Golf star Justin Thomas said on Wednesday that he will enter a training program amid the consequences of murmuring homophobic slander during a tournament earlier this month.
Thomas, who lost Ralph Lauren as a sponsor, said he hopes to “become a better person”.
“It’s not a word I use,” Thomas insisted. “And as I said, it will be part of that process and training program, whatever I need to do, not only to prove myself, but to prove it to my sponsors and prove it to people who don’t know who I am. this is really not the person I am. “
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Thomas said he was “upset” about the brand’s decision to drop it.
“But at the end of the day, they have that right. They had to make the decision. I spoke with them along with all my sponsors. Although I apologized, it was at that time; it is an opportunity for me to grow and I felt that it was something we could have done together and go through that process. They just felt they needed to move on. That’s exactly what I’m doing, too, “he said, through The Guardian.
JUSTIN THOMAS FALLEN BY RALPH LAUREN AFTER MALT HOMOPHOBIC LAKE DURING THE TOURNAMENT
“Like my other partners and other sponsorships, it is an opportunity for them to help me, just as I hope to help them. But, like I said, they had to do what they had to do. They are a huge global brand and I have to to respect their decision. As I said, I was not disappointed because I put them in a terrible position. I was just more upset. I had a great relationship with many people there and we would have had the opportunity to do this together. I totally respect their decision. and I changed that. “
Thomas found support from his fellow PGA Tour competitor, Rory McIlroy, on Tuesday.
“I mean, I think he’s responded very, very well,” said McIlroy, according to Golf.com. “I think he realized he made a big mistake as soon as it was delivered to him last week in Hawaii, and he confessed it completely. He said he was wrong; he will try to be better. And Justin is true to his word. He will be.”
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Thomas said a homophobic slander during the third round of the Sentry Championship in Hawaii. He was heard murmuring the f-word on the fourth hole after missing the pair’s chance and settling for a bogey.
He apologized after the round was over.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.