Good Good Golf just lost its CEO Matt Kendrick and President Joe Flannery this week, a direct hit from the massive backlash against their recent advertisement with Callaway. These weren’t quiet departures either; the company is in full damage control mode.
The Fallout From *That* Ad
Man, talk about a viral moment for all the wrong reasons. Remember that Callaway ad released last month? The one showing co-founder Garrett Clark actually shoving a female employee to the ground because she tried to touch a driver in his golf bag? Yeah, *that* one. It was pulled the very next day, and both Good Good and Callaway quickly put out apologies. But that wasn’t enough. Callaway dropped Good Good completely, then put its money where its mouth is by announcing a $1 million donation to charities fighting domestic violence. And it’s not just Good Good feeling the heat: Callaway’s own director of content and production, Alex Upegui, is out. Even the PGA Tour jumped ship, splitting with Good Good, which means their fall Good Good Championship needs a new title sponsor.
Who’s Out, Who’s In, and Who’s Still Around
So, Kendrick and Flannery are gone, but an internal memo confirms they left of their own accord. Good Good’s early investor and co-founder, Nahid Giga, is stepping in as interim CEO, trying to steer this ship. Flannery, who just landed at Good Good and was only in his first few days, has a background with TravisMatthew, The North Face, and Score Sports. Kendrick had been CEO since 2020. He wasn’t exactly quiet on the way out, hitting social media last week with a rant criticizing Callaway for approving the ad and accusing them of a “coordinated media blitz” when they dropped Good Good. He’s since deleted some posts, clarified that the Good Good marketing team members who approved the ad are no longer there, and walked back any talk of suing Callaway. Here’s the kicker though: Garrett Clark, the co-founder *in* the ad, is still with the company, still creating content, according to Front Office Sports. On top of all this, Good Good’s vice president of brand marketing, Jeffrey Lefkovits, was fired this week. That’s a lot of chairs shuffled around.
Despite this absolute firestorm, a Good Good spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the company is actually seeing online retail growth, investor support is holding strong, and they’re even looking at re-engaging former retail partners down the road. It’s wild to think about, but they’re pushing forward. The drama might be intense, but Good Good Golf clearly isn’t throwing in the towel just yet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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