Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and many other elite golfers are part of Team TaylorMade. Thanks to that, the company has soared in value, worth a whopping $3.5 billion, according to some reports. It’s evident that the company has built a strong brand image among fans. So, if someone tries to damage that reputation, the company will respond, and that’s what happened. The brand has taken a fierce industry rivalry with Callaway into federal court, accusing the competitor of spreading damaging claims.

Dennis Young from Front Office Sports revealed the news in an X post. “TaylorMade says in a new lawsuit that Callaway sales reps are going around the country libeling its balls with little science fairs at golf courses,” he wrote.

On January 15, 2026, TaylorMade Golf filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. It alleges that sales representatives from Topgolf Callaway Brands have been conducting “science fair”-style demonstrations to discredit its TP5 golf balls.

“Callaway, its agents, and representatives have conducted misleading UV light demonstrations in which they disparage TaylorMade’s golf balls, including by calling them ‘mud balls,’ and by falsely asserting that TaylorMade balls have uneven paint/coating coverage and poor quality control, leading to poor performance,” the golf brand said in its lawsuit.

The company has also shared a video as evidence of its allegations. It features a golf club pro, who, according to TaylorMade, is a Callaway sales agent. In a conversation with a prospective client, the pro recommends UV light demonstrations to assess the paint coverage of the ball, as it affects overall performance. He then shines a UV light on a TaylorMade TP5 golf ball, revealing a darker spot right above the brand’s logo, which the pro claims is mud.

TaylorMade has also stated that the “mud ball” is one of the worst phrases someone can ever use in association with a golf ball. While the company has officially filed the lawsuit, no settlement amount or terms have been announced yet. For now, it seeks a jury trial. If the court allows the lawsuit to proceed, Titleist may take the same approach soon. The video TaylorMade shared also includes comments about the Titleist ball, which the company has not revealed in the lawsuit.

The legal clash comes amid reports that TaylorMade is for sale by its Korean owners. Centroid Investment Partners, the Seoul-based private equity firm, acquired TaylorMade for $1.7 billion in 2021 from KPS Capital Partners. It initiated the sale process in early 2025. Centroid Investment Partners hired JPMorgan and Jefferies to manage it.

Centroid was founded in 2015 by Jinhyeok Jeong. It financed the deal through ordinary Koreans’ savings via cooperatives and credit unions, alongside strategic investor F&F Co., a fashion conglomerate. Now, the company is seeking a valuation of $3.5 billion. It reflects an average annual sales growth of 10% since 2021, along with expansions such as Sun Day Red apparel. However, F&F opposes the sale and has hired Goldman Sachs in July 2025 to counter.

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F&F is interested in buying TaylorMade

F&F Co. is a part investor in TaylorMade, alongside Centroid. Thus, it can exercise its right of first refusal to buy out TaylorMade from Centroid Private Equity. It can do so by matching the terms of the bids Centroid is accepting. As of now, the latest bid is from the U.S. group Old Tom Capital, valued at $3 billion.

Therefore, F&F can buy TaylorMade at the same price. In fact, reports are that it is likely to buy the company in a deal that could potentially end by March 2026. Analysts praise F&F Chair Kim Chang-su’s strategy, citing Kim’s and son Seung-beom’s board seats for deep TaylorMade insights. This helps minimize M&A risks such as overpayment or hidden liabilities. Selling to Old Tom would yield F&F ~1.6 trillion won (~$1.18 billion) in proceeds. However, reinvesting in the familiar golf brand trumps other market targets.