Kendrick and Flannery Depart Good Good Golf Following Callaway Ad Controversy

CEO Matt Kendrick and President Joe Flannery have officially exited Good Good Golf after a controversial advertisement led to the termination of a major partnership with Callaway.

CEO Matt Kendrick and President Joe Flannery officially vacated their leadership positions at Good Good Golf on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. This executive turnover follows the release of a promotional video last month that depicted content creator Garrett Clark physically shoving fellow creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she attempted to reach for a new Callaway driver. According to an internal memo distributed by executive Alex Puchala, Kendrick had occupied the chief executive role since the brand's inception in 2020. Business Insider confirmed the departures, noting that co-founder Nahid Giga has been appointed to serve as the interim CEO during this transition period.

Key details

The fallout from the digital advertisement resulted in the immediate termination of the multi-year partnership between Good Good and Callaway, a deal originally established in 2023. The controversial footage, which featured two of the 12 creators representing the YouTube-based brand, was scrubbed from official channels shortly after publication due to widespread condemnation regarding the depiction of violence against women. Despite the removal of the original post, the clip remained visible across various social media platforms, fueling further public scrutiny and corporate repercussions.

Retail giants Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy responded to the incident by removing all Good Good Golf apparel from their physical store inventories nationwide. The financial impact extended to broadcasting, as the Golf Channel announced it would no longer air the planned reboot of the "Big Break" series, a production that had previously secured the brand as a primary partner for the current year. Furthermore, the company was forced to withdraw its sponsorship of a PGA Tour tournament that had been scheduled for November, marking a significant retreat from professional golf events.

Latest developments

In the days preceding his exit, Kendrick issued a formal apology acknowledging the error in judgment, stating that he owned the mistake as the head of the organization. However, the situation grew more complex when Kendrick utilized social media to publicly criticize Callaway’s management of the crisis. He later informed Front Office Sports that he had not personally reviewed the specific advertisement before it was published to the brand's massive digital audience. The company, which operates as one of the largest content creators in the industry, produces made-for-TV shows alongside a diverse range of golf merchandise.

The internal memo sent to staff highlighted that the leadership changes were a direct consequence of the brand's recent instability. While the YouTube channel initially launched in 2020 to modernize golf content, the recent scandal has alienated key commercial allies. Both Good Good and Callaway had issued formal apologies within 48 hours of the video's release, yet the gestures were insufficient to salvage the existing business agreements. The departure of Flannery, who served as president, signifies a total overhaul of the upper management structure that oversaw the brand's rapid growth over the last four years.

Interim CEO Nahid Giga now faces the task of stabilizing a brand that has lost its primary equipment sponsor and its largest retail distribution channels in a single month. The removal of merchandise from hundreds of retail locations represents a significant blow to the company's revenue streams outside of digital ad sales. As the organization attempts to move forward, the focus remains on the 12 content creators who form the core of the brand's identity, though the future of their collaborative projects remains uncertain following the cancellation of the Golf Channel series. The swift exit of the two top executives marks the most significant internal shift since the company was founded.