(CNN) -- Just days after signing a bumper multi-year deal with Nike, Rory McIlroy made an embarrassing early exit in Abu Dhabi along with stablemate Tiger Woods.
The world's top two golfers were supposed to usher in a new era of dominance within the sport for Nike, but neither man made the cut on a disappointing day.
The world No.1 finished on six-over, while Woods missed out after being hit with a two-stroke penalty for rules of infringement.
Justin Rose finished top of the leaderboard on eight-under following a round of 69, but it was McIlroy and Woods who caught the headlines.
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McIlroy, playing with his new Nike clubs for the first time, had not missed a cut since the U.S. Open in San Francisco last June.
But after starting the day well down the field following an opening round of 75, the Northern Irishman failed to battle back, despite reverting to his old putter.
"I just felt like the greens that I've been practising on are a lot faster than these," he told reporters.
"The Nike putter is great on that, but getting to here it's just a weight issue more than anything else.
"I can feel the head of the one I used today a little bit better, but the change was to no avail.
"I've got a few weeks off now to work at it and try and get my game in decent shape for the US."
McIlroy had vowed to improve on his opening round and hit three straight pars, but three bogeys in the next four holes left him floundering on six-over.
Birdies at eight and nine allowed some respite, but bogeys on the 10th and 14th ended his chances of making the cut at the course where he finished second last year.
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He said: "I knew it was going to be a tough week with everything going on, but I was just looking forward to getting to the golf course and getting back to what I do and what I'm comfortable with.
"It just didn't work out like that. I hit the ball really well last week in practice in Dubai and just sort of gradually got worse this week for some reason.
Sports giant Nike now has the two biggest names in golf on their books after Rory McIlroy (L) joined Tiger Woods at their stable.
Tiger's heir apparent joins Nike
Tiger Woods, right, congratulates Rory McIlroy after Europe's remarkable victory over the U.S. on the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup in September. The two are big rivals on the golf course, but a friendship has also blossomed this year.
Great sporting rivalries
One of the signatures holes on a new fantasy course at Mission Hills in China will see players attempt to hit a green surrounded by a noodle-style hazard complete with chopsticks.
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"But I'm going to spend the weekend here and practise and work at it with Michael (coach Michael Bannon) a little bit.
"It's very disappointing. You really want to get off to a nice start at the start of the season, but I've got to realise that it is only the start of the season.
"As long as I feel like my game is in good shape heading into Augusta (the US Masters on April 11-14) that's all I'm worried about."
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Woods fared little better after he was hit with a two-stroke penalty for rules of infringement in the sand at the fifth hole.
And after finishing one one-over for the day, Woods said he just fell short following a poor start.
"It's tough because I didn't get off to a very good start today and I fought and got it back," he told reporters.
"I was right there and I felt that if I had close to even par, I had a chance going into the weekend, being only eight back. Evidently it wasn't enough."
Meanwhile, world number five Rose, will take a one-shot lead into the third round after moving clear of Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castro.
"I felt like my game definitely sharpened up," Rose said. "When you have perfect distance control you know you are swinging it well."
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Woods signed a deal reportedly worth $40 million with Nike when he turned pro in 1996 and the firm built their golf business around him in the coming years. When he renegotiated in 2000, a five-year deal was said to have earned him $100m. But of late, his star has waned.
Conversely, McIlroy's star is on the rise. After grabbing his first major at the 2011 U.S. Open he took his second at the U.S. PGA Championship last year. He finished top of the money lists on both the PGA and European Tours, matching Luke Donald's feat from the 2011 season.
Despite being rivals on the course Woods and McIlroy's relationship off it has strengthened in recent years. They have been paired together numerous times at tournaments around the world, much to the delight of sponsors, marketers and spectators.
The pair are continually in demand and played an exhibition match in China, dubbed the "Duel at Jinsha Lake", for which they were reportedly paid $2 million. Both players clearly enjoyed each other's company.
They are following in golf's great tradition of rivalries -- most notably Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer. "The power of the mind and the capability of that mental discipline is what separates the good from the great," sports leadership expert Khoi Tu told CNN. "That might allow them to become friends with people off the course, but not on the course."
