Rory McIlroy leaves fan shellshocked, confronts heckler and walks away with phone after 2011 Masters meltdown reminder

Considered to be one of the greatest golfers in history, Rory McIlroy shocked a fan, who turned into a heckler during The Players Championship on Tuesday. The Northern Irish golfer had a practice round at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, and it didn’t go according to plan, as he sent his first tee shot into the water.

In reaction, the fan screamed, “Just like 2011 at Augusta”, reminding him of his infamous Masters meltdown more than a decade ago. The then 21-year-old had a similar incident back then, as his ball went into the waters of Rae’s Creek at Augusta National, ending his dream of winning The Masters, after coming very close.

Full video of Rory McIlroy confronting a fan:

After the 35-year-old returned to the tee box for his second shot, he walked straight to the fan, with the club still in his hand and asked for his phone.

The fan was left totally stunned and couldn’t respond. McIlroy took the phone and looked at it. Then he simply walked away with the fan’s phone, still in his hand.

He was also recently asked about Tiger Woods’ recent injury, with the 49-year-old rupturing his Achilles tendon during a practice session. “Yeah. It sucks. Yeah, he doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body. Obviously he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta, and achilles surgeries obviously aren’t fun. Hoping he’s in good spirits and hoping he’s doing okay. We obviously won’t see him play golf this year, and hopefully we see him maybe play in 2026,” he said.

McIlroy is a former world no. 1 in the official rankings, and has spent over a hundred weeks in that position. He is the only golfer to win the FedEx Cup three times, overtaking Woods’ two. He is also a four-time major champion, and is one of three players to win four majors by age 25, along with Woods and Jack Nicklaus.