[Photo: Getty images/X]
An incident involving Rory McIlroy confiscating a fan’s phone at the Players Championship, after a brutal sledge about his 2011 Masters collapse from the crowd, has taken a turn.
A quick summary: on Tuesday, the four-time major winner played a practice round in Ponte Vedra Beach ahead of his attempt to win the Players for a second time. But when hit a tee shot into water during the practice round, a fan yelled, “Just like 2011 at Augusta!” It was a harsh reference to McIlroy’s 2011 Masters efforts, when McIlroy took a four-shot lead into the final round only to shoot 80 to finish 10 shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel.
After the sledge at TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy approached a fan and appeared to take his phone and walk away with it [watch the video below]. The heckler, as reported by Golf Channel, was Luke Potter a college golf star whose University of Texas team had just won a tournament across the road. Potter was stood behind the 18th tee with a college teammate when he heckled McIlroy with the 2011 Masters jab.
As reported by Golf.com, the phone was returned but Potter was reportedly booted out of TPC Sawgrass. The PGA Tour’s fan code of conduct prohibits spectators from “making rude, vulgar or other inappropriate comments or gestures.”
Contacted by Golf Channel, Potter said, “Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it. I apologise for it. That’s about all that needs to be said. … It’s just a good learning experience.” Added Texas head coach John Fields, speaking to Golf.com: “He’s got a hole in his heart. He had no idea that what was coming out of his mouth was going to result in this fashion.”
After his four-under-par 67 on day one at the Players, 48 hours after the incident, McIlroy had an awkward exchange with reporters asking about saga.
Q. Can I ask you about the shenanigans with the kid on 17?
RORY McILROY: “No, you can’t.”
Q. Why not?
RORY McILROY: “Because I don’t want you to (laughing).”
Q. The whole thing was made stranger by the fact that it wasn’t a civilian, that it was a player. Did you know that, and did it surprise you when you learned that?
RORY McILROY: “I’m really happy that I shot 67 today.”
The video was circling on social media:
