PGA

Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey's sex solicitation case is headed toward a happy ending for the popular golfer ... he just cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid time behind bars.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Gainey agreed to serve 11-months of probation, take a human trafficking class, do community service and pay fines and fees.

In exchange for completing all of that, prosecutors agreed to drop his misdemeanor solicitation charge ... and even gave him the chance to end his probation early if he quickly meets the requirements of the deal.

Of course, it's a solid deal for Gainey ... who was facing jail time after he was caught up in a major prostitution sting -- dubbed "Operation Santa's Naughty List" -- back in December.

As we previously reported, cops in Polk County, Fla., say Gainey offered money for sex acts to an undercover officer posing as a prostitute on Dec. 8, 2019.

In police footage of the alleged incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see clear as day Tommy offering up $60 for a "quick visit" with the woman.

Gainey was arrested ... and at a press conference a few days later, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd ribbed him over it all.

"He's married. He told us that he was here for a charity golf event and it was to be, like, the next morning tee off. He didn't make it. He was a scratch ... We charged him with soliciting. He missed his tee time the next morning."

Here's Eli Manning clearly devastated he ain't playing football any -- AHHH JUST KIDDING!! ELI'S HITTING THE LINKS WITH HIS BIG BRO AND OBVIOUSLY LOVING RETIREMENT!!!

The ex-NY Giants QB -- who just officially called it an NFL career on Jan. 22 -- hit the pro-am at Pebble Beach on Thursday ... and he sure didn't look like a guy who's missing getting hit for a living.

Eli and Peyton were part of a foursome alongside pros Kevin Chappell and Luke Donald ... and the Manning bros actually played pretty well.

Eli -- a 10 handicap -- posted an 8-under total with Chappell ... while Peyton -- an 8 handicap -- carded a 5-under with Donald. Not bad for two old retired guys!!

Of course, the tournament's also filled with a TON of other celebs and athletes ... including NFL legends like Steve Young and Larry Fitzgerald.

But it was another QB who stole the highlight show for the day ... Aaron Rodgers made some tremendous shots on the course -- and even walked in one of his putts!!

And, as for the non-professional athletes, country superstar Jake Owen really had himself a day ... check out these two shots he poured in from distance!!!

Amazing tribute to Kobe Bryant on the golf course Friday ... Tony Finau took the green in a Lakers jersey -- and after the PGA Tour star sank a huge birdie putt, he celebrated with a Kobe follow-through!!

The cool moment all went down at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Ariz. ... where Finau honored Bryant at the famous 16th hole for the 2nd straight day.

The 30-year-old golfer -- sporting the classic No. 8 yellow Bryant uni -- hit his tee shot just off the green ... but he channeled his inner Kobe on the ensuing putt.

The roll -- which was about 20 feet total -- wasn't an easy one ... but Finau jarred it. Afterward, he hit the Kobe celly, and the fans went wild!!!

Of course, golfers at the tourney have been honoring Kobe all week ... Finau himself donned the same Bryant jersey in his opening round Thursday.

Other stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas also sported their Bryant swag this week ... and the tributes have been really amazing.

We broke the story, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter were two of the nine people who tragically died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Here's the coolest video you'll see all day!!

Amateur Canadian golfer Laurent Hurtubise -- who was born without most of his right arm -- was competing in the PGA American Express tournament on Thursday ... when he swung away and sank a hole-in-one!!!

It all went down at the 4th hole of the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, CA ... which is a 151-yard par-3 hole.

Hurtubise has been playing golf since he was 11 ... and has worked his whole life to be an inspiration to people living with similar conditions.

The best part?? He did it with a bunch of pros watching ... and the whole group lost it when he hit the shot!!

"That was the coolest experience I've had on the golf course," Troy Merritt said.

Fellow tour member Greg Chalmers added ... "It landed around the front of the green and we were all watching it closely as it tracked toward the hole and then, bang, it disappeared."

