Golf Channel postpones Big Break x Good Good premiere after sponsor request

Golf Channel has postponed the return of Big Break, with the new Big Break x Good Good series now set to premiere one week later than planned.

The announcement came on Tuesday evening, just hours before the reboot was due to debut. 

An hour-long Meet the Players special had been scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, followed by the first episode, Howdy.

Both episodes will now air on September 1.

Golf Channel said the delay was necessary to allow production updates after one of the show's sponsors requested that its branding be removed from the series.

Front Office Sports' David Rumsey has since confirmed Golf Galaxy is the sponsor that has dropped out of Big Break. 

"Previous announcements from Golf Channel referred to the official title as 'Big Break x Good Good presented by Golf Galaxy' and Tuesday's postponement did not mention the brand," confirmed Front Office Sports. 

The postponement comes just days after Good Good, the popular YouTube golf brand partnering with Golf Channel on the reboot, faced heavy criticism over a controversial advert promoting a new Callaway driver.

The video, which has since been removed from Good Good's social media channels, showed one of the brand's members knocking down a woman reaching for his golf bag before standing over her and saying: “Do not touch my new driver.”

Watch the deleted scene here: 

Good Good later apologised, admitting the advert did not reflect the company's values.

“We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand,” the company said in a statement. 

Good Good added that the content had been removed and reaffirmed its commitment to making golf more inclusive.

The controversy has also attracted attention from Callaway and the PGA Tour. 

Callaway boss Chip Brewer has vowed that his company will learn from their mistakes after approving Good Good's ad in the first place. 

Read Callway's statement in full here:

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp also addressed the issue during a press conference ahead of the Tour Championship, saying the initial response from Good Good had been “disappointing” and that it had been “a bit defensive and late”.

Rolapp said the content was concerning and did not align with PGA Tour values.

It remains to be seen whether the PGA Tour still backs Good Good for their title sponsorship of a tournament at Fazio Canyons, Austin, from 12-15 November.

Watch Rolapp's comments in full here:

Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick has also said the company is reviewing its creative approval process, with additional oversight being introduced before content is released.

The delay marks an unexpected setback for the return of Big Break, which originally launched in 2003 and last aired in 2015. 

The reboot combines the established golf reality format with Good Good's sizeable online following.

For fans waiting to see the new-look series, the wait is now one week longer, with Big Break x Good Good scheduled to begin on September 1.