Tiger Woods has issued an apology following a prank where he handed a fellow golfer a tampon during a tournament. Returning to the sport competitively for the first time in seven months, 47-year-old Woods went up against Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy at Riviera Country Club, per <a href="https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/12813646/tiger-woods-issues-apology-for-tampon-incident-with-justin-thomas-and-says-it-was-supposed-to-be-all-fun-and-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky Sports</a>. Things were going well for Woods as he managed to outdrive his younger opponents on a number of occasions, but it was on the ninth hole where the controversy started. The 47-year-old managed to outdrive Thomas and then sneakily handed him a tampon as the pair walked to take their second shots. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/RickRunGood/status/1626403443278766080]] The gesture was met with laughter from both of them before Thomas dropped it on the floor and the pair embraced. The seemingly harmless prank was met with backlash online and Woods has apologized for any harm caused. The iconic golfer, via Sky Sports, said: "It was supposed to be all fun and games and obviously it hasn't turned out that way. If I offended anybody, it was not the case, it was just friends having fun. "As I said, if I offended anybody in any way, shape, or form, I'm sorry. It was not intended to be that way. It was just, 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." <img class="size-full wp-image-1263195717" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/2J9AJ2E-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1728" height="2560" />[[imagecaption|| Woods came under fire after handing Justin Thomas a tampon. Credit: BJ Warnick / Alamy]] The actions of the golfer were met with criticism by fellow professionals and broadcasters, including Sky Sports presenter Sarah Stirk. Stirk said: "I think that's not what we want to be showcasing in the world of sport. It was crass, it was disappointing and I think surprise from my side because he's playing in the Genesis on the PGA Tour." Others were disappointed that the prank appeared to be premeditated as opposed to off the cuff and that it was disrespectful towards women. Woods did have some supporters who believed it to be a harmless joke, as professional golfer Henni Koyack explained on Sky: "There are some incredible and much-needed conversations going on around women's sport and the culture. "I consider myself a feminist and will do everything to fight for women's sports. Having said that, my personal opinion on this, when I watch that clip, I saw someone having fun and enjoying a connecting moment with his friend." <img class="size-full wp-image-1263195718" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/2HBECE0-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1896" height="2560" />[[imagecaption|| The golfer has apologized for any offense he caused with the prank. Credit: JOE SKIPPER / Alamy]] Others have downplayed the prank as "banter" and that it was simply an ill-thought-out joke. <h6>Featured image credit: ZUMA Press / Alamy</h6>

Tiger Woods apologizes for handing another golfer a tampon during tournament

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