Tiger Woods raised eyebrows during Tuesday’s TGL match when he used a derogatory term to refer to his new teammate.
Rising PGA Tour star Akshay Bhatia snubbed a huge offer from LIV Golf to join Woods’ TGL team, Jupiter Links, as a stand in for the 15-time major winner as he continues his recovery from his latest back surgery.
The 23-year-old, who already has two wins on the PGA Tour under his belt, made his debut in the tech-infused league at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida when Jupiter Links took on New York Golf Club.
However, it was Woods’ controversial nickname for the young star that caught viewers’ attention.
The golf legend spoke to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt ahead of his team’s 8-3 demolition at the hands of New York GC and addressed Bhatia’s addition to the innovative indoor golf league.
‘I don’t think we can play as bad as we did. We were the ‘Bad News Bears’ and we don’t want to be the “Bad News Bears 2”. The only way is up,’ Woods told anchor Scott Van Pelt
Tiger Woods raised eyebrows during TGL’s when he appeared to botch his teammate’s name
Rising PGA Tour star Akshay Bhatia (left) joined Woods’s TGL team, Jupiter Links GC
‘We have got Ashtray, Akshay, as part of our team. He brings that youth and excitement.
‘Tom Kim is not here but he is a boatload of fun and then you have the two grandpas here in Kevin Kisner and myself, and Max Homa is in his prime. We have got a good line up.’
Woods’ ‘Ashtray’ name drop – an apparent play on Bhatia’s first name – left viewers stunned with many divided over whether it was a blunder or an intentional switch up.
‘Genuinely cannot tell if he was trying to make a joke or not,’ one user responded to a clip of the moment on X, while another asked: ‘Is he alright?’
‘If Tiger was white, the panzies would be screaming racism,’ a third viewer, who seemingly believed it was intentional, claimed.
One believed that while it was an error on Woods’ behalf, the name was here to stay, writing: ‘Hilarious mix up now it’s a nickname.’
‘Poor Ashtray is gonna hear this yelled at him forever,’ agreed another.
However, others believed that Bhatia had been given the honor of receiving a nickname from the golf icon.
The 23-year-old is said to have snubbed a lucrative offer from LIV Golf before joining TGL
The 15-time major winner is currently sidelined while recovering from his latest back surgery
‘Once Tiger gives you a nickname, that’s your nickname,’ one social media user echoed.
‘This might be the hardest nickname I’ve ever heard,’ insisted another.
Bhatia, who finished third at The Players last year, was born in Northridge, California to two Indian parents.
He turned down attending college in order to turn professional as a teenager, making his first PGA Tour start in 2019 at the age of 17.
Bhatia is said to have turned down a lucrative offer from LIV Golf – the Saudi-backed breakaway that has poached a number of rising PGA Tour stars in recent years – before joining Woods’ TGL team in the legend’s injury absence.
Woods also revealed on Tuesday that he is taking baby steps in his recovery but is now cleared to swing a select few of his clubs.
‘I’ve been cleared to hit, basically, hit short irons and mid irons,’ Woods revealed. ‘I haven’t gone any beyond that.
‘Um, you know, whenever that time comes, when I start hitting drivers, and I start playing at home, and start doing all the different things, I will have been away from the game for a year and a half, so I’m gonna be pretty rusty.
The 50-year-old has been recovering from a seventh back surgery he underwent in the fall
‘And so, there’s a lot that goes into it. My prep is gonna have to be a little bit different from my other procedures I’ve had in the past. I’ve had to stay a lot more patient with myself. I get sore faster, I guess, because I’m 50. And that happens.’
Woods underwent the procedure in the fall, marking the seventh time the 15-time major champion had an operation on his back.
The 50-year-old has not competed in a professional tournament since the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. He missed the cut after playing two rounds.
Woods hasn’t played a full four rounds of professional golf since the 2024 edition of The Masters.
