This mistake cost him more than a stroke.
Ralph Lauren has ended its sponsorship of Justin Thomas because the No. 3-ranked golfer muttered a homophobic slur after missing a putt.
Thomas, 27, missed a short putt on the 4th hole of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii last Saturday. While walking to his tap-in bogey putt, Thomas muttered the slur, which was picked up by course microphones.
Thomas apologized for the slur after his round.
“First off, I just apologize,” Thomas said. “I’m an adult. I’m a grown man, there’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible. I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am, it’s not the kind of person that I am.”
Ralph Lauren had sponsored Thomas since 2013, when he turned pro.
“We are disheartened by Mr. Thomas’s recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values,” the company said in a statement. “While we acknowledge that he has apologized and recognizes the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador of our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture that we strive to uphold.”
Ralph Lauren said it would consider resuming its sponsorship of Thomas in the future if he committed to “learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion.”
