Texas golfer Luke Potter has broken his silence after he was kicked out of The Players Championship for heckling Rory McIlroy

MIAMI – Rory McIlroy on March 13 kept quiet about a practice-round incident at The Players Championship in which he took a phone from a heckler – a critic who later apologised to the four-time Major champion.

World number two Rory McIlroy is one off the lead after the opening round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

If Rory McIlroy treats his rivals with the same contempt he dished out to one of America’s top college golfers who crassly heckled him at The Players Championship, then there will be only one recipient of the £3.

Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun and Camilo Villegas shared the lead heading into the second day at TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy enjoyed a strong outing to open his tournament, splitting seven birdies – including four in a row at the turn – with two bogeys.

Rory McIlroy made a dramatic turnaround with his driver in his 4-under 68 second round of The Players Championship, giving the Live From crew confidence in his prospects as he enters the weekend just two strokes back.

Rory McIlroy is fighting atop the leaderboard amid the second round of the 2025 Players Championship on Friday, yet most of the public attention on him is more concerned with what happened during a practice round at TPC Sawgrass earlier this week.

The University of Texas golfer was allegedly seen having his phone taken by McIlroy as he walked off the tee box

University of Texas golfer Luke Potter has apologized after he reportedly was removed from the grounds at TPC Sawgrass earlier this week for heckling star golfer Rory McIlroy.