Tiger Woods apologized Friday for his prank the day before when he gave his friend Justin Thomas a tampon during the first round of the Genesis Invitational, drawing criticism from the media and social media.
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“If I offended anyone in any way, I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention,” Woods said after his second round at the Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.
“It’s just that we joke with each other all the time. It was just a joke among friends for fun and obviously wasn’t perceived that way,” he lamented.
Halfway through the 9th hole, the 47-year-old golf superstar pressed the punch into Thomas’s hand, who laughed at it before dropping the object to the ground.
Which many didn’t like.
“Really, Tiger,” lamented USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, to denounce the “immature” attitude of the 15 Grand Slam winner.
“Woods’ message to Thomas was obvious. It’s been the guiding principle of silly and often insecure boys for generations: You play like a girl,” she said.
Reactions also erupted on social networks. “Treat me like an ‘awakened’ (a person aware of the injustices and inequalities surrounding them, ed. ed.), say I’m sensitive or that I’m too easily offended. But stamping another golfer is objectively not funny,” wrote an anonymous user on Twitter.
For others, however, the anger felt is “exaggerated,” even “manufactured.”
Woods, who struggled in his second round, may not make it through to the tournament and returns to the greens after seven months.