Trump: Golf also turns its back on him
Fashion company Ralph Lauren has ended its sponsorship of American golfer Justin Thomas after the world ranking No. 3 muttered a homophobic slur
after missing a putt
.
Thomas, 27, missed a short putt on hole 4 of the
Sentry Tournament of Champions
in Hawaii last Saturday.
As he walked, Thomas muttered the insult - 'fagot', which could be translated as 'fagot' -, which was picked up by the course microphones.
Thomas apologized for the insult after his round.
"First of all, I apologize. I am an adult. I am a grown man, there is absolutely no reason for me to say something like that.
It is terrible. I am very ashamed
. It is not who I am, it is not the type of person I am. Thomas declared.
Ralph Lauren had sponsored Thomas since 2013, when he turned pro.
"We are disappointed by the recent language of Mr. Thomas, which is totally inconsistent with our values," the company said in a statement.
"While we acknowledge that he has apologized and acknowledges the severity of his words, he is a paid ambassador for our brand and his actions conflict with the inclusive culture we strive to defend," he added.
Ralph Lauren said he would consider resuming his sponsorship of Thomas in the future if he pledged to "learn, grow and ultimately use his platform to promote inclusion."
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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