The 2025 TOUR Championship at East Lake is heating up, and Rory McIlroy is right in the mix. Tied for tenth and chasing leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley. So, things are busy for the Irishman – and that’s normal.

What’s not normal, the fans say, is his behavior during the third round at East Lake.

In a clip shared by Golf Magic’s Andy Roberts, Rory McIlroy was conversing with his team when a TOUR Championship cameraman filming him while walking backwards lost his balance and fell. McIlroy showed concern, extending his hand to help the cameraman up. However, when a member of McIlroy’s team stepped in to assist the cameraman, McIlroy withdrew his hand and continued on, walking away while still smiling and chatting with his teammate.

So, what could be the reason behind that? Some fans argue McIlroy was likely thinking about his recent playoff performance. At East Lake, for instance, he started with a solid 66 on a rain-soaked course and then followed it up with 67 on Friday. He is still in the mix, but admitted that he is critical of his current game.

Following his Friday round, he said, “Still didn’t feel like I got the most out of my round; a three-putt on 14 and then the bogey on 17. But overall I played much better than last week, which was a positive.” Could that be the reason? Well, only he could answer.

On the other hand, and although such cases are rare, McIlroy’s behavior on the course has often attracted attention. At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy got heated with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, after LaCava celebrated Cantlay’s crucial putt on the 18th hole by swirling his hat way too close to McIlroy. McIlroy was trying to line up his own putt to tie the match against Cantlay and Wyndham Clark.

McIlroy was livid that LaCava invaded his space while he was checking out his putt. A new camera angle showed LaCava not backing off, prompting McIlroy to tell him to move. McIlroy’s teammates Shane Lowry and Justin Rose also got into LaCava’s face after the incident.  That time, the fans were in McIlroy’s favor, but this time, not really.

PGA Tour fans slam Rory McIlroy’s behavior at the TOUR Championship

His behavior, however, did not sit well with the fans. “Imagine being so locked in you can’t spare a hand for the guy who just ate grass filming you. Ice cold from Rory 😅,” said one fan. Another chimed in with, “Rory didn’t seem to concerned.” It is not often that we see Rory McIlroy in such light; however, he has had his fair share of controversial moments.

In 2023, for instance, after former Ryder Cup vice-captain Henrik Stenson made a switch to LIV Golf, McIlroy took a dig at him, saying, “The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder cup team was Henrik going to LIV!” In response, Stenson threw his own jab: “Nice to see the season of good will in full swing! Mеrry Christmas!!!”

A third man showed disbelief at McIlroy’s behavior, commenting, “Didn’t want to help the guy up?!?!” Another wrote, “About what I’d expect from Rory.” Interestingly, the Northern Irishman has received heat for his behavior, not just from the fans, but also from fellow pros.

After Sergio Garcia left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy revealed a fiery text-message exchange with his former Ryder Cup teammate. McIlroy said Garcia was “basically telling me to shut up about LIV, blah, blah, blah.” McIlroy was “offended” by Garcia’s words and shot back “a couple of daggers” in response.

Garcia reacted to the spat, telling The Telegraph, “I think it is very sad. I think that we’ve done so many things together and had so many experiences that for him to throw that away just because I decided to go to a different tour, well, it doesn’t seem very mature; lacking maturity, really.” 

Lastly, a fan said, “Being around Rory will do that.” The Irish pro has not said anything about the matter yet, but some of the fans would certainly hope he does.