Olympic great Michael Johnson slams Tiger Woods for tampon prank: 'Never been a leader'
Woods faced scrutiny for the gag with Justin Thomas
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Olympian Michael Johnson slammed Tiger Woods and took issue with the golf legend’s apology for handing Justin Thomas a tampon during the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.
Johnson lambasted Woods for starting the apology with "If I offended anyone," after getting backlash for what appeared to be a joke between him and Thomas.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Apology starting with ‘If I offended anyone’ is no apology. But this is Tiger. Never been a leader and he’s Teflon," Johnson wrote Friday on Twitter. "Still heralded after all the mistakes so he’s learned nothing. Media focus always on miraculous recovery. Never why the need for recovery."
Woods handed the tampon to Thomas after he outdrove him on one hole in the first round of the tournament. Thomas laughed at what Woods called a "prank," but Woods noted that many haven't taken it lightly.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"It was supposed to be a funny game, but obviously it hasn't turned out that way," Woods said. "If I offend anybody, it was not the case. It was just friends having fun."
Woods added: "If I offend anybody in any way, shape, or form, I'm sorry. It was not intended to be that way. We play pranks on one another all the time. Virally, I think this did not come across that way, but between us, it's different."
Woods and Thomas have grown close since the latter became a pro. They were paired together during the 2019 Presidents Cup, winning both of their team matches.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Genesis Invitational is Woods' first tournament since The Open Championship last July.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.