KAPALUA, Hawaii — Justin Thomas apologized Saturday afternoon for uttering an anti-gay slur beneath his breath when he missed a 5-foot par putt on the fourth gap of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
“It is inexcusable,” Thomas mentioned. “First off, I simply apologize. I am an adult. I am a grown man; there’s completely no motive for me to say something like that. It is terrible. I am extraordinarily embarrassed. It is not who I’m; it is not the type of person that I’m or something that I do.
“Unfortunately, I did it, and I’ve to own up to it, and I am very apologetic.”
Thomas mentioned he wasn’t aware that it had been picked up and was a subject on social media till after his spherical.
Thomas completed with a 5-under 68, and he’s 4 photographs again of the lead.
The PGA Tour mentioned in a press release, “As he expressed after his spherical, we agree that Justin’s remark was unacceptable.”
He’s prone to be fined for conduct unbecoming an expert, although the PGA Tour doesn’t disclose conduct punishment.
A yr in the past, Scott Piercy lost two endorsement offers for sharing an anti-gay meme poking enjoyable at Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who’s gay, when Buttigieg introduced he was suspending his campaign. Piercy additionally referenced the far-right conspiracy principle QAnon.
Patrick Reed also had to apologize in Shanghai in 2014 when he cursed along with an anti-gay slur after three-putting.
Thomas, who reached No. 1 in the world for one-week last yr, is the defending champion at Kapalua.
“It is bad. There is no other way to put it,” Thomas mentioned. “I must do better; I need to be higher. It is definitely learning expertise. I simply … I deeply apologize to everyone and anyone who I offended, and I will be better due to it.”
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