McIlroy knows this, which is why he did his best to avoid commenting on the debacle when asked about it Thursday afternoon at Sawgrass. Even for a player with a vulnerable history with the press, fanning the flames of an embarrassing-all-the-way-around story was an obvious no-go.

It was loud enough for McIlroy to hear. And he was definitely offended enough to make a stand. He walked toward Potter and his teammate, reached his arm across the rope line and said to Potter’s teammate, “Can I see your phone?” Frozen in shock, the kid let McIlroy take his phone. And away Rory went with the phone.

The Players Championship has begun, but the talk at TPC Sawgrass is a viral confrontation between four-time major champion Rory McIlroy and a spectator. While the triggering incident remains off-camera,