Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 25
PGA Tour CEO Faults Good Good's Initial Response to Controversial Ad as $45 Million Brand Faces Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 25

PGA Tour CEO Faults Good Good's Initial Response to Controversial Ad as $45 Million Brand Faces Scrutiny

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 25

Summary

  • Brian Rolapp said Good Good Golf’s first reaction to backlash over a deleted ad was “concerning,” “defensive and late,” and not aligned with PGA Tour values.
  • The ad showed co-founder Garrett Clark shoving employee Alexis Miestowski to the ground over a Good Good-branded Callaway driver, drawing criticism for depicting casual violence toward women.
  • Rolapp said Good Good’s responses improved Tuesday after talks with the tour, but he would not say whether the controversy could affect the Good Good Championship set for Nov. 12-15 in Austin.
  • Callaway CEO Chip Brewer issued a second apology Tuesday, admitting the company reviewed and approved the ad before posting and saying that approval “should never have happened.”
  • Good Good, which raised $45 million in 2025 and grew from a YouTube channel into a tour event sponsor, now faces continued PGA Tour monitoring as the fallout develops.

Insights

How did a major brand like Callaway approve an ad depicting violence, and will it cost Good Good their PGA Tour event?
What does Callaway's shocking approval of a violent ad reveal about the risky intersection of YouTube culture and professional golf?