American golf content and merchandise company Good Good has removed its chief executive officer and president from their positions following a major backlash over a controversial advertisement that was criticised for appearing to make light of violence against women.
The company confirmed that CEO Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery have left their roles after the advert, produced in partnership with golf equipment manufacturer Callaway, triggered widespread criticism from viewers and golf fans.
The controversy centres on a promotional video released on August 21 to advertise a new Callaway driver. The advert featured Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark approaching professional golfer and Good Good content creator Alexis Miestowski before pushing her to the ground after she attempted to reach for the golf club.
Clark then told her, “Do not touch my new driver.”
Although the video was intended as a humorous skit, its portrayal of a man physically pushing a woman quickly generated strong criticism online. Many viewers argued that the advert trivialised violence against women and was inappropriate for a company that has built its identity around entertainment, inclusivity and growing the game of golf.
Good Good subsequently removed the advertisement and issued an apology. Clark also apologised for his involvement, acknowledging the seriousness of the reaction and stressing that the company does not support domestic violence or abuse.
However, the damage to the company’s commercial relationships had already begun.
Callaway ended its partnership with Good Good following the controversy and announced plans to donate $1 million to organisations working to prevent violence against women and support victims. The decision represented a significant blow to Good Good, which had developed a high-profile relationship with the established golf equipment manufacturer.
The fallout also extended beyond the Callaway partnership.
Good Good withdrew from its planned title sponsorship of a PGA Tour event scheduled to take place in Austin, Texas, in November. The PGA Tour supported the decision as the company faced growing scrutiny over the advertisement.
Several major retailers also removed Good Good products from their shelves, further increasing pressure on the golf brand. The company also faced the cancellation of its television collaboration with Golf Channel, adding to the commercial consequences of the controversy.
The latest leadership changes represent another major development in the crisis.
Kendrick, one of Good Good’s founders, had played an important role in transforming the company from a YouTube golf channel into a major golf entertainment brand. Flannery, meanwhile, had only recently taken over significant business responsibilities before the controversy intensified.
Good Good board member and investor Nahid Giga has now been appointed interim chief executive as the company attempts to navigate the difficult period and rebuild confidence among fans, partners and retailers.
The company’s head of finance and operations, Alex Puchala, described the leadership departures as a difficult day for the Good Good family while expressing confidence in the brand’s future.
Despite the controversy, Good Good remains one of the biggest golf-focused content creators on YouTube, with about 2.1 million subscribers. The company launched its YouTube channel in 2020 and quickly developed a large following through golf challenges, entertainment videos, competitions and collaborations involving both male and female golfers.
Its rapid growth had also helped the company expand beyond online videos into merchandise, television and major commercial partnerships. Before the recent crisis, Good Good had established itself as one of the most recognisable brands in the growing golf creator economy.
The controversy has therefore created an important test for the company as it attempts to protect the reputation it built over several years.
The incident has also raised broader questions about the responsibility of sports brands and content creators when using humour in advertising. While provocative marketing can attract attention, the reaction to the Good Good advert demonstrates how quickly a campaign can become damaging when audiences believe it crosses an unacceptable line.
For Good Good, the immediate priority will be rebuilding relationships with commercial partners and reassuring its audience that stronger safeguards will be put in place before future content is released.
The company has indicated that it intends to learn from the episode and focus on the next chapter of its development.
Whether Good Good can successfully recover from the controversy will depend largely on how effectively it responds to the criticism and restores confidence among its fans, business partners and the wider golf community.
For now, the departure of its CEO and president marks the latest and perhaps most significant consequence of an advertisement that was intended to entertain but instead triggered a crisis for one of America’s fastest-growing golf media brands.
