SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For 18 holes Thursday afternoon, winding from the desert surroundings of the front nine to the trademark stadium set-ups on the back, there was one constant.
When Rory McIlroy stood to address his ball, the iPhone cameras shot up, each claiming a few inches of hard-fought real estate. When McIlroy finished, the iPhone cameras went back in pockets. If fans lingered long enough to watch his playing partners — Collin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama — they only did so for a brief moment before repositioning themselves for McIlroy’s next shot.
