Jeffrey Lefkovits sues Good Good Golf for $1 million

Former Good Good Golf vice president of brand and marketing Jeffrey Lefkovits is suing the company and former chief executive Matt Kendrick for more than $1 million after he was fired over a controversial Callaway advertisement.

In a $1 million defamation lawsuit filed in Texas and obtained by the Daily Mail, Lefkovits accuses Kendrick of spreading "false" information about his role in the August commercial, which showed Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark shoving a female golfer to the ground before standing over her and shouting in her face.

The video immediately sparked allegations that Good Good Golf was making light of violence against women. Both Lefkovits, who served as vice president marketing chief, and Kendrick lost their jobs in the fallout that followed the advertisement.

According to the Texas court filing, Lefkovits had approved a script for a promotional video featuring a Callaway driver, but the scene showing Clark shoving the female golfer was created and filmed without his knowledge while he was away from work.

Defamation allegations against Matt Kendrick

"Lefkovits approved a lighthearted parody script for a Good Good x Callaway driver ad," the lawsuit begins. It states that while Lefkovits was out of the office, a shot of Clark shoving a woman to the ground that appeared nowhere in that script "was conceived and filmed on set."

The complaint claims that although Kendrick initially told company staff that "the responsibility ultimately sits with me," the chief executive later "reversed course and sought a scapegoat" as criticism over the video grew.

"He found one in Lefkovits," the filing reads. "Kendrick went on a media blitz, telling national media that Good Good had 'removed people responsible for the ad' and expressly blamed the marketing department which Lefkovits led for signing off on the ad."

The lawsuit adds: "Within days, Lefkovits was publicly identified as the fired executive. That statement was false, and this suit seeks to hold Defendants accountable for it." Under Texas defamation law, a plaintiff seeking damages must establish that a defendant published a false statement of fact to a third party that harmed their professional reputation.

Matt Kendrick statements on the Callaway ad

Amid the August fallout, Kendrick publicly claimed that he did not see the commercial before it was released and said Good Good Golf had "removed people responsible for the ad."

"Our marketing team saw it. Callaway said they approved it, and that went through their marketing team, as well. So, both sides saw it," Kendrick explained at the time.

"I didn't see it initially when it went up, either," Kendrick added. "But my team informed me that they had pulled it down and then I saw it. And after I saw it, I was like: 'This isn't acceptable.'"

In commercial golf endorsements, promotional campaigns between content groups and equipment manufacturers are typically reviewed by brand and marketing staff at both companies before publication.

Callaway partnership and PGA Tour fallout

Good Good Golf began as a collaborative YouTube channel led by Clark and a group of golf content creators, building a large online audience through match-play challenges and trick-shot videos before expanding into a booming business empire selling golf apparel and merchandise.

That commercial growth brought partnerships with major industry institutions, including golf club and equipment manufacturer Callaway, the PGA Tour, which operates North America's flagship men's professional golf circuit, and the Golf Channel, an American television network dedicated to coverage of the sport.

After the August driver clip went viral, both Good Good Golf and Callaway issued groveling apologies, but the fallout continued across those commercial deals.

It later emerged that Callaway had cut ties with Good Good Golf "effective immediately." In a lengthy statement, the manufacturer vowed to commit "$1million to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts."

Hours after Callaway terminated the partnership, Good Good Golf decided to "step away" as the sponsor of a PGA Tour event in November, while the Golf Channel officially cancelled the brand's upcoming reality television show.