Titleist, others drop Scott Piercy after homophobic social media post
Scott Piercy was dropped by three of his major sponsors after posting homophobic and offensive content to social media this week, according to Golf.com.
Piercy was dropped by Acushnet, which owns Titleist and Footjoy, and J. Lindeberg on Thursday, days after he posted two Instagram stories referencing Democrat Pete Buttigieg — the openly gay former presidential candidate — and a far-right conspiracy theory.
Piercy’s offensive posts
Piercy shared two posts to his Instagram story on Monday afternoon.
His first post referenced QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory about “deep state” operations targeting President Donald Trump that has been condemned by the FBI.
His second post was a homophobic meme about Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, who recently withdrew from the presidential race.
After receiving backlash, Piercy apologized in a third Instagram story.
“Whenever I post my intent is NEVER to offend,” Piercy wrote. “I want to apologize if any of my recents story posts have been offensive. I will do better!”
The PGA Tour released a very brief statement to Golf Digest saying it was “made aware of Scott’s posts and are disappointed in the lack of judgement used.” It’s unclear if his comments violate the Tour’s “conduct unbecoming a professional” policy.
Sponsors drop Piercy
Even after his apology, several of Piercy’s biggest sponsors cut ties with him.
Titleist and FootJoy both confirmed to Golf.com on Thursday that they have severed their contracts with him, and J.Lindeberg — a Scandinavian fashion brand that had launched its endorsement deal with Piercy just one year ago — did the same.
“As a global lifestyle brand, we strive to support and show our love and compassion for all demographics around the world,” J.Lindeberg said in a statement, via Golf.com. “When we choose our ambassadors, we choose individuals we know will represent us well on and off the golf course. The claims from Scott Piercy were unacceptable and far from our views and beliefs. We have since terminated our contract with Mr. Piercy.
“We, J.Lindeberg, as a company do not stand by the statements made by Piercy and we want to make sure our customers, employees, and other ambassadors know we support all communities and have no room for hate or discrimination in our company.”
Piercy has won four times on Tour, most recently at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2018. The 41-year-old has played 12 times so far this season, recording his best finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last month, where he finished tied for sixth. He fired a 1-under 71 in his opening round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on Thursday, and sits six shots off the lead.
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