Rory McIlroy has said that missing the cut at last week's Honda Classic has given him the "kick in the backside" he needs.
McIlroy shot 73 and 74 in the opening two rounds, but the world number one thinks that the poor performance has highlighted where he needs to make improvements.
"I could have approached it two ways," McIlroy told reporters.
"I could have got really down on myself and wondered where that had come from or thought this was the first event after a three-week break and there were things that need to be sharper.
"Sometimes you need a little kick in the backside to make you realise what you need to do. I was disappointed but I feel like it has given me clarity on what I needed to do on my game going forward."
The Honda Classic was won by Padraig Harrington after a playoff.
