PXG takes aim at Callaway and Good Good Golf with new driver ad

PXG has seemingly joined the growing number of golf brands responding to the fallout from the controversial Callaway and Good Good Golf driver advertisement.

The equipment manufacturer posted a new social media video featuring several of its female professional golfers using the company's new Lightning Driver.

The accompanying message was simple: “Our drivers play nice with everyone.⚡#SheGolfs”

The same line was also displayed prominently within the video, which you can watch below. 

There was no direct mention of Callaway, Good Good or the advertisement that has dominated golf social media this week.

But the timing, wording and decision to centre the campaign around female golfers make the message difficult to interpret as anything other than a deliberate marketing dig.

And, unlike the original advertisement that triggered the controversy, PXG's message appears designed to underline inclusivity rather than provoke controversy.

PXG's response comes after a Callaway and Good Good promotional video for their co-branded Quantum driver sparked widespread criticism.

The advert featured Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark pushing fellow Good Good member Alexis Miestowski to the ground after she reached towards his driver. Clark then told her not to touch his new club.

The video was subsequently removed following intense criticism from golf fans and social media users.

Watch the deleted scene here: 

Good Good has apologised, saying the video depicted actions that were not aligned with the company's values.

Callaway also faced significant criticism over its involvement, with CEO Chip Brewer acknowledging that the company had approved the advert before it was published.

“While the video was produced by Good Good, it was approved by Callaway prior to posting,” Brewer said. 

“That approval should never have happened. Mistakes were made and we are taking the matter very seriously.”

Good Good x Callaway fallout continues 

The controversy has now moved well beyond social media.

Golf Channel postponed the premiere of Big Break x Good Good by a week after a sponsor requested that its branding be removed from the program.

The show was originally scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, August 25, but has now been pushed back to September 1.

The retail fallout has also been significant.

Golf Galaxy and its parent company, Dick's Sporting Goods, have removed Good Good products from their online stores, while reports have emerged of merchandise being pulled from physical retail locations.

Front Office Sports reported that it contacted more than a dozen PGA Tour Superstore locations across the East Coast and Midwest, with a majority of managers reached confirming that Good Good merchandise had been removed from their floors.

And the list of retailers reportedly affected has continued to grow.

Front Office Sports has also reported that Good Good products are no longer appearing on Target's website, adding another major retailer where the brand's merchandise is currently unavailable.

That does not, by itself, confirm that Target has permanently ended its commercial relationship with Good Good, but it represents another significant development as the fallout continues.

PGA Tour event under threat

Good Good is the title sponsor of the upcoming Good Good Championship, a PGA Tour FedEx Cup Fall event scheduled for November 12-15 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Texas.

However, Telegraph Sport is reporting that pressure is mounting on the PGA Tour to cut ties with Good Good as title sponsor, with sources claiming an alternative sponsor is already lined up should the Tour decide to make a change.

The PGA Tour has not announced that Good Good will be removed, but its CEO Brian Rolapp did make clear the organisation was unhappy with the driver advertisement.

“I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values,” Rolapp said Tuesday. “We take it very seriously.”

Rolapp also described Good Good's initial response as “disappointing” and “late”, although he said subsequent conversations with the company had improved.

“We'll continue to monitor and work with them going forward,” he said.

The future of the November event therefore remains one of the biggest questions hanging over Good Good.

Watch Rolapp's comments in full here:

PXG message hard to miss

Against that backdrop, PXG's decision to centre its latest driver campaign around its female professionals feels particularly deliberate.

The company did not need to mention Callaway or Good Good.

“Our drivers play nice with everyone.”

That simple message, coupled with the timing of the campaign and its focus on women's golf, appears to be PXG's way of drawing a clear contrast with the controversial advert that started the current storm.

It is a pointed message, but a relatively restrained one, and given everything that has happened this week, PXG probably didn't need to say anything more.

Subscribe to GolfMagic's brand new Her Game podcast and follow along with the latest episodes.

You can also listen to our new Her Game podcast wherever you get your podcasts: 

• Apple 
• Spotify

Her Game Podcast Series

• Episode 1 - Iona Stephen
• Episode 2 - Annabell Fuller
• Episode 3 - Zainab Jeppe

Follow Her Game on Instagram