ATLANTA (AP) — Good Good Golf lost its partnership with Callaway on Thursday and no longer will be title sponsor of a PGA Tour event in November as the fallout continued over a video for a new Callaway driver that showed a man shoving a woman to the ground who was trying to touch the golf club.
Good Good, among the most popular in the YouTube Golf space, has said the video was meant to be a spinoff from the movie, “Obsession.” But the criticism was immediate
and relentless, and the pressure began mounting by the day.
The video was deleted the same day it was posted on Aug. 20, but it continued to make the rounds on social media and apologies from Good Good and Callaway had little effect.
“We were disappointed with what we saw,” PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Tuesday of the response from Good Good. He said its role as a title sponsor was a “fluid situation.”
“We agree with their decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead,” the tour said in a statement Thursday. “The PGA Tour believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all.”
The tournament already was changed on the PGA Tour's website to “Austin Championship.”
Golf Channel postponed a Good Good reality show Wednesday because a sponsor, reported to be Galaxy Golf, wanted its brand scrubbed from the telecast. Dick's Sporting Goods removed the apparel from its stories. And then Callaway said it was ending the three-year sponsorship.
The PGA Tour confirmed Good Good said it would pull out as title sponsor of the new Nov. 12-15 tournament in Austin, Texas. The tour said the tournament still would be played.
“After thoughtful discussions with the PGA Tour and careful reflection, we have decided to step away as sponsor of the tour event in Austin this fall,” Good Good said in a social media post. “We recognize that we have work to do as an organization, and our focus right now is on our team, our culture and ensuring we will learn from this situation.”
In the 60-second video for Callaway’s new driver co-branded with Good Good, Garrett Clark shoves Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she reaches for the driver. As she is on the ground he leans over tells her, "Do not touch my new driver.”
Clark and Miestowski work for Good Good.
The video was pulled the night it was posted, and it was followed by apologies by Good Good Golf and Callaway Golf the next day. But then Callaway added another layer of apologies, this one from CEO Chip Brewer, who conceded that while Good Good produced the video, Callaway approved it before it was posted.
Brewer said the approval never should have happened and the company would investigate.
Callaway posted to its social media channels on Thursday that it has ended its relationship with Good Good effective immediately; has taken “appropriate internal corrective actions” and strengthened approval procedures to avoid another mistake; and has committed $1 million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women.
“These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it,” the statement said. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.”
Good Good Golf was launched as a YouTube channel in 2020 and now is among the largest content creators in the sport, featuring eight men and four women competing in golf and various challenges. It has made-for-TV shows, apparel and other merchandise.
Clark, the Good Good founder, posted a rambling, eight-minute video Wednesday evening in which he called it “the worst ad known to man” and the reaction to the ad was “not what we stand for.”
“I do not support DV (domestic violence) or abuse or any of that of any kind," he said.
The PGA Tour has embraced such content creators over the last several years, even staging exhibitions during the week of The Players Championship and Tour Championship.
___
See AP’s full golf coverage here
