A collegiate golf team received an apology from Delta Airlines after a video of workers throwing their golf bags went viral.
According to KFMB-TV, the incident occurred as the East Tennessee State University men’s golf team arrived at the San Diego International Airport on Tuesday, May 21.
The team embarked on the trip to participate in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, scheduled to take place at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, from Friday, May 24, to Wednesday, May 29.
The video, which was shared on the team’s account on X, formerly Twitter, shows a worker taking the bags off a ramp and throwing them onto the tarmac. A coworker then picks them up and puts them onto a transfer vehicle.
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“Nice of @Delta to handle our clubs with such care…,” the golf team captioned the post, which now has 6.1 million views.
East Tennessee State Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander told KFMB-TV that the incident damaged some of the team’s equipment and personal items.
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“It’s one of those things that happen,” he told the news station. “We’re really trying to make sure our guys are focused on their reason for being out there which is to win the national championship. It’s a really good golf team we have, and we wanna focus on that.”
In a statement to WJHL-TV, Delta said, “We apologize to the ETSU Golf team and ask for a mulligan on how their equipment was handled. We’re in direct contact with the Bucs to ensure they have what they need to successfully compete in the NCAAs.”
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The airline also responded to the original post on X, writing, “We’re so sorry this is how your golf clubs were handled. It’s not who we are. And we’re working to make it right, so you’ll have everything you need to compete at the tournament this weekend.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Delta Airlines for comment.
Delta/X
Since going viral, the video has been widely discussed online by individuals like professional golfer Julian Perico, who wrote on X, “This is absolutely insane. Hope everyones equipment is in good shape! Good luck at the Natty pro! @JakeAmosETSU.”
