Tiger Woods made his long-awaited comeback on Thursday, and marked the occasion by handing his playing partner Justin Thomas a tampon, seemingly suggesting that he plays like a woman, after outdriving him at the Genesis Invitational.
The 15-time major winner was playing his first competitive round in seven months after an injury lay-off but he showed no signs of rustiness as he hit a two-under-par 69.
It was his driving that stood out during the opening round as he consistently struck his tee shots further than Thomas and Rory McIlroy.
As Woods and Thomas teed off on the ninth hole, Woods once again got the better of his fellow American, and as the pair walked up the fairway together he slipped something into Thomas's hand.
Thomas immediately threw it on the floor, while Woods was left in hysterics, clearly happy with his prank.
Yes, Tiger Woods 100% handed Justin Thomas a tampon after he outdrove him. pic.twitter.com/VJbfldyXhw
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) February 17, 2023
Tiger Woods cheekily handed Justin Thomas a tampon during the opening round on Thursday
Both men saw the funny side of Woods' prank, which came after he outdrove Thomas
He then put his arm around Thomas, who was also smiling having seen the funny side of the incident.
Cameras quickly picked up that it was a tampon that had been put into Thomas's hand prior to him throwing it away.
The distance to the hole in women's golf is not as long as it is for their male counterparts, and it appears that Woods may have been suggesting that Thomas would be better suited to playing on a shorter course with his gesture.
While both men saw the funny side, Woods's actions have not gone down well with everyone as some fans have hit out at the American on social media.
'Call me woke. Call me a snowflake. Call me “offended”. Whatever. But handing another male golfer a tampon is objectively not funny. It shows the sophistication of a 14 year old schoolboy,' one fan posted on Twitter.
Another fan pointed out that this was not the first time Woods has caused controversy when it comes to tampons, in an apparent reference to the American having sex with his mistress Mindy Lawton when she was on her period in 2007.
'People getting offended by Tiger giving JT a Tampon.
Call me woke. Call me a snowflake. Call me “offended”. Whatever. But handing another male golfer a tampon is objectively not funny. It shows the sophistication of a 14 year old schoolboy. @TigerWoods
— Josh Jeffery (@JeffCarnage) February 17, 2023People getting offended by Tiger giving JT a Tampon.
Not the first time people have got offended when it comes to Tiger Woods and a Tampon! #SecretTourPro
— Secret Tour Pro (@secrettourpro) February 17, 2023'Not the first time people have got offended when it comes to Tiger Woods and a Tampon!' they wrote.
Woods's extra-marital affair came to light in November 2009, and he went on to crash his Cadillac into a fire hydrant and a tree two days later.
He took responsibility for the crash amid speculation regarding his private life, before appearing on television in February 2010 to make a public apology.
Woods was also arrested after being found by police asleep in his car in May 2017, and he later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
He was involved in another car crash in February 2021 where he suffered multiple leg injuries, leading to fears that his golf career could be over, but has since returned to the sport.
Woods' prank signalled that he was in a relaxed mood back on the golf course, and he went on to finish his round in some style.
The 47-year-old ended his round with three consecutive birdies, delighting the huge crowd at the Riviera Golf Course.
He heads into Friday's second round five shots off the lead, which is jointly held by American duo Max Homa and Keith Mitchell.
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