Good Good Loses CEO and President Following Callaway Advertising Scandal

At the golf media brand Good Good, CEO Matt Kendrick and President Joe Flannery have left the company. The leadership crisis was triggered by a commercial for a Driver marketed in partnership with Callaway, which sparked widespread outrage. According to an internal memo, co-founder and investor Nahid Giga is taking on the role of interim CEO.

This marks the point at which a scandal—which began in late August with a 60-second promotional video—has reached the company’s top leadership. Within just a few weeks, Good Good has lost its most important equipment partner, been removed from major retail chains, lost a TV series and a tournament sponsorship—and now finds itself without a CEO or president.

The leadership shakeup in detail

Several media outlets are reporting in unison that Kendrick and Flannery left the company this week. An internal memo, first reported by Business Insider and later by Front Office Sports, names Nahid Giga as the future interim CEO. Giga is one of the brand’s early investors and co-founders. According to the memo, both executives left the company of their own accord.

Kendrick had led Good Good since its founding in 2020. Flannery had been in the role for only a few days; prior to that, he had led TravisMathew and held positions at The North Face and Score Sports, among others. In a letter to the staff, Alex Puchala, Good Good’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer, paid tribute to the departing CEO: Kendrick had “built something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport.”

The shake-up extends beyond these two top executives. Jeffrey Lefkovits, Vice President of Brand and Marketing, was fired that same week. There are also consequences on the Callaway side: Alex Upegui, Director of Content and Production, is leaving the company. Co-founder Garrett Clark—the man who pushes the woman to the ground in the ad—is staying on, however, and plans to continue producing content.

Who owns Callaway? Find out here.

Recap: The Commercial as the Trigger

The crisis began with a roughly 60-second clip that Good Good and Callaway released on August 20 for their new joint Driver. The scene: Good Good golfer Alexis Miestowski reaches for a club when co-founder Garrett Clark rushes over and pulls her to the ground. He looms over her and says, “Don’t touch my new Driver.”

The backlash came within hours. On social media, users accused both brands of trivializing violence against women. Good Good deleted the post that same day, but copies of the video continued to circulate—and the initial apologies largely fell on deaf ears.

Good Good explained that the ad was intended as a parody of the horror film “Obsession.” This explanation did not stop the criticism. Clark later spoke out in an eight-minute response video, calling the ad “the worst commercial in human history.” He said the content was “not what we stand for.” He made it clear: “I do not support domestic violence or abuse in any form.”

Video: The controversial commercial by Good Good and Callaway

Chronicle of the Fallout: Sponsors, Retailers, and Television

The outrage was followed by severe economic consequences. Callaway terminated its three-year partnership with Good Good effective immediately and announced it would donate one million U.S. dollars to organizations working to combat violence against women. CEO Chip Brewer acknowledged that Callaway had formally reviewed and approved the ad produced by Good Good prior to its release. This approval should never have been granted, said Brewer, who announced an internal investigation into the matter.

In a public statement, the manufacturer clearly distanced itself from its own conduct: “These measures do not undo the damage caused and do not excuse our role in it,” Callaway stated. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.” The company later announced that it had taken “appropriate internal corrective actions” and implemented stricter approval processes.

Retailers also reacted quickly. The Dick’s Sporting Goods chain and its subsidiary Golf Galaxy removed Good Good’s clothing and products from their store shelves and online store. At the same time, the television business was thrown into turmoil: The Golf Channel initially postponed the new season of its reality show “Big Break x Good Good” and eventually canceled it altogether. The deciding factor was that a major sponsor—reportedly Golf Galaxy—wanted to be removed from the broadcast.

Callaway Drivers at a Glance: Quantum, Elyte, Ai Smoke, and Rogue ST

Because the winner of the series was supposed to receive a spot in a new PGA Tour tournament this fall, the competition could no longer be held in its planned format. “In light of recent developments surrounding Good Good and the fact that the intended outcome of the series can no longer be achieved, the Golf Channel will not be able to complete this season of Big Break as planned,” the network announced. The show is set to return next year.

Finally, Good Good also withdrew as the title sponsor for the PGA Tour tournament in Austin, Texas, scheduled to take place November 12–15. On the Tour’s website, the event is now listed as the “Austin Championship”; it will still be held. “After careful discussions with the PGA Tour and thorough consideration, we have decided to withdraw as the sponsor of the Tour tournament in Austin this fall,” Good Good announced. “We know that as an organization we have work ahead of us, and our focus right now is on our team, our culture, and learning from this situation.”

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp had strongly criticized the ad. “We were disappointed by what we saw,” he said, referring to the initial reaction to the video. “The PGA Tour believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create an inclusive environment for everyone.” Regarding the withdrawal from Austin, the Tour added: “We respect their decision to use this time to focus on their organization and the work ahead.”

Kendrick’s Escalation—and His Departure

Between the split with Callaway and his own withdrawal, Kendrick went on the counterattack. Shortly after Callaway ended the partnership, he spoke out early in the morning via his previously dormant X account and sharply attacked the equipment manufacturer: “It’s interesting that @CallawayGolf asks us to do an ad, then approves it, then asks us to take the heat for it, and then drops us in a coordinated media campaign and covers it all up by giving away a million dollars, believing that makes everything okay for everyone. 30 for 39 is going to be legendary."

The post went viral immediately and, according to one report, reached around 8.8 million views. Shortly afterward, Kendrick told Front Office Sports that he had made the “reactionary” post in light of “what [his] family was facing.” At the same time, he explained that he had neither seen nor approved the Callaway ad himself before it was released. Five days later, he was no longer CEO of Good Good.

Context: A Rift Between Creators and the Golf Establishment

Good Good launched in 2020 as a YouTube channel and quickly grew into one of the sport’s largest digital content providers. Eight men and four women compete against each other in matches and skill challenges; the business expanded early on to include TV formats, merchandising, and its own clothing line. Last year, the platform raised $45 million in investor funding—most of its revenue has long since come not from advertising, but from partnerships and merchandise. The partnership with Callaway had been in place since 2023.

The collapse within just a few weeks shows how quickly the close relationship between digital creators and the traditional institutions of golf can unravel. In recent years, the PGA Tour had increasingly involved online personalities, for example in exhibition matches surrounding major events such as The Players Championship and the Tour Championship. The Good Good case highlights the reputational risk inherent in such partnerships—and how quickly approval processes can become a burden.

Despite everything, the company remains defiant. “Despite the recent controversy, the company is seeing growth in online retail, continued support from investors, and sees an opportunity to win back former retail partners in the future,” a Good Good spokesperson told Front Office Sports. It remains to be seen whether this confidence will hold as the commercial continues to circulate online and the brand simultaneously restructures its leadership.