Tiger Woods apologises after handing tampon to Justin Thomas as a prank

Tiger Woods has apologised after he handed his playing partner, Justin Thomas, a tampon in jest during the opening round of the 15-times major winner’s comeback at the Genesis Invitational.

It occurred as the Americans walked off the 9th tee after Woods had outdriven his countryman, who laughed and then dropped the tampon on the floor. The incident caused a disapproving backlash on social media.

“Yeah, it was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn’t turned out that way,” said Woods. “If I offended anybody in any way, shape or form, I’m sorry.

“It was just friends having fun. We play pranks on one another all the time and virally I think this did not come across that way, but between us it’s different.”

Woods came in for criticism on Twitter with one post saying: “Call me woke. Call me a snowflake. Call me “offended”. Whatever. But handing another male golfer a tampon is objectively not funny. It shows the sophistication of a 14-year-old schoolboy.”

Another added: “Some things edge on the line of funny or not. But some actions have real meaning and connotations associated with them. “Is the joke here to ‘stop playing like a girl?’ Or that periods and tampons indicate weakness?”

The 47-year-old is playing in his first competitive PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the Open in July and was in a group with PGA Championship winner Thomas and the four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

Woods closed out his round with a trio of birdies as he carded an encouraging 69 during the first round at the event he is hosting at the Riviera Country Club in California. He followed it with a 74 in his second round on Friday to sit on one over par for the tournament – 10 shots adrift of early clubhouse leader Keith Mitchell.

Woods did not comment on the prank but said: “I was trying to calm myself down all day, trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing out here because I haven’t played. I probably should have appreciated the fans more than I did, but there was so much going on in my head.”

Of late Woods has made the headlines for reasons other than his prowess on golf courses. The world’s most successful golfer’s private life was in turmoil following a car crash in November 2009 and subsequent admissions of “transgressions”. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to reckless driving after he was found passed out in his Mercedes with prescription drugs and marijuana in his system.

The 29-year-old Thomas, a former world No 1, has also had his run-ins with authority. In 2021, Thomas was censured by the PGA and for using a homophobic slur during a tournament in Hawaii. He apologised saying: “I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am.”