Good Good’s golf empire crumbles in dramatic fashion as PGA Tour deal is scrapped in latest blow for YouTube stars after ‘tone deaf’ Callaway ad


Good Good’s golf media empire took another hit on Thursday afternoon in the wake of the backlash to its now-deleted Callaway advert. 

Good Good, a YouTube channel that has become a booming business empire, came under fire over clip that showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving a female co-host to the ground.

Both Callaway and Good Good pulled the commercial from all platforms and posted groveling apologies.

But the repercussions kept coming for the YouTube channel as its sponsorship of a PGA Tour has been pulled. 

Good Good had set to be the title sponsor of a PGA Tour event in Austin in November, but is now walking away from the $6 million sponsorship.

‘The PGA TOUR has been informed of Good Good Golf’s decision to step away as sponsor of the event in Austin, Texas, this fall,’ the Tour announced in a statement. 

Good Good, a YouTube channel that has become a booming business empire, came under fire over clip that showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving a female co-host to the ground

Good Good, a YouTube channel that has become a booming business empire, came under fire over clip that showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving a female co-host to the ground 

The popular golf social media brand has seen backlash from fans and sponsors over the ad

The popular golf social media brand has seen backlash from fans and sponsors over the ad 

‘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 Tour confirmed that the tournament would continue as scheduled from November 12-15, 2026, with plans on a new sponsor to come. 

Good Good also announced the decision to step away as a sponsor, saying that it came after ‘thoughtful discussions’ and ‘careful reflection.’

‘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,’ a statement read. 

The news came just hours after Callaway, the golf club manufacturer, cut ties with th embattled content creators. 

On Thursday, Callaway released a statement confirming it had ‘ended its relationship with Good Good, effective immediately.’

The golf giant said: ‘Over the last several days, we have listened and reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused by the video we reposted.

The PGA Tour announced that Good Good has stepped away from its sponsorship of an event

The PGA Tour announced that Good Good has stepped away from its sponsorship of an event

The video depicts Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark body-checking collaborator Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she attempted to reach for a branded driver

The video depicts Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark body-checking collaborator Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she attempted to reach for a branded driver

‘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.’

Callaway revealed that it had completed a ‘review’ of the saga and would take several steps beyond cutting ties with Good Good.

‘In this instance, our content review process was not comprehensive enough. We have taken appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this doesn’t happen again,’ the statement continued.

‘We are committing $1million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts.

‘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.’

The full-60 second ad – for the Good Good-branded Callaway Quantum driver – was supposed to be a spoof of the popular horror movie ‘Obsession.’

Clark, standing over Miestowski in the ad

Miestowski laying on the ground

The ad shows Clark standing over Miestowski and telling her not to touch his club

But the opening of the advertisement shows Clark rushing over and body-checking Good Good member Alexis Miestowski as she reached for the golf club. 

As Miestowski lay flat on her back on the ground, Clark is seen standing over before angrily saying: ‘Do not touch my new driver.’

The rest of the ad shows other members of the content team somehow becoming possessed by the golf club before the video ends.

In a video released following the backlash, Clark apologized and even called the commercial the ‘worst ad known to man’ – despite being the person at the center of the controversy.

‘I wanted to first start by saying, I personally want to apologize for playing the role in this skit, in this ad, at the magnitude that I did, and then on Good Good’s behalf and Good Good marketing team’s behalf, I wanted to say an apology as well because this is not at all what we stand for,’ he began.

‘Once again, I want everyone to know that I do not support DV [domestic violence] abuse or any of that, of any kind. So that’s the first thing I want to say, and I also wanted to offer you guys some clarity on the situation, if you guys are willing to hear.’

Clark added that the ad was supposed to draw inspiration from the popular horror movie but clearly missed the mark.

‘Looking back, super dumb ad concept,’ he admitted. ‘Terrible ad in general, not the greatest idea.’

Garrett Clark posted his own apology video after the disastrous Callaway advert was pulled

Clark was the main actor in the now-deleted social media commercial

Garrett Clark posted his own apology video after the disastrous Callaway advert was pulled

He was also keen to drive home the point that it was a ‘complete skit’ and ‘I didn’t actually tackle a woman’, adding: ‘I never would, and I didn’t.’

Clark went on to tell his followers: ‘Once I watched it back and it got posted, my skin was crawling. I was cringing.

‘I mean, just even minutes after I saw it get posted, before this surfaced everywhere online, I thought it was the worst ad known to man.

‘The beginning of the ad was very intense with the way that that was pushed out there, and just not good all around. Not good. So I wanted to say that.’

He then went on to defend Miestowski – the woman pushed to the ground in the clip – and asked for abuse to be directed at him rather than her.

‘ Her DMs have been, I think, completely unacceptable,’ he said. ‘ I know Alexis is struggling with a lot of this… put it towards me personally. I can handle it. If you want to leave them in these these comments, you’re welcome to.

‘If you got any left in the tank, give Good Good some hate. You can give me some hate in the comments down below.

‘I do sincerely apologize for playing the role that I did in that ad, and I want you guys to know that I in no way, shape, or form support DV abuse or anything of the sort.’

Clark also defended Miestowski, saying her social media had been flooded with 'unacceptable' messages and instead told commenters to direct their anger toward himself and the brand

Clark also defended Miestowski, saying her social media had been flooded with ‘unacceptable’ messages and instead told commenters to direct their anger toward himself and the brand

The advertisement was created to promote a branded version of the Callaway Quantum driver

The advertisement was created to promote a branded version of the Callaway Quantum driver

Backlash against the video was swift and came not only from golf fans but also by other brands that carried the products of the content creators – or those who collaborated with them.

On Tuesday, the Golf Channel posted a statement to reveal that the premiere of ‘Big Break x Good Good’ was being pushed back a week , after one of the show’s sponsors requested that its branding be removed from the series.

Although Golf Channel did not identify the sponsor, multiple reports said it was retailer Golf Galaxy, which had been listed as a presenting sponsor of the show.

Hours later, images and reports began surfacing showing that Golf Galaxy and Dick’s Sporting Goods had begun pulling all Good Good products from their shelves.

As criticism began to spiral, Good Good released a statement which read: ‘We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand. We have since taken that content down and sincerely apologize.’

The statement added: ‘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 rose from the Covid-era golf boom and is one of the sport’s most popular content creators, boasting over two million subscribers on YouTube. The cast of the group has changed since inception, but formerly included the likes of pro golfer Luke Kwon and YouTube golfer Grant Horvat.

Their stock rose so much that Good Good was named the title sponsor of the new PGA Tour event in Austin, Texas, this fall. That, however, has now also collapsed amid their crumbling empire. 





Source link

Rivian’s CFO is leaving the company

Police raid home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s son as guns and ammunition are seized

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *