Ralph Lauren dropped its sponsorship of Justin Thomas on Friday after the golfer said a homophobic slur during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions last weekend.
“We are disheartened by Mr. Thomas’s recent language, which is entirely inconsistent with our values,” the clothing company said in a statement. “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 uttered the slur after missing a putt on the fourth hole at the tournament. He later apologized after the round.
The 27-year-old had been with Ralph Lauren since he turned pro in 2013.
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