During one of his practice rounds leading up to The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass earlier this week, McIlroy was met by a heckling fan after one of his tee shots. Instead of ignoring the fan — who turned out to be University of Texas golfer Luke Potter — McIlroy confronted him, took his phone, and had security remove Potter.

During Wednesday's practice round, Rory McIlroy took a fan's phone from him and had patron removed, but things got more interesting.

If Rory McIlroy treats his rivals with the same contempt he dished out to one of America’s top college golfers who crassly heckled him at The Players Championship, then there will be only one recipient of the £3.