Formula One's greatest rivalry was between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. "They absolutely detested each other," Tu says. "They were two very different personalities, and often that's one of the features of great sporting rivalries: Fire and ice."
Fernando Alonso, left, has now twice been beaten to the F1 championship by Sebastian Vettel -- who is widely rumored to be his teammate at Ferrari come 2014. "When you get two No. 1 drivers together with no team rules, then the sparks can really fly," Tu says. "It's rare for them to be good mates. They may get along, they may trust and respect each other in a professional capacity, but hanging out is a different issue."
Former world champion Jackie Stewart, seen here playing with the children of F1 rival Graham Hill, was remarkably friendly with his peers, Tu says. "He was incredibly fond of a number of people who drove with him. That partly is because there was a clearer distinction of him being a number one and them being number two drivers."
A new rivalry has grown in tennis this year between U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray, left, and childhood friend Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1. "People say that Murray and Djokovic are close but I think it's rare," Tu says. "The best sporting rivalries are the ones where there are these very distinct, almost opposite personalities, but they're very close in terms of their competence."
Rafael Nadal, left, ended the tennis dominance of Roger Federer but they have publicly expressed their friendship despite reports of arguments about on-tour issues. "As people get older they've done so much, broken lots of records, I think that competitive edge is slightly dulled," Tu says. "That makes it easier to be friendlier. You can keep your dignity if you're not crying every time you lose to a younger, faster athlete."
Martina Navratilova, left, and Chris Evert had one of the biggest rivalries in women's tennis. "They ended up as good buddies, but that was when the battling had been done," Tu says. "All of the respect and friendship you get in sport comes through competence first -- ' I know how hard it is to be this good, so I respect them for that.' "
Fiery American John McEnroe, left, and ice-cool Swede Bjorn Borg created an iconic tennis rivalry. "When those two collided, at the height of tennis perfection, that's when the audience is really enthused and enthralled," Tu says. "To get that rivalry, they have to leave any friendship on the sidelines."
Sometimes you get two great athletes, but they are too close to be proper rivals -- such as tennis star Serena Williams, left, and her sister Venus. "The great things about sport is the sense of competition, the uncertainty of the outcome, the fairness of the playing field," Tu says. "You might be able to suspend enough of your fraternal or sisterly love to play a decent game of tennis but it won't reach the heights of the rivalries that make the sport."
Muhammad Ali, left, "demonized" Joe Frazier to hype up their fights despite being showed respect outside the ring by his rival. "He came up with the gorilla term to create a spectacle, which he knew was important, but it revved himself up too," Tu says. "He needed to have a real enemy. By the end of the (Manila) fight, he said that Frazier brought out the best of him."
Then there's modern football's greatest rivalry -- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "I'm not sure Messi is a rival with anyone, he still has that unique joy of just playing," Tu says. "But I think with Ronaldo, the truth is Messi is his nemesis -- and the fact that Messi doesn't care makes it even worse."
A view from the tee of the shot facing the golfer on the chopsticks and noodles hole.
The Great Wall of China hole will provide a challenge with a difference for the golfers who play the new course.
A sketch of the design work behind a hole on the course, in which a mock-up of the Great Wall of China is threaded throughout its entire length.
A par 5 on the new course is dedicated to the ancient Mayan civilization, but golfers will have their work cut out if they stray off the fairway.
One of the holes is dedicated to the most popular animal in China, the giant panda, and this sketch illustrates the design features.
Work is well under way on the hole named "Panda-monium" ahead of the course opening in 2014.
The Birds Nest Stadium which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics is the inspiration for one of the greens on the new course.
This year the Mission Hills group hosted a World Golf Championship tournament, the HSBC Champions, on a bunker-laden course at its Shenzhen complex designed by former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Ian Poulter is seen here on his way to winning the title.
Conventional golf tests such as the daunting 17th island hole at TPC Sawgrass in Florida often rely on water to provide the challenge with a small green to aim at.
President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and daughter Sasha tried their hand at mini golf on a holiday in Florida in 2010.
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