Rory McIlroy continues to sit on the front page of the leaderboard, but TPC Sawgrass still finds ways to put its claws into him at The PLAYERS Championship.

McIlroy shared the lead at various points at TPC Sawgrass but will instead head into the weekend just off the pace

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy was interested only in his good start to The Players Championship on Thursday than discussing a heckling incident in which he took the phone of a University of Texas player who had heckled him during a practice round.

A Texas Longhorns golfer attending a practice round at The Players was removed following an incident with Rory McIlroy.

Trailing by seven strokes heading into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy regretted a club switch and sent for his older set.

When practicing for Thursday’s opening round of The Players Championship, a college golfer heckled the four-time major winner from behind the 18th tee box at the Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., course, with McIlroy later taking matters into his own hands — literally.

Rory McIlroy took matters into his own hands at The Players Championship earlier this week after being heckled by a fan.

Few have the experience of playing the Stadium Course as McIlroy and certainly not three of the players directly ahead of him on the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy is near the top of the PLAYERS Championship, but he had to earn his 5-under 67 the hard way as his struggles off the tee continue.