Rory McIlroy was involved in a bizarre incident during the Players Championship Pro-Am, as he appeared to snatch a spectator’s phone and walk away with it
Rory McIlroy was caught up in a bizarre spat at the Players Championship when he appeared to grab a fan’s mobile phone post-tee shot.
The scene on Wednesday, which has since gone viral on social media, shows McIlroy taking his tee shot before heading over to a group of spectators.
The famed golfer is heard firmly asking, “can I see your phone?” before taking it from the shocked fan and walking off.
The stunned spectator stood frozen, arm outstretched, as a companion looked on in shock. McIlroy, after briefly inspecting the phone, seemed to carry it with him down the fairway.
Online chatter suggested the fan may have been mocking McIlroy for his wayward tee shot, reportedly ending up in the drink. This happened just before McIlroy hit another tee shot onto the fairway, leading up to the odd confrontation.
A witness at the event reported the heckler had taunted with “just like 2011 at Augusta” following McIlroy’s first tee shot – a cutting reference to his infamous collapse at the 2011 Masters, where he blew a significant lead on the final day, missing out on the prestigious green jacket.
McIlroy was engulfed in chaos during the last round at the Masters in Augusta, where a seemingly sure-footed lead crumbled on Sunday, reports the Express.
With a robust four-shot advantage over Jason Day initially, the final day saw him buckle under a series of bogeys and erratic putts, climaxing with a tee shot on the 13th that plunged into the water, severely marring his erstwhile solid prospects.
The spectre of Augusta looms large for McIlroy, standing as a daunting barrier in his career with relentless speculation about whether he’ll ever conquer Georgia’s illustrious greens. However, McIlroy ushered in 2025 on a triumphant note with a win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro/Am in February.
While there were stumbles at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy’s focus undeniably cuts a straight path back to Augusta this season.
Aiming to ease the burden of expectation that comes with completing the career grand slam, the pressure is still set to be intense when he returns to Augusta next month.
McIlroy has openly discussed his intent to make early visits to Augusta National for practice sessions before the Masters begins. At TPC Sawgrass, McIlroy candidly talked about his recent form.
He said: “I’d say even the two finishes post-Pebble [Genesis and Arnold Palmer] have been almost like the worst that they could be. I finished bad on Sunday at Bay Hill. I finished bad on Sunday at Torrey Pines, as well.
“But the one thing I would say is the turnaround in my putting from Torrey to Bay Hill was great. I finished, I think, fifth [actually seventh] in putting last week, so to see that turn around was really encouraging.
“That’s something for me to be really encouraged about going into this week, obviously, and then the next few months.”