Rory McIlroy Snatches Fan's Phone During Practice Round At The Players In Bizarre Video
Practice rounds on the PGA Tour are typically laid back and relaxed, but things went from zero to one-hundred in a hurry for a fan who decided to chirp Rory McIlroy at TPC Sawgrass.
In what appears to be a video captured during Tuesday's practice round ahead of this week's Players, McIlroy walks over to a fan, asks for his phone, and simply starts walking away with it in one of the most bizarre scenes you'll ever see.
According to the person who originally shared the video, the fan shouted "just like 2011 at Augusta" after McIlroy's first shot off the tee found the water. It's fair to say McIlroy didn't appreciate the fan's comment.
There is quite a bit to unpack here, but first and foremost, what kind of person chirps a player during a practice round? That's absolutely diabolical behavior, but typical of the younger generation, who are foaming at the mouth to get a reaction out of a celebrity so they themselves can potentially go viral for 10 minutes.
Secondly, the nonchalantness from McIlroy asking the fan for his phone and the fan then handing it over as if McIlroy was his over-demanding father is objectively hilarious. The guy was stunned that McIlroy walked over to him and said something. Rory could have said Santa Claus was standing behind him and the guy would have turned around.
Reactions to McIlroy snatching the phone are split, as they always are, but I'm gonna side with Team Rory here.
The amount of junk he hears after every single shot he hits has to be exhausting. Practice round days are supposed to be the days when he can get some work in and not have to worry about bone-headed fans, and he understandably snapped when a fan chirped him on a Tuesday afternoon.
Also, in McIlroy's defense, he was incredibly polite when asking for the guy's phone. He didn't take it, the fan technically handed it over to him.