Top executives out at Good Good Golf after ad criticized for making light of violence toward women
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- Two top executives have exited Good Good Golf after the company posted and then deleted an ad criticized for making light of violence against women.
- CEO Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery depart amid turmoil over a Callaway Quantum driver promo in which co-founder Garrett Clark is depicted as shoving a woman to protect his club.
- Callaway has severed ties with the golf influencer brand and pledged $1 million to anti-violence groups.
A pair of top executives are out at Good Good Golf less than two weeks after the content creator and apparel brand posted, then deleted, an ad that has been highly criticized for making light of violence toward women.
Good Good chief executive officer Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery have left the company, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday. Business Insider published an internal staff memo from chief operating officer Alex Puchala that announced the departures without mentioning the controversial ad for the Good Good Callaway Quantum Driver.
Kendrick was one of the co-founders of the company, which started as a YouTube channel in 2020, and has since become one of golf’s biggest content creators. He told Front Office Sports late last month that he did not see the video before it was posted and added that he wasn’t in the practice of approving every one of the company’s social media posts.
Good Good Golf said it will step back to focus on its culture amid the fallout over its ad that has been criticized for portraying violence against women. Callaway also cut ties with the brand.
Flannery was a recent hire whose first day on the job was Aug. 21, the same day the ad dropped.
“Effective today, Matt has decided to step down as CEO of Good Good and Joe has chosen to part ways as well,” Puchala wrote. “This is a difficult day for the entire Good Good family. Matt helped build something extraordinary that exceeded all expectations and continues to bring countless new fans to the sport. What began as a small group of friends playing golf is now a growing global community.”
Company co-founder Nahid Giga will serve as interim CEO, Puchala wrote. Neither Puchala nor Good Good immediately responded to requests for comment.
The ad depicted a man, played by Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark, shoving a woman to the ground as she reaches for one of his golf clubs. “Do not touch my new driver,” he says as he stands over her. Clark remains with the company as part of the creator team, according to Puchala’s memo.
Tiger Woods reached a plea deal in a Florida DUI case and is suspended from driving for five years after pleading guilty to reckless driving.
Both Good Good and Callaway issued apologies for the ad in the days following its deletion. Clark also posted a lengthy video on social media in which he apologized for “the worst ad known to man.”
“This is not at all what we stand for,” Clark said. “... I want everyone to know that I do not support [domestic violence], abuse or any of that of any kind.”
On Aug. 27, Callaway announced it had cut ties with Good Good after a three-year business relationship and committed $1 million “to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts.”
The next day, Kendrick criticized Callaway in a post on his X account.
“Interesting that @CallawayGolf asks us to make an ad then approves it then asks us to take the fall then drops us in a coordinated media blitz and covers it up by giving a million dollars away thinking everyone will be ok with it,” Kendrick wrote.
He took a much more reserved approach related to the split with Callaway when talking to Front Office Sports the same day.
“They severed ties with us. We completely understand that position and this is a situation no one wants to be in,” Kendrick said. “And we apologize to everyone for being in this position, and I apologize to Callaway that all of us are here. I understand everyone’s position and I get it.
“We loved being with Callaway for a long time. They were nothing but great to us the entire time we were together. I just hate that this is how it ended.”
