Getty Image / Cliff Hawkins
Tiger Woods was in great form for his first non-Major Championship appearance in years. He finished birdie-birdie-birdie to shoot a -2 score of 69 at Riviera, the course where he made his professional debut decades ago.
Big Cat was piping it off the tee. He averaged 311.7/yards with his driver and was bombing it down the fairway.
On the 9th hole, Tiger Woods nuked his drive past his playing partner Justin Thomas. Then Tiger discretely slipped Justin a Tampax tampon as a joke. If this was anyone else in sports, any other athlete at all, there’s a chance that people would try and cancel that person. But this is Tiger Woods and it’s not happening.
Former pro golfer Paige Spiranac echoed that sentiment by saying “If anyone tries to cancel Tiger over this we riot. It’s funny.”
If anyone tries to cancel Tiger over this we riot. It’s funny https://t.co/rRXdu9iQiz
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 17, 2023
That photograph was taken by Getty photographer Cliff Hawkins. It was immediately spread far and wide.
Paige Spiranace swooped into the initial viral tweet with this response about LIV Golf and Phil Mickelson:
I need a LIV vs PGA tour Ryder cup type event just so Tiger can give Phil a tampon after out driving him
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 17, 2023
UPDATE: Paige Spiranac offers new ideas on the Tiger Woods x Tampax tampon controversy
After waking up and seeing her mentions, Paige Spiranac offered some new thoughts on the Tiger Woods situation and feminism.
It’s interesting to see women outraged by Tiger slipping JT a tampon after out driving him but those same women will quickly tear me down for how I’ve decided to build my business. You can’t pick and choose when to be a feminist.
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 17, 2023
Instead of women being outraged by Tiger and the tampon, I would love for them to actually provide ideas to help. For example I would have Tampex team up with the PGA tour to run a campaign where they provide free feminine products at golf courses. Most don’t actually have them…
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 17, 2023
Many people called it fake but I can assure you it’s 100% real. I just licensed it from the photographer via Getty. And you can zoom in and see Tiger passing JT a Tampax tampon just like in the memes:
Getty Image / Cliff Hawkins
That image got picked up by PGAMemes and other golf accounts on Instagram. It blew up on Twitter. Everyone had jokes.
😂😂😂 goat trolling
— Peter Trego (@tregs140) February 17, 2023
I love this out of Tiger. Shows he’s having fun again. I love the step on their throat TW but this version is fun to watch also.
— Bill Feldberg (@Bill_Feldberg) February 17, 2023
Some golf accounts tried to claim that it’s not funny:
At a time where Women’s golf is pushing on to higher and higher levels, I don’t think the “gift” that Tiger gave to JT helps golf’s image. Is it supposed to be funny because women supposedly can’t hit a ball? These players might have to say about that:
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) February 17, 2023
Just as Paige Spiranac said, it’s funny. It’s okay to not like the nature of the humor. We can acknowledge that Tiger Woods could’ve made other more appropriate jokes. But that doesn’t mean Tiger’s prank on JT wasn’t funny because it was.
Did it set a great example for the youth and future professionals of tomorrow? Maybe not, maybe so. But it’s still funny. Tiger knows it. Paige Spiranac knows it. JT knows it. It was funny.
After the round, Tiger Woods was asked about smiling after his 3rd birdie in 3 holes. This was his answer:
@nbcgolf Pure joy from Tiger Woods after making birdie on 18 alongside Rory and JT. 🤝 #golf #golftok #golftiktok #tiktokgolf #pga #pgatour #genesisinvitational #tiger #tigerwoods #tigerwoodsgolf #golflife #justgolfthings #rivieracountryclub #birdie #tiger🐅
Paige Spiranac says it all here:
Golf is just better when Tiger is playing pic.twitter.com/x26OiR2Hbd
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) February 17, 2023
Golf is great when Tiger’s on the tee.