Tiger Woods hits from the sixth tee during the second round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club on Feb 17, 2023, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (PHOTO / AP)

Tiger Woods apologized on Friday after being criticized for handing a tampon to fellow American Justin Thomas as a joke during the first round of the Genesis Invitational.

The 15-time major winner's comeback journey encountered controversy as images circulated on social media of Woods handing the period product to the twice PGA Championship winner after out-driving him on the ninth hole on Thursday.

Justin Thomas, who was in Woods' grouping along with second-ranked Rory McIlroy in Pacific Palisades, California, quickly threw the tampon to the ground

Thomas, who was in Woods' grouping along with second-ranked Rory McIlroy in Pacific Palisades, California, quickly threw the tampon to the ground.

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Responding to criticism from commentators and on social media, Woods said it was "just friends having fun.

"It was supposed to be all fun and games but obviously it hasn't turned out that way," he told reporters on Friday. "If I offended anybody in any way, shape or form, I'm sorry... We play pranks on one another all the time."

The images of Woods passing the tampon to Thomas prompted a backlash, with critics calling it sexist.

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In her column for USA Today, Christine Brennan said the move was in line with "juvenile pranks that were intended to demean."

Tiger Woods waves to the gallery on the 18th hole during the second round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club Feb 17, 2023, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (PHOTO / AP)

The incident occurred in Woods' first non-major PGA Tour event since October 2020, after a car crash in 2021 nearly cost him his leg.