TLDR
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- Good Good Golf lost its Callaway sponsorship after a video showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground in a driver ad.
- Good Good stepped down as title sponsor of the PGA Tour’s November event in Austin, Texas, which will now be called the Austin Championship.
- Callaway CEO Chip Brewer admitted the company approved the ad before it was posted and called that approval a mistake.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy pulled Good Good merchandise from stores, and Golf Channel postponed a Good Good reality show.
- Callaway ended its three-year partnership with Good Good and pledged $1 million to organizations working to prevent violence against women.
Good Good Golf has lost its partnership with Callaway Golf. The company also stepped down as title sponsor of a PGA Tour event set for November. Both moves came after backlash over a driver advertisement.
The video was posted on August 20. It showed Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark shoving fellow creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground.
In the clip, Miestowski reaches for a new Callaway driver. Clark pushes her down and tells her not to touch it.
Good Good removed the video the same day. But copies kept spreading across social media platforms.
Both companies apologized the next day. The apologies did little to slow the criticism.
Callaway Admits Approving the Ad
Callaway CEO Chip Brewer later said his company approved the video before it was released. He said that approval should not have happened.
Brewer said Callaway would investigate the decision. He also promised to strengthen its ad approval process going forward.
On Thursday, Callaway announced it was ending its three-year sponsorship deal with Good Good. The company also removed the co-branded driver listing from its own website, though the club remains available through Good Good’s channels.
Callaway said it had taken internal corrective action. It also pledged $1 million to organizations that work to prevent violence against women.
“These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it,” Callaway said in a statement.
Retailers and TV Partners Pull Back
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy removed Good Good apparel and products from their stores. Golf Channel postponed its planned reality series, “Big Break x Good Good.”
Golf Channel said a sponsor for the show wanted its brand removed from the telecast first. The network later confirmed the season would not air this year.
The winner of that series was set to receive a sponsor exemption into the Austin PGA Tour event. That plan is no longer possible.
Good Good announced this week it would step away as title sponsor of the tournament, previously scheduled for November 12-15 in Austin, Texas. The event will still be played under the name Austin Championship.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said earlier in the week the tour was disappointed with the response from Good Good. He described the sponsorship as a “fluid situation.”
“We agree with their decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
Good Good said in a social media post it recognized “work to do as an organization.” The company said its focus is now on its team and culture.
Clark posted an eight-minute video Wednesday calling the ad “the worst ad known to man.” He said he does not support domestic violence or abuse.
Good Good launched as a YouTube channel in 2020. It now includes eight men and four women who compete in golf challenges and other content across YouTube and television.
