Rory McIlroy snatches golf fan's phone after being heckled at The Players Championship

Rory McIlroy was seen taking a golf fan's phone away from him after being heckled during a practice round at the 2025 Players Championship on Wednesday.

In a moment that quickly went viral, the four-time major champion McIlroy was caught on camera snatching a fan’s phone after an apparent heckle referencing one of the most painful moments of his career at The Masters. 

After the PGA Tour superstar sent his first tee shot into the water, a heckler reportedly shouted out "just like 2011 at Augusta". 

McIlroy then hit another shot from the tee box before trudging over to the fan behind the ropes.

"Let me see your phone," said McIlroy, who then took the phone away from the fan.

Scroll below to watch what happened...

As of now, McIlroy has not publicly addressed the incident, and it remains unclear what ultimately happened to the fan's phone. 

Some reports suggest that tournament officials or security may have later intervened, but no official statement has been made by the PGA Tour. 

Since the video surfaced after McIlroy's pre-tournament press conference, he was not questioned about it directly.

Watch McIlroy take a heckler's phone here: 

McIlroy’s recent form on the PGA Tour has been solid as he enters the unofficial fifth major on the PGA Tour at famed TPC Sawgrass this week. 

Earlier in the season he secured a 27th PGA Tour title and his first ever at Pebble Beach. 

He endured something of a lacklustre performance at last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational (T17), however, where he chopped and changed with the new TaylorMade Qi35 woods.

McIlroy has confirmed he will be reverting back to his older Qi10 woods this week and at The Masters next month, as he is still not yet fully comfortable with the new clubs. 

The Northern Irishman's record at The Players Championship has been a mix of highs and lows down the years.

McIlroy's crowning moment at TPC Sawgrass came in 2019 when he won the tournament with a brilliant final-round performance, overcoming a crowded leaderboard to secure a one-shot victory over Jim Furyk. 

However, outside of that victory, his performances at The Players have been inconsistent. 

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, known for its demanding layout and infamous island-green par-3 17th hole, has historically been a challenging venue for McIlroy. 

While he has posted several top-10 finishes, he has also missed cuts and had frustrating finishes in other editions of the event.

McIlroy joins World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.3 Xander Schauffele for the opening two rounds of The Players Championship. 

How to Watch The Players, Tee Times

Keep up to date with live scores here.