The fallout of a controversial ad shows no signs of abating for Good Good Golf, once hailed as the next big thing in the sport.
Since posting a promotional video for a co-branded Callaway driver depicting a man tackling a woman, Good Good has seen its products pulled by major retailers, its new TV show postponed and it withdrew as a sponsor of a November PGA Tour event.
The video went up late last week but was taken down Saturday, with initial apologies issued the same day. However, the apologies were widely decried as not substantive enough, and on Tuesday, the CEOs of both Callaway and Good Good released longer statements. Questions remain, though, over whether the momentum the company has built will continue amid skepticism over how the video was approved in the first place.
Callaway has formally cut ties with Good Good, it announced Thursday. The split is “effective immediately,” according to an announcement made on social media. The two companies have partnered since 2023 on content, products and brand campaigns. Callaway also announced it would commit $1 million to support women’s organizations as it overhauls its content approval process, after CEO Chip Brewer admitted Callaway signed off on the Good Good-produced video, which critics say normalized violence against women, before it was posted.
“These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it,” the announcement reads. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.”
In November, Good Good was set to be the name sponsor of a PGA Tour event in Austin, the Good Good Championship. When asked about the future of the sponsorship in a press conference Tuesday, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called it “a fluid situation” and described the ad as “concerning” and the initial apology for the video as “defensive and late.” On Thursday, Good Good officially pulled out of sponsoring the event to focus on the company’s culture and ensure that they learn from the incident. In its own statement, the PGA Tour said it agreed with Good Good’s decision and would provide updated sponsorship plans at a later date.
Tuesday night was also supposed to be the premiere of Big Break x Good Good on The Golf Channel, a reality competition reboot made in collaboration with the company. The channel announced Tuesday, though, the premiere would be postponed to Sept. 1 due to, “a request from one of the show’s sponsors to remove its branding from the series.” Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter and others reported Golf Galaxy, the show’s presenting sponsor, had pulled out of the show.
Meanwhile, Good Good merchandise disappeared from retailers’ websites, including Golf Galaxy, its owner Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target and Canada’s leading golf retailer Golf Town. Front Office Sports reported that PGA Tour Superstores have also pulled Good Good merchandise from shelves. The Callaway Quantum Max Good Good Driver, the product being advertised by the video, is also no longer listed on Callaway’s website.
Good Good started as a YouTube channel in 2020, but like others in the new media space, rapidly expanded in popularity and transformed into a full-fledged sports media company. Good Good apparel can be found on PGA Tour players and in big-box stores. It has secured major partnerships with legacy golf brands including Callaway, and it owns a corporate headquarters in Frisco and full-time staff of more than 50 employees.
Last year, the company announced a $45 million fundraising round with more than 50 investors globally. The capital was intended to “fuel Good Good Golf’s global expansion across content, retail, and live experiences, further solidifying its position as a transformative force in sports entertainment,” according to the release.
“Manhattan West unequivocally condemns violence against women and believes the content depicted in Good Good Golf’s recent advertisement was unacceptable. As an investor in Good Good, we communicated our concerns directly to the company’s leadership and have sought assurances regarding appropriate oversight, accountability, and the steps being taken to strengthen its content review and approval processes,” said investor Manhattan West Private Equity in a statement. “We appreciate that Good Good removed the advertisement, accepted responsibility and apologized publicly, and we expect the company to follow through on the corrective actions it has outlined. We believe companies with influential platforms, such as Good Good Golf, have a responsibility to ensure their content reflects respect for the audiences and communities they serve.”
Other investors did not respond to requests for comment or declined to comment.
Good Good founder, local women’s organization speak out
On Wednesday night, Good Good founder Garrett Clark posted a lengthy video elaborating on how the video came into existence. In the video, Clark tackles former Indiana University golfer Alexis Miestowski and menacingly stands over her saying, “Do not touch my new driver.” Clark echoed CEO Matt Kendrick in clarifying that the video was supposed to be a spoof of the horror movie Obsession and said that the idea came from Good Good’s marketing team.
“I know that it very much so came across as an intense scene with the way everything was edited and pushed out there. But I am not an actor,” he said. “Looking back at it, terrible concept, terrible ad. Once I watched it back and it got posted, my skin was crawling. I was cringing. I mean, just even minutes after I saw it get posted, before this surfaced everywhere online, I thought it was the worst ad known to man.”
He called out what he said was hate and online bullying directed at Miestowski, and said to direct backlash toward Good Good and himself.
“If you got hate to give, if you got any left in the tank, give Good Good some hate. You can give me some hate in the comments down below. I do sincerely apologize for playing the role that I did in that ad, and I want you guys to know that I, in no way, shape or form, support [domestic violence], abuse or anything of the sort,” he said. “Good Good has had a mission since day one to grow the game of golf, and not just within the male side of golf. … Good Good messed up by promoting a very poor taste ad that was not good in any way, shape or fashion. But hopefully, you guys can forgive Good Good, as well as myself, for being a part of it, and hopefully we can move on and grow the women’s side of golf, because that is one of our huge, huge goals.”
In a Tuesday internal memo from Kendrick obtained by Front Office Sports titled “Owning Our Mistake,” Kendrick took responsibility for the mistake and said he would be personally approving content for the foreseeable future. He also said that proceeds from “driver sales associated with this campaign” will be donated to “an organization supporting women in our local community,” with the search underway for the receiving organization.
A local charity, the Dallas women’s shelter Genesis, weighed in this week. In a post to the organization’s website, CEO Jan Langbein encouraged folks angered by the ad to donate the approximately $700 cost of the driver to the organization so that, “a woman and her children have a safe place to stay at our shelter tonight.”
“Let’s all ask ourselves: Would this ad be appropriate if it were my mom, my daughter, sister, aunt, etc. who was the butt of a joke rooted in physical violence? If you condone this behavior when it’s done in open view, like a golf course, would you also condone it when it’s done to the women in your lives behind closed doors?” reads the post, in part.
“Violence against women is never a joke, whether in an advertisement or in real life. Some explain this ad — these actions — as nothing serious or that the ad was clearly meant to be taken as a joke. It was not! What is not a joke is that one in three women in Texas will experience abuse in her lifetime,” it continues. “We encourage men and women to speak out, hold abusers accountable, and be a part of efforts to end violence against women. Making light of violence perpetuates the behaviors that make it prevalent in our society today. Words, videos, ad campaigns matter. Taking these behaviors lightly normalizes them in our society.”
Updated at Aug. 27 at 4:00 p.m.: Updated to reflect that Good Good Golf pulled out of sponsoring a PGA Tour event later this year.
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Sasha Richie; The Dallas Morning News; (TNS) || © 2026 The Dallas Morning News. Visit www.dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
