The little game of hide-and-seek is over. Rory McIlroy is back in the spotlight! After lying low for weeks following his rough PGA Championship run at Quail Hollow, the five-time major champ is starting to show his face again. He skipped media duties, bailed on the Memorial Tournament without even a heads-up to Jack Nicklaus, and pretty much went off the grid. But with the 2025 U.S. Open coming up fast, he is getting back to business. He was spotted at Oakmont quietly prepping, and now he’s teeing it up at the RBC Canadian Open, where he has been seen getting pretty friendly with his little fans.

During the Canadian Open, Rory had a moment that instantly won over fans and one little fan in particular. A 3-4-year-old boy, decked out in a mini green jacket, caught McIlroy’s eye. He walked over, shook his hand, and posed for a photo. His face lit up at the cuteness overload. The wholesome moment went viral and even got the attention of golf analyst Brandel Chamblee.

“Aaaaand, that’s why it’s easy to pull for Rory,” Chamblee, while praising Rory’s soft side, the warm gestures, the genuine fan love, and the moments that remind people why the Irishman is such a beloved figure in the sport. McIlroy,  touched by the little guy, even cracked a fun joke in his classic humor: “It took me a little longer to get one of those.”

McIlroy’s journey to finally getting the Green Jacket has been anything but easy. After his 2011 heartbreak, it took him 11 years to win, and in those years, he missed cuts, had poor finishes, and even finished as a runner-up in 2022. But as heartwarming as the moment was, it didn’t sit right with everyone. But a few fans had flashbacks they weren’t ready to ignore.

You see, while Brandel Chamblee praised McIlroy’s sweet gesture, some fans couldn’t help but bring up ‘that’ moment from The Players Championship. Their reactions showed so.

Rory McIlroy is not as nice as Chamblee thinks, per fans

We all remember the Wednesday practice round where McIlroy had just hit a tee shot and then walked over to a guy, asked for his phone, and took it without waiting. All because he shouted, “Just like 2011 at Augusta!” The fan looked stunned, and the internet quickly speculated that he might’ve said something that rubbed Rory the wrong way. The apologies were in order later, though. One user quipped, “Hope the kid didn’t have a cell phone,” while another added, “He’ll be stealing his phone in 15 years.” 

Quipping on a similar instance, more fans chimed in, dropping comments like, “Not always,” and “Give us a break! He does not!”   Time and again, McIlroy has been called out by the golf world for his nature. He was even thought of as being rude when he called out Scottie Scheffler for being able to afford a chef and not making ravioli himself (since he injured himself doing so).

One fan hysterically commented, “He’s only spending time with that kid because he’s too young to ask a question.” All four days of the PGA Championship, McIlroy refused to speak with the media as the controversy over his non-conforming driver had become a headline.

Whether it’s a genuine change or just a show for the crowd, McIlroy is back in the spotlight, and that’s enough to keep everyone talking. With the U.S. Open around the corner, the real test isn’t just on the greens but in how he handles the heat off the course, too.