John McEnroe takes unexpected swipe at Rory McIlroy during awkward US Open moment

John McEnroe delivered a scathing remark directed at golfer Rory McIlroy, who was observing the US Open tennis semi-final following his PGA Tour conclusion.

After McIlroy's PGA Tour season climax at the Tour Championship, the Northern Irish golf sensation took the opportunity to relish some US tennis action, eyeing up the intense semi-final bout between Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz at New York's iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Tennis great McEnroe couldn't hold back on commentary when it came to McIlroy's lengthy spell without a major win. With this summers Open Championship marking a decade since McIlroy secured a major title, McEnroe seized an opening to comment on the drought after his fellow broadcaster mentioned that the golfer had previously bagged three of the four major championships.

The moment McIlroy appeared on screen savouring wine, McEnroe jumped at the chance to quip about the duration since the golfer's last grand victory, retorting: "It has been a long time! ".

To rub salt in the wound, McEnroe poked fun by saying with a hint of irony, "Little bit of vino to ease the pain."

The jest was particularly poignant considering McIlroy had narrowly missed clinching a much-sought-after major at this years US Open, where he led the pack at Pinehurst No. 2 before faltering two shots shy of victory in the final five holes.

McIlroy's hopes for victory were dashed as a catastrophic finish, including three bogeys in the final four holes, led to him losing the title to Bryson DeChambeau by a mere stroke. The crushing blow at Pinehurst saw McIlroy make a swift departure following DeChambeau's victory-sealing putt.

In the aftermath, McIlroy announced he would be taking a three-week break from the PGA Tour. Adding insult to injury, commentator McEnroe referenced McIlroy's recent narrow miss during last Friday's broadcast, remarking, "The close call he had had, was it the US Open? Tough," and concluded with, "Tough one to lose."

After the heartbreak of the US Open, McIlroy's PGA Tour season ended on a subdued note, tying for ninth in the FedEx Cup standings after the Tour Championship.

Reflecting on his season at East Lake, McIlroy acknowledged the toll the year had taken, saying, "It's been a long season," and mused about incorporating more breaks into his schedule, admitting: "And I'm going to just have to think about trying to build in a few extra breaks here and there next year and going forward.

"I felt like I hit a bit of a wall sort of post-US Open, and still feel a little bit of that hangover."