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Texas golfer gets kicked out of PGA event for heckling Rory McIlroy
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Texas golfer Luke Potter, a junior at the program, was ejected from TPC Sawgrass in Florida, site of the 2025 edition of THE PLAYERS Championship, on Wednesday after heckling Rory McIlroy during a practice round.
According to NBCSports.com, Potter was in Florida for the John Hayt Invitational, winning the individual title as the Longhorns placed first out of 15 teams.
After a McIlroy shot found the water, Potter reportedly shouted, “Just like 2011 at Augusta,” referring to McIlroy’s disastrous final round in the famed event nearly 14 years ago. The Irishman held a one-shot lead at -11 with 9 holes remaining but triple-bogeyed the 10th before ultimately finishing -4 for the tournament, 10 shots behind champion Charl Schwartzel.
Here’s video of how McIlroy responded:
Let’s hope these two don’t meet on the course in a few years if Potter decides to turn pro. Potter, for his part, seemed concilatory afterwards.
“Look, I just made a mistake, and I take ownership for it,” he said. “I apologize for it. That’s about all that needs to be said.”
Hopefully, it’s a lesson learned for Potter. He and his Texas teammates, ranked No. 4 in the country, head next to San Diego for the Pauma Valley Invitational in San Diego.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