"We all went up in celebration and Laurent went ballistic and maybe let out a few choice words, but who could blame him? It was an incredible shot."

Pro golfer Tommy Gainey -- famously known as Tommy "Two Gloves" -- was arrested in a major prostitution sting in Florida ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 44-year-old was 1 of 124 people busted in an undercover investigation in Polk County, Florida dubbed, "Operation Santa's Naughty List."

According to officials, Gainey was arrested for soliciting a prostitute -- and is facing a 1st-degree misdemeanor solicitation charge.

The sting op was a 6-day investigation using undercover detectives to target prostitution, human trafficking and child predators.

Cops say they used Internet advertisements to arrange meetings between the detectives and suspects.

Officials presented a "Naughty List" showing all 124 people arrested -- Gainey is on the board.

Jail records show Gainey was booked on Dec. 8 and was released on Dec. 9 after posting bail.

Sheriff Grady Judd explained the situation moments ago ...

"He's married. He told us he was here for a charity golf event and it was supposed to be in the next morning tee off. He didn't make it. He was a scratch."

Judd added, "We charged him with soliciting. He missed his tee time the next morning."

Gainey has been a pro golfer since 1997 and joined the PGA Tour in 2008, where he gained notoriety for wearing gloves on both hands, unusual in the sport.

He's never won a major tourney but he's become a fan favorite for the way he dresses and plays -- in particular, he has a unique swing.

Gainey has had major sponsors over the years -- from Under Armour to Adams Golf and A.O. Smith.

Phil Mickelson nearly carded the greatest hole in PGA Tour history Friday -- missing a hole in one on a 353-yard Par 4 ... by INCHES!!!!

Lefty was playing in the second round of the CJ Cup in South Korea ... when he stepped up to the tee box on the 14th hole at Nine Bridges -- and nearly did the unthinkable.

With a driver in his hand ... Phil took a violent swing and ripped a golf ball that hit the green on the fly.

It tracked all the way to the hole ... but had just a little too much heat on it -- and instead of falling, it kicked off the pin and settled just inches away from the improbable ace.

Of course, Phil was able to roll in the eagle putt ... but you just know the dude was fuming over missing history!!

There's only been one Par-4 ace EVER on the PGA Tour -- and it was a wacky 332-yarder by Andrew Magee at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona back in 2001.

There's no video of that shot ... which means Phil's swing Friday would have been truly the most legendary one in PGA Tour history!

PGA Tour stud Paul Casey nearly had one less trophy on his mantle this week ... and it's all 'cause he struck a bug with his golf ball on a routine putt!!

Here's the deal ... Casey was playing in the European Tour's Porsche European Open in Germany last week -- when he lined up for a short putt on one of the holes.

Casey pulled back his club, struck the golf ball ... and he sank the shot no problem!

BUT ... turns out, there was a small issue -- video replay showed Casey's ball had struck a tiny bug on its way to the hole.

And -- as every no golfer knows -- hitting a bug on the green is giant no-no ... and could have resulted in a huge penalty!!!

Per golf rules, when a ball hits a person, animal (including bugs!) or movable obstruction on the green, the stroke is NOT supposed to count.

But, since Casey did not KNOWINGLY hit the little critter ... tournament officials let it slide -- and the 42-year-old ended up winning the event by two strokes.

As for the bug, we're pretty sure it survived the brutal assault.

G-strings ain't just for chicks ... just ask golf superstar Brooks Koepka! 

The #1 ranked PGA player in the world decided to thong out for a friend's birthday party in Florida on Friday -- and it's clear ... dude ain't shy about it!!!

The 29-year-old butt-flossed up and bared his bod while drinking beer on a PonTiki boat in South Florida ... and tested the thong durability when he jumped off into the water.

The theme of the party seemed to be some sort of redneck vibe -- at one point, Brooks was rockin' a shirt that read, "Save a Horse, Ride a Cousin."

