| Another typical McIlroy week - chasing big titles as controversies chase him  Courtesy: Reuters The last few days in Rory McIlroy's life have been typical days. On the cusp of two extraordinary achievements - becoming only the second player on the PGA Tour to cross $100 million in career earnings; and looking like someone who can rein in Scottie Scheffler on top of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) - the world No2 continues to dazzle us with his immense golf abilities, and also with his ability to be besieged with controversies even when he does not mean to. It all started with the astonishment he caused by changing his equipment at the start of the Arnold Palmer Invitational (after his AT&T Pebble Beach win), before returning to his old TaylorMade set-up after a couple of rounds. He followed it up with a stunning performance so far at the Players Championship, where he is involved in a two-man, three-hole play-off scheduled for today (Monday). Of course, in between all this was the bizarre happenings on the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday evening, when he took the phone from a spectator after being heckled . As it turned out, the spectator was a top college golfer, currently ranked 60th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, which created a controversy of its own. Wait…that’s not all. There was another McIlroy special. Just like he has done in the past with his thoughts on the Ryder Cup, the Olympics and LIV Golf, he did not sound very complimentary of the Champions Tour. Let’s start with that. When asked if that was part of the plan once he turns 50, McIlroy said: “Absolutely not. I will not play Champions Tour golf. Look, I’ve said a lot of absolutes in my time that I’ve walked back, but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. “Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50.” There seemed nothing wrong in what McIlroy said here, but it came across as a diss towards the Champions Tour. A few media personnel then asked the senior players for their reactions, and they were not too happy about his comment. Here’s the thing about McIlroy. He wears his heart on his sleeves, and he talks from his experience in the present. As he acknowledged, he is willing to change his opinion at a later stage once he has more information or when he has experienced the whole thing himself. It happened in the past with his thoughts on Ryder Cup being ‘exhibition’ matches and about golf in the Olympics being unnecessary when he pulled out of the 2016 Rio Games because of the Zika virus scare. I have interacted with McIlroy for the past 20 years – even before he turned professional and played in the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic as an amateur – and that’s always been one of his refreshing qualities. He never minces his words. Sure, he can do with a few lessons on diplomacy. Still, I’d personally have a ‘politically incorrect’ player who speaks his mind than the assembly line of politically correct golfers who can sugarcoat every feeling of theirs. Confiscating Luke Potter’s phone wasn’t the best move though. It was a practice round and McIlroy had just hit his tee shot into the water, and the University of Texas player is said to have shouted ‘Just like the 2011 Masters’. Of course, the 2011 Masters Sunday is probably the most painful round the Northern Irishman has played in his career, but his reaction seemed as wild as his tee shot on the 10th hole that day (unless we don’t know the whole story as McIlroy refused to speak about it). As much as we dislike it, heckling appears to have become a part of the sport now. Golf is the only sport that offers its fans nearly hand-touching proximity to the players. However, that privilege is increasingly being abused. An inebriated fan hollering would have been a different matter. But that an accomplished college golfer would act cheeky and try to grab McIlroy’s attention (I am sure that’s what Potter was trying to do), reeks of disrespect given the four-time major champion’s stature in the sport. It did not help that some of the click-bait headlines after the incident said McIlroy ‘stole’ the fan’s phone. McIlroy has mastered several arts in the past, including ‘listening’ to people he wants to learn from. It’s time he adds another skill – of closing his ears to people he doesn’t want to listen. | 
