{"id":657098,"date":"2026-03-15T09:29:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T09:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/657098\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T09:29:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T09:29:16","slug":"players-championship-fans-evicted-after-grim-comment-towards-rory-mcilroy-as-world-no-2-assuages-masters-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/657098\/","title":{"rendered":"Players Championship fans ‘evicted’ after grim comment towards Rory McIlroy as world No.2 assuages Masters fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rory McIlroy had to battle hard out on the course at TPC Sawgrass to make the cut for Round 3 of the Players Championship. <\/strong><\/p>\n

That is a far cry from last time out, when the golfer<\/a> emerged victorious in the Sunshine State of Florida<\/a> for the second time in his career. <\/p>\n

\"Rory<\/a><\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

McIlroy avoided being cut before Round 3 of the Players ChampionshipCredit: Getty<\/p>\n

Having had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational<\/a> due to a back injury<\/a>, some feared McIlroy<\/a> may not even participate as he faced a race against time<\/a> to get healthy.<\/p>\n

The world No. 2 was not at his best on Thursday<\/a> and shot a two-over 74, which was seven shots off the pace.<\/p>\n

McIlroy on the receiving end of more heckling<\/p>\n

On Friday, the reining Masters champion improved that score by three strokes, but it wasn’t all plain-sailing by any means. <\/p>\n

Out on the course playing with Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele<\/a>, the Northern Irishman was heckled by a group of spectators on the fourth hold. <\/p>\n

MORE ON GOLF<\/p>\n

They shouted for his ball to find the water after he hit his approach. <\/p>\n

Unfortunately for McIlroy, the ball did wind up in a watery grave, though he managed to recover by saving bogey with an 11-foot putt. <\/p>\n

“There were screams of ‘get in the water’ from in the gallery up the top of the hill,” on-course commentator, Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley, said on the broadcast, via GolfMagic<\/a>. “They won’t be here for long.”<\/p>\n

The hostile moment between McIlroy and the spectators brought back memories of what he and his family experienced at last year’s Ryder Cup<\/a>, with them being the subject of verbal abuse<\/a> from American fans. <\/p>\n

His wife, Erica Stroll was even the target of a beer being thrown in her direction<\/a>, as police wound up intervening<\/a> and were forced to escort McIlroy as he made his way around the course. <\/p>\n

Like the fan who used a homophobic slur at the Ryder Cup, these latest hecklers were also reportedly evicted from TPC Sawgrass, according to a report from The Telegraph.<\/a> <\/p>\n

The Players 2026: Prize money<\/p>\n