BK's hot girlfriend, Jena Sims, got in on the costume fun -- sporting a bathing suit inspired by that neon green man-thong from "Borat."

Michelle Wie says she's straight-up "angry" over "racist and sexist" comments made by legendary golf coach Hank Haney ... telling the guy straight-up, "Shame on you!"

63-year-old Haney -- who was Tiger Woods' longtime swing coach -- went on his SiriusXM radio show Wednesday and made stunningly offensive comments about the number of Korean players competing in this weekend's LPGA U.S. Women's Open.

"I couldn't name you like 6 players on the LPGA Tour. Nah, maybe I could -- well, I'd go with Lee. If I didn't have to name a first name, I'd get a bunch of them right."

Haney added, "Honestly, Michelle Wie is hurt. I don't know that many. Where are they playing, by the way?"

Well, Michelle Wie heard the comments and was PISSED -- firing back on social media:

"As a Korean American female golfer, these comments that @HankHaney made disappoint and anger me on so many different levels."

Wie added, "Racism and sexism are no laughing matter Hank ... shame on you. I don’t ever do this, but this must be called out."

She also directed this at Haney ..."Too many of these girls, Korean or not, have worked countless hours and sacrificed so much to play in the US Open this week. There are so many amazing players in the field. Let’s celebrate them ... Not mock them."

For his part, Haney later issued an apology, writing, "This morning I made some comments about women's golf and its players that were insensitive and that I regret."

"In an effort to make a point about the overwhelming success of Korean players on the tour I offended people and I am sorry. I have the highest respect for the women who have worked so hard to reach the pinnacle of their sport and I never meant to take away from their abilities and accomplishments."

Haney added, "I've worked in this game with men and women players from many different cultures and I look forward to continuing to do so."

South African born athlete Nick Price gained international fame as a great golfer in the early '90s after he won two PGA Championships -- the first in 1992 at Bellerive Country Club ... and the second in 1994 at Southern Hills Country Club.

Nick Price's other major championship win was also in 1994 at the Open Championship where he squeaked out a one-stroke victory over Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik.

Price was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in back in 2003.

Fun Fact: The winner's share for the 1992 PGA Championship was $280,000 ... while the winner's share for this year's championship is close to $2,000,000.

Schwing!!!

Forget coming back from a 2-year baseball career to win an NBA championship ... Michael Jordan says Tiger Woods' Masters victory last weekend is the greatest comeback of all-time!!!

"He had to change his game; he had to change his perspective a little bit," M.J. told The Athletic ... "To me, it was the greatest comeback I’ve ever seen."

Of course, Michael knows a thing or two about comebacks ... he ended a 2-year MLB career to return to the hardwood to win 3 straight NBA titles in the 1990s.

But, even Jordan admits that can't compare to what Tiger did this past weekend ... returning from all kinds of injuries and off-the-course issues to be the best golfer in the world again.

"I never thought he’d get back physically,” Jordan said ... “He didn’t think he’d get back physically. But he did it. No one expected him to be back the way he is now."

M.J. added, "He’s probably the only person who believed he could get back. To me, that’s a major accomplishment. To me, it’s unbelievable."

Jordan ain't the only one feeling that way ... everyone from Donald Trump to Tom Brady to Michael Phelps commented on their amazement over TW's 15th major championship win.

As for the debate between who's the greatest athlete of all time between Tiger and Jordan ... we actually asked Scottie Pippen that this week -- and you'll wanna hear his answer ...

The greatest swimmer of all-time wants Tiger Woods to become the greatest golfer of all-time ... 'cause Michael Phelps tells TMZ Sports he wants TW to catch Jack Nicklaus' majors record!!!

"I hope he gets to 18," Phelps says ... "I'll say that."

Of course, Phelps famously had a front-row seat to watch Tiger's historic 15th major win at the Masters this past weekend -- which left Tiger just 3 short of Nicklaus' 18 mark.

