Pro Golfer Puts Tape Over His Mouth in Effort to ‘Shut Myself Up’ on the Course: ‘That Was My Solution Today’

Ryan McCormick competed in the second round of the Club Car Championship on Friday, April 4, with his mouth literally taped shut

A pro golfer has found an unusual way to keep his emotions in check during competition.

On Friday, April 4, Ryan McCormick was spotted during the second round of the Club Car Championship in Savannah, Ga., sporting a piece of clear plastic tape over his mouth.

During the outing at the Landings Golf & Athletic Club, McCormick, 33, decided to take some active measures to ensure he wouldn’t get as “angry and mad” as he’s been during recent outings, as he told the Korn Ferry Tour that he’s had a “not-so-fun time this year on the golf course” so far.

“I’ve tried a lot of things, and I figured I’d just shut myself up,” McCormick said in a video detailing his efforts during the Korn Ferry Tour. “So I put tape over my mouth.”

“At this point, I’ve tried about everything. I’ve read a lot of books, I’ve talked to people … just too angry on the golf course, so I have run out of ideas, and I thought about the tape thing a couple weeks ago,” he added. “Unfortunately came down to that today.”

McCormick added that while he was “hoping” he’d see some positive results from his decision to place tape over his mouth, he “can’t say that it did or didn’t” help.

“It certainly makes you breathe. I felt like Bane, like Batman, muzzle myself,” McCormick said. “I mean, I’m not like proud, I don’t want to create an experience for my playing partners that’s not fair. And, you know, it’s not fair to me either or other people.”

“Having a tough time, and that was my solution today,” he added with a smile.

When asked how he and his caddie communicated during the day, McCormick revealed that he stuck to “writing down the numbers” or pointing to ask his caddie “for a read.”

“It made things a lot simpler, I’ll tell you that,” he joked.

According to the PGA Tour’s website, the golfer shot a 72 and missed the cut on Friday by a few strokes, after entering the Club Car Championship at No. 126 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

Performance aside, McCormick later wrote on his Instagram Stories on Friday that he decided to open up about his tape trick since “it’s important to be honest and vulnerable whether I’m playing good or bad.”

“Obviously this isn’t a permanent solution but this was an exercise I was trying to get some better results out there, I hope my fellow golfers can find some humor and comfort knowing that us pros also struggle with the mental challenges that the game throws at you,” he wrote.

“Hope I can give an interview later this year talking about how l overcame this [and] I will never stop loving this stupid game!” he added.