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.

Golfer Rory McIlroy appeared to snap at a fan in a video which went viral on Wednesday - with an eyewitness recalling what prompted the actions. McIlroy was in action at the Players Championship but was involved in an unusual incident following a tee shot which ended up in the water in the practice round with Shane Lowry.