SAVANNAH, Georgia – Ryan McCormick, a Korn Ferry Tour player, took an unconventional approach to manage his frustration during a recent tournament round by taping his mouth shut.
The Korn Ferry Tour shared a video showing McCormick with clear tape over his mouth, explaining his unusual decision.
“I haven`t been enjoying myself much on the golf course this year. I`ve been quite angry and frustrated,” McCormick admitted after his round. “I`ve tried many different solutions, and I thought maybe silencing myself would be helpful, so I put tape over my mouth.”
Following an initial round of 73 (one over par) at the Club Car Championship, McCormick shot a 72 in the subsequent round and was set to miss the cut for the tournament.
McCormick explained that one of the reasons for this extraordinary measure was to avoid negatively impacting his playing partners.
“I was hoping it might help me personally. I can`t definitively say if it did or didn`t affect my game. It certainly makes breathing a conscious effort. I felt a bit like Bane from Batman, muzzling myself. I`m not necessarily proud of it. I didn`t want to create an unpleasant experience for my playing partners, and honestly, for myself and others around. I`m going through a tough time, and this was my solution for today.”
McCormick, who returned to the Korn Ferry Tour after playing on the PGA Tour in 2024, has only made the cut in three out of six tournaments this season and hasn`t finished within the top 40 in any event.
He mentioned that he has explored various self-help methods, including reading books and consulting with others, but nothing has seemed to be effective.
“I`ve run out of ideas, and the tape idea crossed my mind a couple of weeks ago,” McCormick said. “Unfortunately, it came to that point today.”
