Justin Thomas is in action in Abu Dhabi this week and has spoken for the first time since Ralph Lauren ended their relationship following a slur Thomas made at the Tournament of Champions.

Speaking to media at the European Tour event, the 27-year-old said

“It’s humiliating, it’s embarrassing, and it’s not me. It’s not a word that I use, but for some reason, it was in there. And that’s what I’m trying to figure out as to why it was in there, and it’s going to be a part of this process and training program or whatever I need to do, not only to prove to myself but prove to my sponsors and prove to those people that don’t know who I am that that is indeed not the person I am.”

Ralph Lauren severed ties with JT last weekend, and its a decision which Thomas understands as he admitted that he put them in a “terrible position”.

“They just felt like they needed to move on. That’s exactly what I’m doing, as well. It was a great run that we had and a great partnership, but you know, things will work out for the best. Just like my other partners and other sponsorships, it was an opportunity for them to help me, just like I hope to help them. But like I said, they had to do what they had to do.

They are a huge, huge global brand, and I have to respect their decision. I wasn’t disappointed, because I put them in a terrible position. I just was more upset.”

Thomas also discussed his excellent relationship with the global brand and how he believes that he will become a better man and person due to what happened.

“I had a great relationship with a lot of people there, and like I said, we would have had the opportunity to do it together, and I totally respect their decision and I’ve moved on from it. I’ve had great communication with all of them.

 It was obviously not calls or emails I was hoping or planning to make, but I needed to because I have some great long-lasting partnerships with all my sponsors. They know that’s not the person that I am. They know that’s not how I act and although they are far from brushing it to the side just like I am, they understand that this is an opportunity for me to educate myself, grow, become a better person. 

I know that I’ll become a better man and a better person because of it, and they are going to kind of help me along that process.”

As for what’s next apparel wise for Thomas, on Monday in Abu Dhabi he was still wearing an RLX shirt at the course. However, per Golf Monthly’s Joel Tadman, JT wore a Peter Millar polo shirt and mid-layer in Abu Dhabi yesterday and today with his RLX shorts, which he sourced himself.

Had it confirmed that Justin Thomas wore a Peter Millar polo shirt and mid layer in Abu Dhabi yesterday and today with his RLX shorts. No relationship in place so he has sourced them himself. pic.twitter.com/5v8UK0xjkg

— Joel Tadman (@joeltadman) January 20, 2021

In our forums, our members have been reacting to the news that David Feherty’s Golf Channel show will end after a decade on air. Golf Digest reported the story, and speaking via telephone to the publication, Feherty said:

“I don’t know what the reasons were for the decision. I think it was a combination of things. We haven’t been able to shoot any episodes because of COVID. The Golf Channel move. I don’t know. Maybe it was just time.

I think a lot of people are going to be surprised that it got canceled. It always sort of amazed me the (number of) people that watched. Ten years is a whole lot more than I thought I would do. I loved doing it.”

Our members have been sharing their thoughts on the cancellation in our forum.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

• bcflyguy1: “All good things must eventually come to an end, and when they do, it does nothing to diminish their goodness. As others have pointed out, there were some dud episodes, but they were only notable because of how exceptional most of the others were.”
• bladehunter: “David is the very definition of genuine. Flawed. But genuine. And he has a natural knack for pulling the best out of people. Watch his Matthew McConaughey interview. If you don’t want to play a round with those two, it’s you. “
• CCTxGolf: “Yeah, he certainly pulled the best out of people. Agree with Hawk on every point. For those who haven’t watched the Condi interview, do so. She is very, very impressive, to say the least.”
• TobesSC: “Always enjoyed the show, but the amount of commercial breaks became unbearable to me. To make things worse the way they edited the sections going into breaks/coming out of breaks were all previews/summaries, so the 1 hour show turns out to be maybe 25 minutes max.”

Entire Thread: “David Feherty’s Golf Channel show axed”

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Tiger Woods has announced that he will delay his start to 2021 after undergoing a microdiscectomy procedure to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve.

Woods’ doctor and team have revealed that the surgery was successful and that the 45-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.

As a result of the surgery, Woods will not compete at either the Farmers Insurance Open or the Genesis Invitational but still plans on serving as Tournament host at the event from Riviera.

Per the statement, the operation was brought on by discomfort Woods felt following the PNC Championship in December.

“I look forward to begin training and am focused on getting back out on tour” – Tiger Woods

This operation marks the fifth operation Woods has had on his back, almost four years after undergoing spinal-fusion surgery.