An online ad generated by Good Good Golf for a co-branded Callaway Golf driver generated a firestorm of controversy last week, ultimately prompting the content creator to step away from its title sponsorship of an upcoming PGA Tour event.
The ad, which Callaway acknowledged it had approved, showed a man roughly shoving to the ground a woman who was reaching for the driver before delivering the line, “Do not touch my new driver.” The characters were portrayed by Good Good’s Garrett Clark and Alexis Miestowski. Intended as a parody of the film “Obsession,” according to Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick, the 60-second promotional video was widely criticized for depicting violence against women.
Good Good Golf co-founder Garrett Clark featured in the brand’s controversial driver ad.
Kevin C. Cox, getty images
The fallout from the ad, which had been posted online and later deleted, was swift. Callaway ended its relationship with Good Good, announcing the move last Thursday afternoon shortly before the PGA Tour announced that Good Good had stepped away from its title sponsorship of a November tour event in Austin, Texas. Golf Channel subsequently cancelled its “Big Break x Good Good” reality series that was to have premiered last Tuesday but had initially been postponed by a week after a sponsor, reported to be retailer Golf Galaxy, pulled out over the controversy. Golf Galaxy and other retailers, including its parent company Dick’s Sporting Goods and PGA Tour Superstore, had previously removed Good Good Golf merchandise from its stores in protest.
“Unequivocally, violence against women is unacceptable and should never be trivialized, normalized, or used as entertainment,” Callaway said in the statement announcing its break with Good Good. In addition to cutting ties with the content creator, Callaway has taken corrective actions to strengthen its content-approval procedures and committed $1 million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, the statement said.
The PGA Tour said in a statement that the Austin event would be played as scheduled Nov. 12-15 and that it would provide a sponsorship update at a later date. “We are grateful for our relationship with the PGA Tour and appreciate their partnership over the years,” Good Good CEO Kendrick said in a statement posted to the brand’s social-media accounts and the tour’s website. “We remain committed to earning back trust, and we hope to work together in the future.”
Golf Channel’s anticipated “Big Break” reboot produced in partnership with Good Good was to have awarded the winner a sponsor exemption into the Austin tournament. “Following recent developments involving Good Good, and including the fact that the intended outcome of the series can no longer be fulfilled, Golf Channel will not be able to complete this season of Big Break as planned,” it said in a statement.
In the wake of a trying Thursday, Kendrick posted comments on X in the wee hours of Friday that criticized Callaway and hinted that a lawsuit might be in the offing. He backpedaled in a subsequent interview with Front Office Sports, however, characterizing the posts as a “reactionary” response to attacks on him and his family. READ MORE
More than 60 trees appear to have been removed from the East Potomac Golf Links site in recent weeks, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The Trump administration has promised to overhaul the municipal facility in the nation’s capital to make it capable of hosting major tournaments, with President Trump posting on social media that work would begin on Sept. 1. But with that date around the corner, the administration hasn’t released a final design, construction schedule or estimated cost, nor have officials said whether the course will close this week and what work might begin, the report said.
The D.C. Preservation League and two local residents filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior in February seeking to block the administration’s plan, a case that is ongoing in federal court. The department characterized the recent tree removal as routine maintenance that’s not connected to the proposed redesign, the report said.
A cherry tree near the 14th green of the Blue Course, one of East Potomac’s most picturesque holes, was among those removed, the report added. East Potomac Park is home to several cherry trees gifted by Japan more than 100 years ago. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
The PGA of America announced the 10 professionals who will represent the United States in the 32nd PGA Cup match against Great Britain and Ireland: Brian Bergstol, Brandon Bingaman, Tyler Collet, Jesse Droemer, Zach Haynes, Austin Hurt, Michael Kartrude, Ben Kern, Ryan Lenahan and Garrett Sapp. The match is scheduled for Oct. 2-4 at The K Club in Ireland. READ MORE
The PGA of America Reach Foundation has awarded scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year to 20 students at eight colleges and universities through the PGA Works John & Tamara Lundgren Scholars Program, it announced. Each recipient will receive $8,000 to assist their pursuit of PGA membership while enrolled in one of the nation’s 16 accredited PGA Golf Management University programs. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity
