ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 28: Garrett Clark, from “Good Good” is seen prior to TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 28, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
PGA TOUR
The fallout from Good Good’s objectionable driver ad continued Thursday.
A day after Golf Galaxy and its parent company, Dick’s Sporting Goods, began pulling Good Good-branded merchandise from its website and store shelves, Callaway Golf, which approved and reposted the video promoting the Quantum Good Good driver, severed ties with the golf YouTube brand of over 2 million subscribers.
Then later Thursday, Good Good announced it would be stepping away as title sponsor of the Good Good Championship, a new PGA Tour fall event to be played Nov. 12-15 in Austin, Texas.
“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 statement. “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 learn from this situation. We are grateful for our relationship with the PGA Tour and appreciate their partnership over the years. We remain committed to earning back trust, and we hope to work together again in the future.”
The PGA Tour called this “Good Good Golf’s decision,” adding in its own statement: “We agree with their decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead. The PGA Tour believes in golf's ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all.”
The tournament, now shown as the Austin Championship on the Tour's website, will continue as scheduled with an announcement on a replacement title sponsor at a later time.
“I think what we saw was concerning, [and] is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values," PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said on Tuesday. "We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late. But I think the responses are getting better."
The 60-second ad, which has since been taken down after being posted to Good Good’s social channels on Friday, depicted one of Good Good’s members knocking down a female member reaching for his golf bag and then standing over her, saying, “Do not touch my new driver.”
On Saturday afternoon, nearly 24 hours after the release of the video, Good Good posted an apology graphic to social media:
“We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand,” the statement read. “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.”
Good Good’s CEO Matt Kendrick, in an internal staff memo, later pledged all proceeds from sales of the driver to “an organization supporting women in our local community.”
However, Callaway has since pulled the driver from its website.
Callaway also apologized for its role in the video, saying its “content review process was not comprehensive enough” and it has “taken appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this does not happen again.” Callaway then committed $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,” Callaway’s statement read. “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. … These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.
“One of Callaway Golf's core values is to be a positive influence, both in the game of golf and in our communities. 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.”
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