Cameron Smith could do nothing but laugh when a journalist's question slagged off Rory McIlroy before the Aussie ace sidestepped answering it.
The 29-year-old was speaking at a media event alongside Phil Mickelson and Matt Wolff ahead of the latest LIV Golf event in Chicago. The mundane scene took a bizarre turn when a journalist from 'Drunk By The Turn' posed the following question.
Reporter: "I just wanted to reflect on you being the 150th winner of the Open, and I know you had spoken about how many beers you could fit in the Claret Jug, I think it was two. I was just wondering how many of Rory McIlroy's tears were you able to fit in it after you won?"
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy says LIV players gave him ‘extra motivation’ at Wentworth
Smith smirked at the question before opting to be diplomatic about it by wisely saying 'I'm not answering that.'
Phil Mickelson's face right next to Smith also told a tale.
McIlroy had looked set to finally end his eight-year major drought at St Andrews when co-leader heading into Sunday Viktor Hovland fell away from almost the very first hole.
But while the Northern Irishman, the most vocal critic of the Saudi-backed breakaway series, played mistake-free golf, he didn't come up with any moments of magic either and wound up shooting -2 for the day.
This allowed Smith to reel him in and ultimately surpass him having gone round in 64 (-8) having caught fire around the back nine.
The reporter in question had previously shared a video yesterday in which he showed Smith and Pat Perez chuckling after looking at a meme he'd created.
It was a photo of the Aussie looking off into the distance with the caption 'Is that Rory over there bitching about something again?'
While McIlroy did fail to get that long-awaited fifth major in 2022, he has enjoyed a remarkably consistent year as he has seemingly ironed out the fluctuations in his game that dogged him for so long.
The latest example has come over this weekend as he enjoyed another top five finish at the Italian Open.
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