Rory McIlroy kept quiet on Thursday about a practice-round incident at The Players Championship in which he took a heckler's phone, a critic who later apologized to the four-time major champion. Asked about the incident after his opening-round five-under par 67 on Thursday,

University of Texas golfer Luke Potter has apologized after he reportedly was removed from the grounds at TPC Sawgrass earlier this week for heckling star golfer Rory McIlroy. Video of the incident spread on social media earlier this week.

A Texas men’s golfer was escorted out of TPC Sawgrass after allegedly making a comment toward Rory McIlroy during a practice round ahead of The Players Championship, according to Golf.com. He apparently referenced the 2011 Masters after McIlroy hit a shot in the water.

Rory McIlroy was interested only in his good start to The Players Championship on Thursday than discussing a heckling incident in which he took the phone of a University of Texas player who had heckled him during a practice round.

MIAMI – Rory McIlroy on March 13 kept quiet about a practice-round incident at The Players Championship in which he took a phone from a heckler – a critic who later apologised to the four-time Major champion.