And, after seeing all that up close ... Michael seems to think it's very possible Tiger catches Nicklaus soon -- 'cause he's proclaiming Woods has officially returned to old Tiger form.

"Tiger's back," Phelps said out in New York on Wednesday ... "That's all I gotta say. He's back."

Good news for Phelps and El Tigre? We spoke with golf legend John Daly this week ... and he says he knows for a fact Tiger WILL break Nicklaus' record!!!

Not many people know what it's like to balance parenthood with global mega-fame -- but Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake do ... and JT says it's brought them closer together.

In fact, Timberlake just wrote about his friendship with Tiger for Time Magazine -- explaining how the two got to spend some time together last year and really bonded by "talking about being fathers."

Tiger has two kids -- 10 and 11 -- and JT has a 4-year-old son.

"We bonded over the fact that we wanted our children to watch us at our best," Timberlake wrote ... noting that his 4-year-old has just "started to realize what I do."

The coolest part of Justin's story -- Timberlake says in 2018 Tiger told him one of his biggest life goals was to win a major in front of his kids.

Fast forward to April 14 in Augusta ... Tiger wins The Masters and his kids are RIGHT THERE to give him a big 'ol hug.

Timberlake says he couldn't have been happier for his friend -- "What a dream come true."

"All the work he did when people weren't watching allowed him to hug his children on that same hallowed ground he hugged his father 22 years ago, amid all the adulation, a Masters champion once again."

Justin and Tiger have known each other for years and have golfed together a bunch of times.

Tiger has gone on the record praising JT's golf game -- saying the guy has a "beautiful swing" ... but needs to work on his short game if he REALLY wants to get to the next level.

John Daly tells TMZ Sports he KNOWS Tiger Woods is gonna break Jack Nicklaus' all-time major championships record ... saying, straight-up, it's fate.

"I not only think, I know he will," Daly tells us ... "It's just destiny."

Daly says like the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series and the Boston Red Sox breaking the Curse of the Bambino ... it's just bound to happen that Tiger passes Jack's 18 majors mark.

Of course, Tiger is only 3 shy of tying that record after his legendary Masters performance this past weekend ... but some are still wondering if Tiger can repeat that feat FOUR more times.

Daly certainly thinks so, saying, "I never thought he was gone ... I still feel like he's going to win Nicklaus' records and I've always believed in him."

As for if Tiger's historic comeback has Daly envisioning a comeback of his own ... John says not right now -- saying his knee is still pretty messed up after recent surgery.

By the way, Daly also tells us he has no issues with Donald Trump giving Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- saying, "Tiger definitely deserves it."

President Donald Trump was so impressed with Tiger Woods amazing performance at The Masters -- he's giving the golfer the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Medal is the highest award that can be awarded to a civilian in the United States and has previous recipients include Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pope John Paul II, Bob Hope and more.

According to the White House, the Medal "recognizes those individuals who have made 'an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.'"

In his announcement (read: tweet), Trump said, "Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!"

Trump and Tiger have been friends for years -- Tiger recently golfed with the President back in February at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Of course, Tiger's victory wasn't just impressive on its own -- but is being hailed as one of the greatest professional comebacks in all of pro sports considering he hadn't won a Major in over 10 years.

What's more interesting than watching Tiger Woods lock up a historic win at The Masters??

GOLF WITH THE PRESIDENT ... at least, that was the case for Dallas Cowboys legends Emmitt Smith and Tony Romo, who bailed on watching Tiger to play 18 with Barack Obama!!

It all went down somewhere in Texas this weekend ... when Emmitt, Romo, Barack and former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk hit the links for a round of golf.

Unclear who in the foursome took the win ... but odds favor Tony -- who's so good, he's set to play in next month's AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament with PGA pros.

As for ditching El Tigre ... don't worry -- seems the guys made it back in time to catch his unbelievable Masters victory, with Obama personally congratulating the golf legend.

"To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination."