‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods pranked his best friend with a sanitary pad during his comeback game. As accusations that the prank had insulted a woman grew, Woods apologized the next day.
According to CNN, on the 17th (local time), Woods slipped a tampon-type sanitary pad to his companion, Justin Thomas, on the 9th hole of the first round of the Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour.
When Woods’ shot flew farther than Thomas, Woods prepared to make fun of Thomas. Thomas smiled when he received the tampon. Woods and Thomas are known for being close to each other.
However, when this image of Woods was shared on social media, controversy arose.
Sky Sports host Sarah Stuck, who saw Woods’ appearance, commented that it was “very stupid” and “really disappointing.”
USA Today columnist Christine Brennan pointed out, “I teased Thomas by saying, ‘You hit like a girl,’ but that’s something a father with a 15-year-old daughter shouldn’t do.”
Lawyer and writer Julie Decaro said, “Men may find these pranks amusing, but they insult women.”
Some netizens who are presumed to have golf as a hobby showed reactions such as “I did it to make fun of each other when playing golf” and “I also did it when playing golf with a friend”, but the controversy continued to grow.
After finishing the second round on the 18th, Woods said, “It was a joke. It was not a bad intention,” he apologized, saying, “I’m sorry if I hurt others in any way.”
“We always joke with each other. I don’t think it was communicated that way to people, but it’s different between us.”
In the first round of the tournament on the 17th, Woods made 5 birdies and 3 bogeys and scored a 2 under par 69. Woods tied for 27th place by 5 strokes with the lead group. In the second round held the next day, he shot a 74 for an interim total of 1 over par 143.
On the PGA Tour, the top 65 players (including ties) advance to the finals. With Woods’ performance, it is evaluated that advancing to the finals is on the verge. It seems that the performance of the remaining players will determine whether he advances to the finals.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.