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.

Rory McIlroy has refused to comment on being heckled by a top US college golfer during a practice round at the Players Championship. The world number two declined to discuss the matter with reporters after his opening round.

When practicing for Thursday’s opening round of The Players Championship, a college golfer heckled the four-time major winner from behind the 18th tee box at the Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., course, with McIlroy later taking matters into his own hands — literally.