Golfer Justin Thomas says he’ll enter ‘training program’ after using anti-gay slur
Justin Thomas, third-ranked golfer in the world, said Wednesday that he intends to undergo training after his reputation was dented this month by his use of an anti-gay slur on a Hawaii course.
Thomas uttered the ugly word after he botched a putt on Jan. 9 in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. The caught-on-audio slur prompted Ralph Lauren to slash its sponsorship of the golfer.
Thomas said he respected the clothing brand’s decision to cut ties, saying that he “put them in a terrible position.”
I will say this again...@JustinThomas34 is an amazing guy.
Took on every question about the Hawaii incident, and answered honestly.
"It's an opportunity for me to grow. They just felt like they needed to move on. That's exactly what I'm doing, as well." pic.twitter.com/0ub4Q0Voob— Joy Chakravarty (@TheJoyofGolf) January 20, 2021
“It’s embarrassing,” Thomas, 27, said in a news conference. “It’s not me. It’s not a word that I use, but for some reason, it was in there. And that’s what I’m trying to figure out as to why it was in there.”
The Kentucky-born athlete said that he is prepared to enter a process to prove to himself and to his sponsors that the homophobic slur did not reflect who he is. He did not specify what that might entail, just referring to it as a “training program.”
With News Wire Services
