Callaway, Good Good Golf both make firings after ad controversy

The fallout from one of the most consequential and disastrous advertisements in sports media history appears to be coming to an end, as Callaway and Good Good both look to move forward.

The partnership between the two golf brands was supposed to be featured in a commercial hyping up a new driver. However, the ad quickly became a five-alarm fire for both companies as it depicted a shockingly tone-deaf scene. The commercial showed Good Good star Garrett Clark tackling a female co-star who tried to pull the club out of a bag, drawing instant, universal condemnation.

Callaway quickly moved to end their partnership with Good Good, but the consequences for the popular YouTube channel were only just beginning. They also lost their PGA Tour event sponsorship and Golf Channel partnership through the new season of Big Break.

Callaway CEO Chip Brewer had offered an apology that promised an internal and external investigation. Meanwhile, Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick took to social media with a very different response, going on the offensive and even seeming to entertain a possible lawsuit against Callaway before deleting the post. Needless to say, Good Good’s handling of the crisis left a lot to be desired.

And now both Callaway and Good Good have reportedly pinpointed the individuals who will take the fall. According to David Rumsey at Front Office Sports, Good Good has let go of their VP of brand and marketing, Jeffrey Lefkovits. Meanwhile, Callaway decided to part ways with their director of content and production, Alex Upegui. Additionally, another Good Good employee is departing the company. Last week, Kendrick said he had let his marketing team go, removing the people responsible for the ad.

As far as public relations go, Good Good has definitely borne the brunt of the controversy even though the original video was posted on Callaway’s social media platforms. But ultimately, both companies clearly felt they had to make these decisions to fully put the catastrophe behind them.

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