Garrett Clark breaks silence on controversial Good Good Callaway advert: “My skin was crawling”

Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark, who featured prominently in the controversial Callaway driver advert, has admitted his "skin was crawling" after watching the finished video and apologised for his role in the campaign.

Clark was at the centre of the ad promoting the co-branded Good Good x Callaway Quantum driver, which showed him pushing fellow Good Good member Alexis Miestowski to the ground after she reached towards his new club.

The video was subsequently removed following heavy criticism, with Good Good apologising and saying the content did not align with the company's values.

Now, Clark has broken his silence on the controversy (watch video below), accepting responsibility for his involvement and acknowledging that much of the backlash was "very justified" as it was a "terrible advert". 

"I personally want to apologise for playing the role in this skit, in this ad, at the magnitude that I did," Clark said.

"And then on Good Good's behalf and Good Good marketing team's behalf, I wanted to say an apology as well, because this is not at all what we stand for."

Clark also made it clear that he and his brand do not support domestic violence, while explaining how the advert came about and why he believes the concept was a mistake.

Watch the now deleted advert here: 

Garrett Clark: "Terrible ad"

Clark revealed that the concept came from Good Good's marketing team, who suggested creating a spin-off of the movie Obsession.

• PXG take aim at Callaway and Good Good with own driver ad

The idea was that Clark would become obsessed with his new driver, with anybody who touched the club becoming similarly "possessed" by it.

According to Clark, the team then went to the course to film the skit, with Miestowski instructed to reach towards his driver before Clark ran over and fake-tackled her.

Clark stressed that the tackle was staged.

"I know most people probably knew that it was a complete skit and that I didn't actually tackle a woman," he said. 

"I never would, and I didn't."

However, Clark was far less positive about the finished advert.

"Looking back, super dumb ad concept, terrible ad in general, not the greatest idea."

It was his reaction after the video was published which perhaps provides the biggest insight into how badly he felt the campaign had landed.

"Once I watched it back and it got posted, my skin was crawling. I was cringing," Clark admitted.

"Just even minutes after I saw it get posted, before this surfaced everywhere online, I thought it was the worst ad known to man."

Clark said the opening of the advert was particularly intense because of the way it was edited and presented.

Garrett Clark defends Alexis Miestowski amid online abuse

Clark also used his video to address the personal abuse directed towards Miestowski following the controversy.

While saying he understood much of the criticism aimed at the advert, Clark said some of the messages sent to Miestowski had gone far beyond reasonable criticism.

He claimed there had been "hundreds" of messages and comments aimed specifically at her and read out some examples during his video.

One comment on Miestowski's social media told her: "Hope someone beats you after your round."

Clark said such comments were particularly difficult to understand given that the wider criticism centred on the advert's depiction of violence.

He urged people who wanted to direct their anger towards the campaign to target Good Good or himself rather than Miestowski.

"If you guys have any hatred or comments that you're wanting to send our way, put it towards Good Good," he said. 

"Put it towards me personally. I can handle it."

Clark's position was clear: criticism of the advert was understandable, but he does not believe Miestowski should be subjected to personal abuse for playing a role in a skit.

Callaway admits approved advert

The controversy has also placed significant pressure on Callaway, which was involved in the co-branded campaign.

Callaway CEO Chip Brewer acknowledged that the company 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."

The admission means the responsibility for the controversial campaign does not sit solely with Good Good, with Callaway also acknowledging its role in approving the final video.

Read Brewer's statement in full below:

Good Good fallout spreads to retail

The controversy has also moved beyond social media, with reports of Good Good merchandise being removed from retailers.

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

On top of that, Golf Galaxy also requested that its branding be removed from Golf Channel's new Big Break x Good Good series, which has forced a postponement to the episode. 

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 contacted confirming that Good Good merchandise had been removed from their floors.

Reports have also suggested that Good Good products are no longer appearing on Target's website.

Those developments do not necessarily mean that every retailer has permanently ended its commercial relationship with Good Good, but they demonstrate the extent to which the controversy has moved beyond online criticism.

The commercial fallout could prove particularly significant for a company that has built its brand around merchandise, partnerships and collaborations with major names in golf.

Good Good's PGA Tour relationship now under scrutiny

The controversy has also raised questions over Good Good's relationship with the PGA Tour.

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.

Telegraph Sport has reported 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.

No decision to remove Good Good has been announced.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp did, however, make clear that the organisation was unhappy with the advert.

"I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA Tour values," Rolapp said.

"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 added.

The future of the November event therefore remains one of the biggest questions surrounding Good Good, with the PGA Tour yet to announce any change to the sponsorship arrangement.

Clark and Good Good Golf "do not support DV abuse"

Amid the growing fallout, Clark repeatedly stressed in his nine-minute video that neither he nor Good Good supports domestic violence.

"I want you guys to know that I in no way, shape or form support DV abuse or anything of the sort," he said.

He acknowledged that the way the advert was edited and released made it look "rough", but said viewers should not interpret it as evidence that those involved supported domestic violence.

Clark also addressed the wider conversation about women in golf, pointing to Good Good's efforts to promote the women's game.

He highlighted the launch of Good Good Girls and the inclusion of women in the group's events and content.

"We started Good Good Girls... and our goal behind that was to promote the game of golf to young women getting into the game of golf and ideally growing that side of the sport," he said.

Clark said he agreed with some of the broader criticism about the need for greater inclusivity within golf, but insisted that this has been part of Good Good's mission.

However, he once again accepted that the company had made a serious mistake with the advert.

"Good Good messed up by promoting a very poor taste ad that was not good in any way, shape, or fashion," he admitted.

For now, Clark's message is one of accountability, while also asking fans to distinguish between criticism of the advert and personal attacks on those involved.

"Hopefully you guys can forgive Good Good as well as myself for being a part of it," Clark said.

"And hopefully we can move on and grow the women's side of golf because that is one of our huge, huge goals."

With Callaway acknowledging its approval of the advert, retailers reportedly pulling Good Good products and the PGA Tour monitoring the situation, the consequences of the controversial campaign now extend well beyond the original video.