(CNN) Tiger Woods presented Justin Thomas with a tampon after he passed his play partner in an apparent prank that some on social media say has sexist undertones.
Thomas immediately threw the tampon away before the two men laughed and hugged as they walked off the teeing area of the ninth hole at Genesis International on Thursday.
Woods’ reasons for giving Thomas a tampon are unclear at this time.
CNN reached out to Excel Sports Management, which represents both players, for comment but received no response at the time of publication.
“See, it’s funny because feminine hygiene products are inherently emasculating, so when a man gets another man to touch a tampon, he’s like, ‘I’m a bigger and better man than you because I got you to do it ‘To touch a wrapped tampon!’ “Attorney Ann Olivarius tweeted.
“If tigers had to bleed three months a year and deal with period pains, they would make an entire documentary about champions overcoming insurmountable obstacles,” Alex McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of USA Today’s For The Win, tweeted.
After suffering serious leg injuries in a car accident two years ago, Woods has appeared sporadically in competitions while struggling through a grueling recovery process.
Playing at the Genesis International this week marks his first official tournament start since The Open Championship last July and his first non-major PGA Tour event since the ZOZO Championship in October 2020.
He finished his first round on a two-under par 69, with birdies on his last three holes to end the day five shots behind tournament leaders Max Homa and Keith Mitchell.
Woods and Thomas laughed as they walked the ninth hole during the first round of The Genesis Invitational.
The 47-year-old played alongside Rory McIlroy and Thomas, and the trio of big winners begin their second round at 10:24 ET on Friday.
“It was nice that I had this incredible pairing, two great guys, two great friends,” Woods said in a press conference afterwards.
“It was a great lap. The ebb and flow of needling each other, encouraging each other and telling stories. Because I wasn’t out here, I missed some of the things that happened on the tour, which is kind of fun.”