LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said Tuesday that Good Good Golf should have an opportunity to learn from its controversial advertisement, while acknowledging that the ad should not have been made.
Speaking at the “Tuned In” summit hosted by Front Office Sports, Kessler discussed the advertisement, which showed Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark pushing member Alexis Miestowski to the ground. The ad drew backlash after circulating online in August.
Kessler said he was surprised the advertisement had been approved, but argued that people and organizations should be able to acknowledge wrongdoing and seek forgiveness. He said society should leave room for someone to admit a major mistake, explain what was learned and commit to not repeating it.
The controversy had business consequences for the golf brand. Callaway, which had approved the collaborative advertisement, ended its partnership with Good Good after the backlash began. Good Good also parted ways with the PGA Tour before a sponsored tournament scheduled for November, according to the source. Some retailers removed the brand’s products, and Golf Channel canceled the planned return of its “Big Break” reality series, which had involved Good Good.
The company briefly paused new YouTube uploads before beginning a series about playing golf in all 50 states in 50 days. The source reports that the videos each drew more than 500,000 views, with many nearing 1 million.
