A major golf equipment giant is under fire for an ad that critics say made light of violence against women by showing a man shoving a woman to the ground.
Last week, golf entertainment company Good Good Golf released an online video promoting a co-branded Callaway driver. The 60-second clip shows Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark running after former Division I golfer Alexis Miestowski after she reaches for the driver in his golf bag. Clark shoves her to the ground, then stands over her and warns, “Do not touch my new driver.”
Almost immediately, the ad drew backlash. Commenters on X, for instance, called it “very scary” and “a generationally stupid ad.” By late Friday, both Good Good and Callaway had removed the video from their social media accounts, though copies continued to circulate online.
Now, the controversy is costing Good Good some of its biggest partnerships — and sparking an increasingly public fight with Callaway over who should take the blame.
What’s the latest?
On Thursday, Callaway ended its three-year partnership with Good Good and pledged $1 million to organizations working to prevent violence against women and support survivors.
“These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it,” Callaway said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.”
Good Good also stepped down as the title sponsor of a new PGA Tour event scheduled to debut in Austin this November. The tournament has since been renamed the Austin Championship, though the Tour said it would still take place as planned.
Good Good’s other partnerships began unraveling, too. Golf Channel scrapped plans to air its reality competition series, Big Break x Good Good, after initially postponing the premiere. The winner was supposed to receive a sponsor exemption to compete in the Good Good Championship, but the network said that outcome could no longer be fulfilled after Good Good withdrew as the tournament’s title sponsor.
The consequences have also reached store shelves: Dick’s Sporting Goods and its subsidiary Golf Galaxy pulled Good Good merchandise from their stores and websites.
Good Good’s CEO Matt Kendrick fires back
Just hours after Callaway cut ties with Good Good, the golf entertainment company’s CEO, Matt Kendrick, lashed out at its former partner — and even appeared to leave the door open to legal action.
In a series of posts on X early Friday, Kendrick accused Callaway of asking Good Good to “take the fall” for an ad it had approved, then dropping the company as part of what he called a “coordinated media blitz.”
When one user suggested that Good Good sue Callaway, Kendrick replied, “Not opposed.” He also told another user, “I’m down to boycott @CallawayGolf with you.”
Callaway hasn’t publicly responded to Kendrick’s allegations.
How did the controversy unfold?
Good Good issued its first public apology late Saturday afternoon, saying the video depicted actions that weren’t aligned with its values. Callaway followed with its own statement, saying it was “disappointed by the content.”
But the outrage continued. Kendrick took responsibility for the ad, telling The Wall Street Journal that the full video was intended to spoof the horror movie Obsession, but acknowledging that the execution “missed the mark.” In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Kendrick said that, for the foreseeable future, he would personally review content from the company’s marketing teams before it goes live.
Then early Tuesday, Callaway Golf CEO Chip Brewer issued a stronger apology — and acknowledged a key detail the company’s initial response had left out: Callaway itself had approved the video before it was posted.
“That approval should never have happened,” Brewer said. “Mistakes were made, and we are taking the matter very seriously. I want to make it clear that we sincerely apologize for the video.”
Brewer said Callaway was conducting internal and external investigations and had already made changes to its approval process.
The PGA Tour also got involved. On Saturday, a Tour spokesperson told Golf Digest that it “does not condone violence in any form” and said the video didn’t reflect the organization’s commitment to inclusivity and respect.
By Tuesday, the Tour’s criticism had sharpened. During a press conference ahead of the Tour Championship, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp called Good Good’s initial response “disappointing” and “a bit defensive and late.” When reporters asked whether the controversy could affect Good Good’s sponsorship of the November tournament, Rolapp called it “a bit of a fluid situation.”
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops,” he added.
The controversy comes as women make up a growing share of the golf world. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of female golfers in the U.S. jumped 45 percent between 2020 and 2025, compared with 12 percent growth among men. Women now account for 28 percent of golfers, which is the highest share on record.
