Tiger Woods has apologized after being criticized for handing a tampon to fellow American Justin Thomas as a joke through the first spherical of the Genesis Invitational.
The 15-time main winner’s comeback journey encountered controversy as pictures circulated on social media of Woods handing the interval product to the twice PGA Championship winner after out-driving him on the ninth gap on Thursday.
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Thomas, who was in Woods’ grouping together with world No.2 Rory McIlroy in Pacific Palisades, California, shortly threw the tampon to the bottom.
Responding to criticism from commentators and on social media, Woods stated it was “simply mates having enjoyable”.
“It was imagined to be all enjoyable and video games however clearly it hasn’t turned out that manner,” he instructed reporters on Friday.
“If I offended anyone in any manner, form or type, I am sorry… We play pranks on one another on a regular basis.”
The photographs of Woods passing the tampon to Thomas prompted a backlash, with critics calling it sexist.
In her column for USA At present, Christine Brennan stated the transfer was in keeping with “juvenile pranks that had been meant to demean.”
British sky sports activities presenter Sarah Stir stated the incident was “disappointing” and “crass”, saying: “To me it was laddy, blokey behaviour, passing him the tampon successfully saying, ‘I’ve outdriven you’, ‘you are driving the ball like a girl’.
“I am stunned probably the most recognizable golfer on the planet has put himself on this place to be uncovered on this manner.”
Famend sports activities journalist Rick Reilly wrote: “All his humor is gross and tops out at seventh grade.”
Social media got here to life when the second was posted. On Friday, one fan shouted, “Tampon!” at Woods after he made a uncommon putt.
Effectively-known social media influencer Paige Spiranac noticed Woods’ prank as humorous.
“If anybody tries to cancel Tiger over this we riot. It is humorous,” Spiranac wrote on Twitter.
“I would like a LIV vs PGA tour Ryder Cup sort occasion simply so Tiger can provide Phil (Mickelson) a tampon after outdriving him.”
McIlroy admitted he had not loved being outdriven by the 47-year-old.
“I will go work on the vary,” McIlroy stated after his 67. “I put my driver up a click on in loft firstly of the week, I may need to show it again down once more. I do not like him hitting it by me.”
The incident occurred in Woods’ first non-major PGA Tour occasion since October 2020, after a automobile crash in 2021 almost value him his leg.
Woods was recovering from a fifth again surgical procedure when he crashed his automobile in Los Angeles two days after the Genesis Invitational in February 2021, struggling a number of fractures of his proper leg and ankle.
After being sidelined for 14 months, Woods returned to motion within the 2022 Masters and made the reduce at Augusta Nationwide and within the following month’s US PGA Championship, however withdrew following the third spherical.
The 15-time main winner missed the reduce within the Open at St Andrews and needed to withdraw from the Hero World Problem within the first week of December after growing plantar fasciitis in his proper foot.
