Ralph Lauren ends golfer Justin Thomas sponsorship deal after anti-gay slur

Thomas uttered the anti-gay slur on the fourth hole of his third round at the U.S. PGA Tournament of Champions in Hawaii after missing a five-foot par putt, causing an immediate stir on social media.

January 16, 2021 09:59 am | Updated 09:59 am IST - New York

 Golfer Justin Thomas reacts on the fourth green during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 10, 2021 in Kapalua, Hawaii.

Golfer Justin Thomas reacts on the fourth green during the final round of the Sentry Tournament Of Champions at the Kapalua Plantation Course on January 10, 2021 in Kapalua, Hawaii.

American fashion giant Ralph Lauren Corp. dropped its sponsorship of world number three golfer Justin Thomas on January 15, six days after his homophobic slur was picked up by television microphones.

Thomas apologized the next day for his “terrible” and “inexcusable” remark, but in a statement January 15, the New York-based apparel firm said that his words could not be associated with their brand.

“We believe in the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race, gender identity, ethnicity, political affiliation or sexual orientation,” the Ralph Lauren statement said.

“This is part of our longstanding commitment to foster cultures of belonging — in the workplace and in communities around the world. We are disheartened by Mr. Thomas’s recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values.”

Thomas, a 27-year-old American, uttered the anti-gay slur on the fourth hole of his third round at the U.S. PGA Tournament of Champions in Hawaii after missing a five-foot par putt, causing an immediate stir on social media.

“While we acknowledge that he has apologised and recognises 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,” Ralph Lauren said.

“In reflecting on the responsibility we have to all of our stakeholders, we have decided to discontinue our sponsorship of Mr. Thomas at this time. 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, who won a major title at the 2017 PGA Championship, finished third in the event, which he had won in 2020.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.