Reed credits Tiger's 'dirty joke' for 2016 Ryder Cup win over McIlroy

Just moments prior to his Sunday singles match against Rory McIlroy at the 2016 Ryder Cup, Patrick Reed needed some serious help.

Reed was having a poor warmup session on the Hazeltine practice range, fighting to manage the intense pressure of facing one of the game's best players.

"I was tight on the range," Reed told John Feinstein in the latter's book, "The First Major: The Inside Story of the 2016 Ryder Cup." "Really tight. I didn't like the way I was hitting the ball, and I knew it was nerves. I was telling myself to calm down and just get ready to play, but it wasn't working."

That's when U.S. vice-captain Tiger Woods came to the rescue, although it wasn't with a swing thought, or a method to try and ease the anxiety. Instead, it was with some salacious humor.

"I walked over there. He had his arms folded. I waited. He looked really serious," Reed said. "And then he told me a dirty joke."

Reed and McIlroy would trade birdies and blows in the match, with the American eventually winning 1-up en route to a 17-11 U.S. victory over Europe.

"It was actually the perfect thing to do," Reed added. "It just broke the tension."