After winning his fifth Green Jacket yesterday at the Masters, Tiger Woods sat down with the media to talk about his 15th major victory, and what it means.
During the presser, a giddy Tiger – who’s known for using nicknames (e.g. brooksy, poults) and golf lingo when discussing his game, answered one particular question by inserting 10 of these golfy words/terms.
Here’s the Q &A: (lingo in bold)
Question: You mentioned about the shots you hit coming in. After the tee shot on 11, was there anything that you relied on, tee shot on 12, drive on 13, 14, 15, tee shot on 16, tee shot on 17 and 18; was there anything specific that you leaned on?
TIGER WOODS: No. Nothing specific. Because I felt like that was probably the strongest part of my game all week was driving the golf ball. I’ve been working on trying to shape the golf ball both ways coming into this event, and was able to do that.
And yeah, the tee shot at 11 was awful. You know, I leaned on it, trying to hit it‑‑ trying to flight it a little bit and it got stuck underneath there. Had a shot. I just kept saying, if I can just sneak out of here with a par, we have a lot of golf left.
We have two par 5s, a gettable pin at 14, another one at 17 and anything could happen up 18.
So I just said, just keep plodding along, and then next thing you know, I see Brooksy make a mistake at 12. Francesco made a mistake at 12. Patrick was making a run up ahead. DJ was making a run. Xander was making a run. There were so many different scenarios that evolved, and I was looking at the leaderboard coming off 13 green and there’s six, seven guys with a chance to win the tournament.
Just kept telling myself, I have, along with Francesco, we have the most holes to play, so whatever they do, I’ll just birdie the same holes, then it’s a moot point. As you know, I birdied 13, I birdied 15 with two good shots in there, and almost hooped it at 16.
That gave me the cush, and I kept telling myself on 17, that tee shot, I said, I’ve been in this position before. I had a two‑shot lead with DiMarco and went bogey, bogey.
Let’s go ahead and pipe this ball right down the middle. Hit a little flat squeezer out there and I did, I just smoked it. I made par there.
Then 18, I said, hey, it’s not over yet. Arnold lost the tournament and lost the hole with a double. So let’s keep the hammer down. Brooksy could still make birdie up 18 and I could make bogey and next thing you know we’re in a playoff, so let’s get this ball in play. I did, and I saw him tap out for par, and that gave me the cush knowing that I could make bogey.
And I had a little bit of mud on my golf ball playing that shot, and I said just make sure I overcut this thing; don’t undercut it. Overcut it to the right. And I did. I whoofed it and hit it over to the right and I was able to put that ball on the green and two‑putt.
What the lingo means:
- Shape: Hitting the ball in different directions (fade/draw).
Tiger usage: “I’ve been working on trying to shape the golf ball both ways coming into this event, and was able to do that.” - Gettable pin: A pin placement that is less risky for the players to shoot at.
Tiger usage: “I just kept saying, if I can just sneak out of here with a par, we have a lot of golf left. We have two par 5s, a gettable pin at 14, another one at 17 and anything could happen up 18.” - Flight it: To hit the ball, usually a tee shot.
Tiger usage: “And yeah, the tee shot at 11 was awful. You know, I leaned on it, trying to hit it‑‑ trying to flight it a little bit and it got stuck underneath there.” - Hooped: To put the ball in the hole – same as hole it.
Tiger usage: “As you know, I birdied 13, I birdied 15 with two good shots in there, and almost hooped it at 16.” - Cush: A cushion, more than a one-shot lead.
Tiger usage: “I saw him [Brooks Koepka] tap out for par, and that gave me the cush knowing that I could make bogey.” - Pipe: Like a pipe, a straight shot.
Tiger usage: Let’s go ahead and pipe this ball right down the middle. - Squeezer: Tiger’s go-to fade shot when he needs to “squeeze” the fairway.
Tiger usage: Hit a little flat squeezer out there.” - Hammer down: Don’t let up. Keep working.
Tiger usage: “I said, hey, it’s not over yet. Arnold lost the tournament and lost the hole with a double. So let’s keep the hammer down.” - Smoked it: A great shot (usually a tee shot).
Tiger usage: “I just smoked it. I made par there.” - Whoofed it: A bad shot. Ugly as a dog.
Tiger usage: I whoofed it and hit it over to the right and I was able to put that ball on the green and two‑putt.