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When comedy dies, we are all in trouble. Comedians have made that point for years. When people can’t laugh, we are in a bad spot. If you don’t golf, part of the “good walk spoiled” is the companionship, friendship, and brutal mocking by your best golfing buddies.

Pranks, jokes, mocking bad putts, and slices into the woods are part of the fun.

There isn’t a round without someone telling another guy in the group that his “skirt must have gotten in the way,” when he leaves a putt short. Most of golf jokes in groups of guys are mocking someone you are playing with. Not a round has gone by without someone being called a “Nancy.”

This week, Tiger Woods was back at Riviera Country Club, playing in the Genesis Open. Pros don’t always play rounds with guys they consider close friends, but Tiger Woods played with Justin Thomas on Thursday. Tiger and Thomas are close friends.

Old Tiger outdrove the young buck, and Tiger was prepared for the moment. Because that is a big deal for “friends mocking friends” purposes, Tiger pulled out his prank. He slipped a tampon to Justin Thomas, and everyone laughed. At least, everyone with a sense of humor.

Anddd #TigerWoods just apologized for handing golfer Justin Thomas a tampon during their match together on the golf course. Says the two play pranks on each other all the time and he’s sorry if it offended anyone. pic.twitter.com/F0cxK0WrH1

— Gunz (@TheGunzShow) February 17, 2023

The easily and often offended got wind of the stunt. Like people who hyper-analyzed the Zapruder film of the JFK assassination, screenshots were taken and photos were enhanced to show the offending moment. The exchange of the tampon from Tiger to Thomas. Oh. My. God. Tiger clandestinely handed Thomas a tampon! The meaning was clear to people with a sense of humor. A different meaning to those looking to be offended. Tiger was calling a Thomas… a woman.

Twenty-four hours of gnashing of teeth and wailing of the offended ensued. By the time Tiger had concluded his Friday round, he was confronted with his offense by the media. Tiger had used a woman’s tampon to mock Thomas – and he was confronted with the “are you going to apologize, hmmmm?” ” question. To my dismay, he apologized.

I could be wrong, but his look of frustration seems to say, “Are you kidding me?” Nonetheless, with corporate sponsors and his billion-dollar partnership in mortal peril, he needed to apologize to the likely dozen jerks who complained. I have learned over the past decade of writing commentary and cartooning, some people are always offended and will find something to be offended by. Is this a new thing? Hardly.

Fifteen years ago, Shaq did a Taco Bell commercial. The joke was: he ate so many tacos that his neck got stuck at an angle. “Taco Neck.”

Taco Bell and Shaq were attacked.

Taco Bell might consider it wry humor, but commercials showing basketball star Shaquille O’Neal with “taco neck” syndrome are being attacked as cruelly twisted by people suffering from the real “wry neck” disease.

Those “offended” aren’t really interested in the apology. They just crave the attention and the power to shut someone up–or at the extreme end, to get someone fired.

What should Tiger have done? First, ignore the “will you apologize” question. Then either refuse to apologize and say it was a joke between friends (“Lighten up, Francis”), or say that he’ll only answer questions about golf.

People who complain about jokes are a bunch of “Nancys.” Sorry, I won’t apologize.