Rory McIlroy moves into contention as Tiger Woods apologises for tampon prank

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry moved into contention for the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, as Tiger Woods made the cut on the number but was forced to apologise for his tampon prank with Justin Thomas on the opening day.

The 15-time Major winner was giddy that he could outdrive playing partners McIlroy and Justin Thomas consistently on day one and went as far as putting an unopened tampon in Thomas’ hand after he’d outdriven him on the ninth.

Woods’ laddish prank went viral on social media, drawing a string of negative comments, and he apologised for causing offence last night.

“Yeah, it was supposed to be all fun and games, and obviously, it hasn’t turned out that way,” said Woods, who struggled on the greens and bogeyed three of his last four holes to sit on one-over-par after a 74.

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“If I offended anybody, it was not the case, it was just friends having fun. As I said, if I offended anybody in any way, shape or form, I’m sorry. It was not intended to be that way. It was just we play pranks on one another all the time and virally I think this did not come across that way, but between us it was, it’s different.”

Like Woods, Rory McIlroy also struggled on the greens, but he remained on course to take back the world number one ranking from Scottie Scheffler when he looked to the heavens after making a 15-footer for birdie at the last for a “pedestrian” two-under 69.

He goes into the weekend just four shots behind leader and former winner Max Homa. In-form Jon Rahm is among the player a shot further back in a tie for second, alongside Keith Mitchell and Lee Hodges.

Shane Lowry also showed signs of a return to form, though he finished bogey-birdie-bogey for a 69 that left him just six shots off the pace in a tie for eighth on four-under with Seamus Power was also set for the weekend on level par after a one-under 70.

Woods said he was “a little taken aback” to hear of the death yesterday of the DP World Tour’s former chief referee John Paramor – “One of the all-time best rules officials” – from cancer aged 67.

The DP World Tour announced there will be a minute’s silence during the third rounds of the Thailand Classic and the Challenge Tour’s SDC Open today as a mark of respect.

In Bangkok, rookie Gary Hurley fired a five-under 67 to share 24th on six-under at halfway, seven strokes behind Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello, who shot 65 at Amata Spring Country Club to lead by two strokes on 13-under from Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti.

Tom McKibbin shot 71 but missed the three-under cut by a shot, while John Murphy missed out comfortably on three-over after a 77.

Conor Purcell and Ruaidhri McGee both shot 72 in the SDC at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa but missed the four-under-par cut on one-under and two-over, respectively.

Meanwhile, Leona Maguire shot a three-under 69 but goes into the weekend nine strokes behind India’s Aditi Ashok in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia.

The world number 11 lies joint 22nd on four-under as Ashok carded a six-under 66 for a two-stroke lead over world number one Lydia Ko from New Zealand and American Lilia Vu on 13-under-par.