Callaway Golf and YouTube brand Good Good have ousted senior executives following widespread backlash over a commercial that critics said depicted domestic violence.
The executive departures mark the latest fallout from the tone-deaf promotional video for the Good Good Callaway Quantum driver, which has already led Callaway to terminate its partnership with the YouTube group, retailers to pull products, and the Golf Channel to cancel an upcoming television series.
According to sports media outlet Front Office Sports, Alex Upegui, the director of content and production at Callaway, is leaving the equipment manufacturer. Upegui had been in his role since 2023 and is believed to be the highest-ranking Callaway employee who possessed the authority to approve the controversial commercial.
Callaway Golf, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of golf clubs, balls, and equipment. The company had increasingly invested in digital partnerships with online content creators to market modern equipment to younger audiences.
Good Good is also firing its vice president of brand and marketing, Jeffrey Lefkovits, Front Office Sports reported. A second, unnamed Good Good employee is also being let go as part of internal changes at the YouTube production company.
Good Good Golf originated as a group of YouTube creators who built a massive digital media empire producing golf challenges, apparel, and co-branded equipment. The brand has amassed millions of online followers and previously secured major commercial partnerships across the golf industry.
Corporate Investigations and Severed Ties
In a statement issued on August 25, Callaway Chief Executive Officer Chip Brewer announced that the company was "conducting both internal and external investigations and have already made changes to our approval process aimed at ensuring this will never happen again."
Just two days after Brewer's initial statement, Callaway formally announced that it was severing all ties with Good Good. The equipment maker acknowledged that its content review process was not comprehensive enough, adding that it had taken internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened approval procedures.
Major equipment manufacturers regularly rely on multi-layered review processes to vet marketing content, particularly when partnering with digital media brands that operate outside traditional advertising channels.
The Controversial Commercial
The full 60-second commercial for the Good Good-branded Callaway Quantum driver was intended as a spoof of the horror movie "Obsession." However, the opening sequence of the advertisement sparked immediate public outrage.
In the opening scene, Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark is shown sprinting toward fellow member Alexis Miestowski and body-checking her to the ground as she reaches for the driver. As Miestowski lies flat on her back, Clark stands over her and angrily demands, "Do not touch my new driver."
The remainder of the commercial depicts other members of the Good Good content team becoming possessed by the golf club before the video concludes. Critics immediately condemned the imagery for simulating physical assault and domestic violence against a female collaborator.
Following public criticism, Clark released an apology video in which he acknowledged the mistake and described the commercial as the "worst ad known to man." Good Good Chief Executive Officer Matt Kendrick also admitted the failure in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, stating, "We fully own that we did make a mistake … As the CEO of the company, the buck stops with me and we should have had better processes in place."
Kendrick told the Wall Street Journal that the company never intended to glorify or support violence. "Obviously the execution missed the mark and didn’t come across the way that we wanted to, and in no way were we trying to make light of or support violence," Kendrick said. "But it came across that way, and that’s our fault."
Cancelled Television Series and PGA Tour Sponsorship
The public apologies failed to halt the collapse of Good Good's media deals. The Golf Channel announced that the upcoming television show "Good Good x Big Break" has been cancelled, just 24 hours after initially stating it would merely delay the premiere by one week.
The initial delay was requested after an unnamed sponsor, believed to be Golf Magic, asked to have its branding removed from the program. The Golf Channel ultimately decided to scrap the revival project entirely rather than proceed without sponsor support.
The original "Big Break" series was golf's signature reality television competition, pitting 12 aspiring professional golfers against each other in elimination challenges. The show aired for 23 seasons between 2003 and 2015 before going off the air. The 2026 reboot was set to be hosted by professional golfer and model Blair O'Neal alongside television host Wells Adams.
The winner of the rebooted series was scheduled to receive a tournament exemption into the PGA Tour's Good Good Championship in November. However, Good Good branding has now been stripped from the tournament following the group's decision to withdraw as title sponsor.
In an official statement, the PGA Tour confirmed: "The PGA TOUR has been informed of Good Good Golf's decision to step away as sponsor of the event in Austin, Texas, this fall." The event has been renamed the Austin Championship on the official PGA Tour website, while golf officials continue to evaluate ongoing commercial ties with the media group.
