Pro golfer Justin Thomas has been dropped by his sponsor, The Ralph Lauren Corp., for the use of a homophobic slur.
Thomas came under fire Saturday when he made the remark during the third round of the Sentry Championship in Hawaii and although he apologized, the fashion company said they would still be parting ways.
"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," a statement from The Ralph Lauren Corporation read, per CNN. "As we make this decision, our hope is that Mr. Thomas does the hard and necessary work in order to partner with us again — truly examining this incident, learning, growing and ultimately using his platform to promote inclusion."
Thomas was caught on a camera microphone muttering the homophobic remark after missing a seven-foot par putt on the fourth hole. In an apology he said what he had done was "inexcusable."
"I'm an adult. I'm a grown man, there's absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that. It’s terrible," Thomas said after the round, according to Golf Channel. "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."
Responding to the incident, the PGA said in a statement that Thomas would be facing repercussions for his actions.
"He is likely to be fined for conduct unbecoming a professional, though the PGA Tour does not disclose conduct punishment," the statement read.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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