in the first round in the 15 years of this tournament, failing to overcome a three-hole blitz by Lowry who chipped in twice and then had a kick-in for eagle in three consecutive holes.

"I hung in there, but I just didn't do enough," McIlroy said. "But it would have been nice to get through and just get another day here and another competitive round under my belt. I'll go and practice over the weekend and get ready for next week at the Honda (Classic)."

McIlroy missed the cut in Abu Dhabi in his only other start this year and has played just three competitive rounds in three months. Scrutiny concerning his ballyhooed and lucrative switch from Titleist to Nike will intensify, which McIlroy expects. But he's more concerned with the results of his irons and will head to the driving range near his home in Florida before heading to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for the Honda.

"I've just been missing a lot of them right, just getting ahead of it. I think it's more a timing thing than anything else. Everything else was actually pretty good out there. I just need to go and work on them," McIlroy said. "I felt like I drew the ball really well. I hit the ball well off the tee. I just need to take advantage of the driving I've been doing.

"I'm hitting the ball so much better off the tee, which is a huge positive. I'm more comfortable with everything around the greens. It'll be nice to go play a tournament next week and then Doral, as well. Yeah, obviously disappointed I didn't get to play a little more golf this week, but I'll practice over the weekend.

"It shouldn't be a lot of work. I just have to go and look on the range at it."

Tiger Woods isn't looking for any answers after he joined McIlroy in the loss column. Woods, who won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines last month, joked after his 2-and-1 loss to Charles Howell III that all he had to do was go and get warm.

Woods was disappointed with his loss but far from discouraged. As he does during most weeks away from tournament play, he'll go home, spend time with his two kids and continue working on his game. He'll also play in the Honda and the following week at Doral for the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Last year, Woods closed with a 62 at Honda, the lowest final round of his career, but McIlroy held him off by two strokes for the win.

"I played well, I really did," Woods said after his loss to Howell. "I hit a lot of good shots out there. I didn't make a bogey out there. Unfortunately it's the nature of the format, and I'm not advancing.

"It's just the way it goes. I've seen matches where a guy shoots 7‑under par and he's going home. I remember at La Costa there was a match where a player shot 7‑over and won. It happens. You've just got to beat the guy you're playing against, and I didn't do that. Chucky won the match."