Tiger Woods is back in the headlines—this time not for his swing, but for a slip of the tongue that lit up social media during the latest TGL match. The 15-time major champion, who’s still recovering from his seventh back surgery, made an offhand comment that left fans either laughing, wincing, or scratching their heads.
Woods was talking to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt ahead of his team’s TGL match when he introduced his temporary stand-in and rising PGA Tour talent, Akshay Bhatia.
Instead of just saying the young star’s name, Woods dropped, “We’ve got Ashtray, Akshay,” with a smirk that could’ve been either self-aware or simply casual. And just like that—bam—the internet had its soundbite.
Now, let’s rewind for a second. Bhatia is no rookie. He’s 23, already has two PGA Tour wins, turned pro at 17, and turned down a serious payday from LIV Golf to stay on the PGA path. That’s loyalty, confidence, and a gamble all wrapped in one.
So when he got the nod to join Jupiter Links, Woods’ TGL team, fans were watching. And what they got, instead of a calm debut, was Tiger throwing out a nickname that no one saw coming.
The reaction? All over the place. Some viewers chuckled, others raised an eyebrow. Was it a harmless flub? Was it a nickname with bite? One person on social media said, “If Tiger was white, the panzies would be screaming racism.” Another joked, “Poor Ashtray is gonna hear this yelled at him forever.” And then there’s the camp who saw it as an unofficial coronation—“Once Tiger gives you a nickname, that’s your nickname.”
But let’s not miss the big picture: Bhatia turned down a lucrative deal from LIV, stepped into a high-pressure situation, and took it in stride—even if the world now knows him as “Ashtray.” That’s how nicknames start.
One offhand comment from a legend, and suddenly you’re branded for life. For better or worse, Bhatia’s got Tiger’s attention—and apparently, so does everyone else.
Meanwhile, Woods isn’t swinging full clubs yet, but he’s back to hitting short and mid-irons. With seven back surgeries behind him and age 50 knocking, he knows the road back to full play is going to be slow and rough. “I get sore faster,” he admitted. “That happens.” He hasn’t completed a full tournament since The Masters in 2024.
But even from the sidelines, Woods is still the gravitational force in golf—controversy, comedy, and all.
