The (very salty) pep talk that got Tiger Woods going at the Masters

Tiger Woods’ round wasn’t going great early Saturday, and then came the fifth hole.

Woods was even par for the day at the point and had just missed makeable birdie putts on Nos. 3 and 4. Then he hit driver off the tee at the 495-yard par-4, and the shot went in the bunker.

That’s when he said this under his breath but within earshot of dozen or so patrons: “Trust your (expletive) instincts you stupid (expletive). … It’s already cost you three strokes.”

That was part of a two-minute pep talk he gave himself, focusing on trusting his own decisions and peppered with that same expletive. Woods held his hand near his mouth the entire time and his words were only audible to those nearest him.

They also seemed to work. After a bogey on No. 5, Woods birdied Nos. 6 and 7 and 8 to get to 8-under par and with two shots of the lead at 4:05 p.m. He then missed a short birdie putt on No. 8.

Woods’ use of blue language on the course is nothing new. In fact, Saturday’s words were restrained compared to some of his outbursts. Golf.com reported that between 2011 and 2015, the Federal Communications Commission received 15 complaints about Woods’ language that was picked up on television. In 2017, some commentators even used Woods’ bad language as an example that his game was getting back into good form.

The course record of 63 (set by Nick Price in 1986 and Greg Norman in 1996) appeared to be in jeopardy Saturday afternoon as several players were going low before the leaders even got on the back nine. Webb Simpson and Patrick Cantlay both shot 64s coming off morning tee times.

Woods (-11) was tied for the lead late Saturday. He has won in the Masters four times.

This story was originally published April 13, 2019 at 5:45 PM.