Callaway nixes Good Good partnership after driver-ad fallout

Less than a week after Callaway and Good Good Golf removed an ad for a collaborative driver that featured a man pushing a woman to the ground, the two companies are no longer working together.

Callaway announced Thursday it has ended its relationship with Good Good, a YouTube Golf giant with over two million subscribers, effective immediately.

In a statement provided to GOLF, Callaway said it had completed its review of the matter involving a promotional ad created by Good Good for a branded collaborative Callaway Quantum driver and taken additional actions to strengthen their content review process. The company also said it was committing $1 million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors and advance education and awareness efforts.

“Over the last several days, we have listened and reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused by the video we reposted,” the statement reads. “We heard from individuals who shared personal experiences related to violence against women, and their stories were powerful reminders that this issue touches the lives of far too many people. Unequivocally, violence against women is unacceptable and should never be trivialized, normalized, or used as entertainment.

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“One of Callaway Golf’s core values is to be a positive influence, both in the game of golf and in our communities,” the statement continued. “We are further strengthening our commitment to these initiatives, and this will be an ongoing focus in our company. We are committed to learning from this incident and helping ensure that golf is a place where everyone feels respected, valued, and welcome.”

Callaway and Good Good first partnered in 2023.

The backlash was swift against both Good Good and Callaway after the former posted a video promoting a Callaway driver that showed Good Good’s Garrett Clark running toward Alexis Miestowski, another member of Good Good, after she reached for the driver. Clark pushed Miestowski and said: “Do not touch my new driver.”

The ad was quickly pulled by both companies, but screen recordings of the initial 15 seconds continued to make the rounds on social media.

On Saturday, Good Good initially apologized through a statement posted to social media, saying: “We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand. We have since taken that content down. And sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward.”

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Good Good ad and the initial response criticized by PGA Tour CEO
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A few hours later, a Callaway spokesperson shared the following statement with GOLF.com: “We are disappointed by the content that was posted, and are appreciative of Good Good for addressing this. We look forward to working together to ensure a more inclusive space in golf.”

CEOs of both Good Good and Callaway also got involved. Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick took to LinkedIn to call the ad “a mistake,” explaining the ad was intended to be a parody of the 2026 horror film, “Obsession.”

“The execution missed the mark,” he wrote. “I understand why people found it insensitive, and I want to be clear that neither I nor anyone at Good Good condones violence of any kind. Regardless of what we intended, we are responsible for what we put into the world and how it is received. We got this one wrong.”

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In a separate statement, Callaway CEO Chip Brewer wrote that Callaway approved the video but “that approval should have never happened.”

“Mistakes were made and we are taking the matter very seriously,” Brewer wrote. “As soon as we recognized the seriousness of the issue, it was escalated appropriately, and the video was immediately removed. Preliminary statements were issued by both Good Good and Callaway, and now this statement has followed. We are also conducting both internal and external investigations and have already made changes to our approval processes aimed at ensuring this will never happen again.”

On Wednesday, Golf Channel announced the premiere of “Big Break x Good Good” would be delayed a week after a sponsor asked to have their branding removed from the show. That sponsor was later reported to be Golf Galaxy, who along with their parent company Dick’s Sporting Goods, PGA TOUR Superstore and Target, have all removed Good Good merchandise from their stores and websites.

Late Wednesday night, Good Good’s Garrett Clark, who played the man who pushed the woman in the ad, apologized on behalf of himself and Good Good in a self-shot video posted on social media.

Then on Thursday came the latest news from Callaway, ending the relationship. A few hours later the PGA Tour sent out a press release, announcing that Good Good had decided to step away as title sponsor of the inaugural Good Good Championship, a Fall Series event scheduled for November at Omni Barton Creek in Texas.

“We agree with their decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead,” a statement from the Tour read. “The PGA Tour believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all.”

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