Overview

• During a practice round at TPC Sawgrass, Rory McIlroy took the phone of University of Texas golfer Luke Potter after Potter heckled him about his 2011 Masters meltdown.
• Potter was escorted off the course but later apologized, calling the incident a mistake and a learning experience for himself.
• McIlroy declined to comment on the incident when asked, instead focusing on his strong opening round of 67 at The Players Championship.
• Potter's coach, John Fields, described the incident as embarrassing for their program and emphasized the importance of respect in the sport.
• Potter, a highly accomplished collegiate golfer, recently secured his first NCAA individual title at The Hayt tournament before the incident occurred.