Rory McIlroy steals heckler's phone during PLAYERS Championship practice round

Rory McIlroy stole a heckler’s phone during the practice round of the PLAYERS Championship. The X/Twitter account named Ganix Gabinus shared a video of McIlroy approaching the fan after hitting a shot. The fan yelled, “Just like 2011 at Augusta,” to McIlroy after he hit his first practice shot in the water.

It’s not clear if the fan got his phone back, but McIlroy was not going to let a heckler ruin his day. McIlroy is one of the favorites to win the PLAYERS Championship, as he’s won 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour in his career. His last victory came in February when he defeated Shane Lowry to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Texas golfer shouted “just like 2011 at Augusta” after Rory hit it in the water on his first ball and after his second shot Rory did this. What a crash out 😂 @stoolpresidente @ziregolf pic.twitter.com/UtHdO4UNOg

— Ganix Gabinus (@gabinus_ganix) March 12, 2025

Rory McIlroy is close friends with Tiger Woods, who recently suffered a ruptured Achilles and will miss all four major championships this year. On Wednesday, McIlroy spoke to reporters about Woods and his injury.

Rory McIlroy reacts to the Tiger Woods injury

“It sucks. Yeah, he doesn’t have much luck when it comes to injuries and his body,” McIlroy said, per The Times. “Obviously, he was trying to ramp up to get ready for Augusta [next month], and Achilles surgeries aren’t fun. Hoping he’s in good spirits and hoping he’s doing OK.

“He’ll try [to come back]. I know he’ll try, but that’s a question for him, not for me. I obviously don’t know what’s in his head, but judging by prior behavior, he’ll definitely try.”

Woods is set to turn 50 in December. McIlroy, who is 35, was asked how long does he sees himself playing. “I’d like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank,” he said. “I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself. I’d like to walk away maybe a little before I should. Put it that way. I look at other sports, and I’ve had an unbelievable career — I turned pro in 2007. I’m 18 years into a career. Not a lot of athletes can say they’ve had an 18-year career, and I’m only 35.

“I can acknowledge how lucky golfers are to be able to do what they do for so long compared to other athletes, so whenever I feel like the time is right, I’ll have no problem moving aside and letting the next generation do their thing.”