Justin Thomas, the world’s third-ranked golfer, apologized Saturday after making a homophobic slur during the third round of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, the Tour’s first tournament of 2021.
Thomas used the slur after missing a 6-foot par putt on the 4th hole at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Golf Channel’s microphones picked it up, Thomas putted out, there was a pause, and commentator Terry Gannon said, in reference to Thomas: “Well, really unhappy with that one.”
“It’s inexcusable,” Thomas said on Golf Channel after his round. “I, first off, I just apologize. I mean, there’s no excuse. 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 mean, I’m extremely embarrassed. It’s not who I am, it’s not the kind of person that I am or anything that I do, but it’s, unfortunately, I did it and I have to own up to it and I’m very apologetic.”
As of late Saturday night, the PGA Tour had not issued a statement.
Thomas was asked by Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis what he would learn from Saturday.
“A lot,” Thomas said. “I mean it’s, like I said, it’s inexcusable, I mean, I’m speechless, there’s nothing — I — I found out when I got done on the golf course or when I got done with my round. I mean, it’s, it’s bad. There’s no other way to put it.
“I need to do better, I need to be better, it’s definitely a learning experience, but, yeah, I just, I deeply apologize to everybody and anybody who I offended and I’ll be better because of it.”