Good Good Golf and Callaway haven’t been doing too ‘Good Good’ lately. The golf content creator group has faced major backlash over an online ad promoting a Callaway driver. While the ad has sparked widespread outrage, LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam has now stepped forward to defend Callaway, emphasizing the company’s longstanding support for women’s golf.
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“For over 30 years, I have been a proud partner of @callawaygolf. More importantly, for over 20 years they have supported my work with the @annika_fdn, which aims to empower and advance young women through golf and in life,” she wrote on Instagram. “The recent ad was terrible. They have acknowledged that, apologized, and taken significant action to address it.
“I can say unequivocally that the ad does not reflect the values of Callaway or their CEO, Chip Brewer. Callaway is and has always been one of the strongest supporters of women’s golf on the LPGA and amateur level. Being a part of their family has been critical to my success and the success of countless other girls with big dreams.”
The backlash is well-warranted. The ad shows Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark spotting creator Alexis Miestowski, sprinting toward her, and then shoving her hard to the ground after she attempts to reach for a club in his golf bag. He then stands over her and menacingly warns, “Do not touch my new driver,” before taking the club himself.
Critics widely condemned it for trivializing violence against women, sparking intense backlash, even though the makers intended it as a dark parody of the movie Obsession. Regardless, Annika Sorenstam might have a slight conflict of interest in this case. As she mentioned, she first partnered with Callaway Golf in 1993. Sorenstam has represented the brand for over three decades.
The 55-year-old has used their equipment during her historic professional career and has maintained a partnership that continues to support the Annika Foundation. As for Good Good and Callaway, they have been partners since January 2023. Regardless, after the outrage over their ad, both organisations had to issue statements.
Callaway CEO Chip Brewer said the ad did not reflect the company’s values and announced a $1 million commitment to organizations supporting domestic violence prevention and survivors. On the other hand, Clark apologized multiple times, saying the ad did not represent Good Good’s values. He also defended Miestowski from online harassment.
Despite the apologies, the damage was already done, as Callaway ended its relationship with Good Good. Meanwhile, other companies, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy, pulled Good Good merchandise.
Not to mention, the Golf Channel postponed the premiere of Big Break x Good Good because a sponsor requested the removal of its branding.
Good Good was also the title sponsor of an upcoming PGA Tour event in Austin. After the backlash, it has stepped away as the title sponsor for the event. The PGA Tour said the November event will continue under a new sponsor and name. That said, it appears one ad has caused Good Good Golf to come crashing down after building a massive fan base.