Both Callaway and Good Good Golf are rushing to issue apologies following a massive backlash over their collaborative commercial. The promotional video, which has since been removed, depicted a man forcefully pushing a woman to the floor to protect a golf club, sparking widespread outrage for trivializing domestic abuse.
The clip was initially uploaded by Good Good Golf on Friday. By the following day, the post was taken down, and the brand published a formal apology to address the situation.
The marketing spot was designed to promote a joint-venture golf club with Callaway. In the footage, Garrett Clark, a co-founder of Good Good Golf, rushes forward and knocks influencer Alexis Miestowski to the turf just as she approaches his club. Standing over her as she lies on the grass, Clark delivers a menacing warning, saying, “Do not touch my new driver.”
Below is the pulled advertisement, illustrating just how alarming the scene actually is:
On Tuesday morning, Callaway offered its own response, issuing a detailed public apology for permitting the video’s production and distribution.
Within their message, Callaway explained that while Good Good Golf filmed the advertisement, Callaway gave its consent prior to publication. They acknowledged in the statement that “That approval should never have happened.”
The manufacturer emphasized its absolute stance “against discrimination, domestic violence, or threatening behavior of any kind.” Additionally, Callaway declared that it is initiating both internal and independent reviews, noting that they have updated their review protocols to guarantee “this will never happen again.”
During a press event on Tuesday preceding the Tour Championship, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp was questioned regarding the controversial clip. The PGA Tour had recently established a partnership with Good Good, which includes hosting the upcoming Good Good Championship in Austin this autumn.
“The footage we witnessed is deeply troubling and is obviously not in step with the core principles of the PGA Tour,” remarked Rolapp. “It is a matter we treat with gravity. Their primary reaction fell short of expectations, as it came across as somewhat combative and delayed.
“However, their subsequent remarks show improvement. Following some developments earlier today and direct dialogues with their team, we intend to keep evaluating the situation and collaborating with them. Nonetheless, the initial content was highly disappointing to us.”
Originating as a YouTube channel, Good Good eventually evolved into a prominent brand in golf sponsorship. They serve as the main sponsor for the upcoming Good Good Golf Championship scheduled for November.
Following the public outrage over the promotional video, the Golf Channel revealed on Tuesday evening that it would delay the premiere of its resurrected “Big Break” program. Furthermore, one of the primary advertisers, believed to be the retail store Golf Galaxy, requested the extraction of its logos and names from the broadcast. The revived program had been branded as “Big Break x Good Good.”
