A student golfer who heckled Rory McIlroy has publicly apologized, calling the incident “a mistake.”
Luke Potter, a college junior and player on the University of Texas’ golf team, was filmed heckling McIlroy at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, March 11.
After McIlroy’s first ball hit water, Potter shouted, “Just like the 2011 at Augusta,” according to accounts of the incident shared on social media. After his second shot, McIlroy took Potter’s phone before the student was escorted out of the venue.
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“Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it,” Potter told GolfChannel.com in an article published on Thursday, March 13.
“I apologize for it. That’s about all that needs to be said. … It’s just a good learning experience. Yeah, I apologize,” he added.
Potter is said to have violated the official Fan Code of Conduct, which prohibits “verbal or physical harassment of players” and “distracting a player or any disruption of play,” according to Golf.com.
Potter’s phone was later returned, according to various reports.
Potter’s coach, John Fields, reflected on the incident in an interview with Golf.com on Thursday.
“He’s got a hole in his heart. He had no idea that what was coming out of his mouth was going to result in this fashion,” Fields said.
He added that Potter’s actions were “embarrassing” for the University of Texas’ golf program.
“It is particularly sensitive to me because our program is built on respect for the game, and I would tell you that we coach 18-to 22-year-olds on a normal basis and they don’t always make the right call, and that’s my responsibility as a coach and when they do make a mistake it’s a learning moment,” he continued.
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Fields said Potter has written apology letters to McIlroy, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PGA Tour University director Brendan von Doehren and Scott Schroeder, the men’s golf coach at the University of North Florida, the host school of The Hayt tournament.
“Going forward he’s going to be a better man. That’s what I think,” Fields added.
As for McIlroy, the golf star refused to discuss the incident at a press conference on Thursday.
In a video shared via social media, a journalist asked McIlroy: “Rory, can I ask you about the shenanigans with that kid on 17 in practice?”
“No, you can’t,” McIlroy responded. When asked “why,” the golfer said: “Because I don’t want you to.”
“The whole thing, I think, was made stranger by the fact it wasn’t a civilian, that it was a player,” the journalist probed. “Is that surprising? Did you know that? And did you learn that later? And did it surprise you when you learned it?”
“I’m really happy that I shot 67 today,” McIlroy said, ignoring the questions.
