Callaway Golf has issued a public apology after a promotional video meant to be humorous sparked widespread accusations that it promoted violence against women, according to a report from Breitbart News.
The now-deleted ad featured professional golfer Garrett Clark running over and tackling fellow pro Alexi Mietowski to the ground as she reached toward his golf bag to grab his new Callaway driver. In the video, Clark says, “No NOT touch my new driver,” to the floored Mietowski.
The video, created in partnership with the golf media brand Good Good Golf, was meant to promote a co-branded driver. But almost as soon as it spread across the internet, the two companies faced a wave of backlash from social media users who accused them of promoting violence against women.
Both companies responded quickly, issuing statements of apology and removing the video from their channels.
Good Good Golf apologizes, pulls content
Good Good Golf was the first to respond, releasing a statement on Saturday in which it said the video depicted actions that were “not aligned with our values as a brand.” The company said it had taken the content down and offered a sincere apology.
“Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission going forward,” the statement read.
Callaway takes responsibility, calls approval a mistake
Callaway also apologized, acknowledging that while the video was produced by Good Good, it had been approved by Callaway prior to posting. The company said that approval “should never have happened” and that it was taking the matter seriously.
“Mistakes were made, and we are taking the matter very seriously,” Callaway wrote in a statement. “As we deal with the consequences of our mistake and complete our investigations, I want to make it clear that we sincerely apologize for the video. The content was inappropriate and does not reflect our values. To be clear: we are unequivocally against discrimination, domestic violence, or threatening behavior of any kind.”
The statement further emphasized the company’s commitment to its values, but the apology itself drew a mixed response. While some praised the company for owning up to the error, many X users criticized Callaway for invoking “diversity and inclusion” language in its apology, with some accusing the company of pandering to political correctness.
Neither Callaway nor Good Good Golf has announced further actions, but both indicated they are reviewing their internal approval processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The controversy highlights the challenges brands face when trying to blend humor with product placement, especially when the joke involves physical contact between men and women. In this case, the attempted comedy was widely perceived as crossing a line, prompting the swift corporate response.
As of this writing, the video has been removed from both companies’ social media channels, and the original post has been deleted.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/08/25/callaway-golf-apologizes-for-ad-accused-of-promoting-violence-against-women/