Rory McIlroy has basically seen it all in the golf world.
But the four-time major winner had never seen this before.
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In 2016, McIlroy was looking to continue his good form at the Wells Fargo Championship, having won it the year before.
As he played at Quail Hollow in '16, McIlroy was paired with Rickie Fowler.
McIlroy was then-ranked No. 3 in the world.
With his eye focused on another Wells Fargo win and reaching the top of the rankings, the Northern Ireland star teed off at the par-3 sixth hole.
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Then things got weird.
A golf ball was thrown near the tee box.
And attached to it was... an earplug.
It was a surreal and completely unexpected golf moment that McIlroy later struggled to put into words.
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"It was sort of weird," he said. "That's never really happened to me before."
Fowler, who used to be known for his highly colorful outfits, was also blown away by seeing a golf ball thrown onto the course, and it having something 'weird' attached to it.
"So random," Fowler said. "The guy tried to say it was a gift. I don't know why you would give a gift of a golf ball with an earplug attached to it."
Being a pro, McIlroy then did the only reasonable thing that could be done.
He highlighted the 'earplug fan' to course officials.
The fan was soon removed and ejected from the course.
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McIlroy, 35, now has 25 PGA Tour wins to his name and more than $83 million in career earnings.
He's a three-time FedEx Cup champion and previously won the Wells Fargo Championship in 2010, 2015 and 2021.
He will be looking to win his fourth Wells Fargo title this week, ahead of next week’s PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.