Molly McPhersonCrisis and Reputation Strategist | Creator of Mollyfi | Host of The PR Breakdown

How a of accountability turns a one-day story into a 7-day-story. Callaway & Good Good Golf.

30 Aug 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:03

In this YouTube commentary, Molly McPherson dissects a public relations controversy between Callaway Golf and Good Good Golf. She outlines how Callaway initially spent three days expressing disappointment in an advertisement, only for its CEO to later admit that Callaway had actually approved the ad. This contradiction fuels the anger of Good Good Golf’s CEO. Subsequently, Callaway terminated its partnership with Good Good Golf, orchestrated a coordinated media blitz, and attempted to deflect criticism by announcing a $1 million giveaway. McPherson argues that the focus on the ad approval process is a red herring; the core issue is a clash of brand identities, with Callaway seeking to avoid the stigma of the backlash against Good Good Golf.

The communication is the story. So let me see if I get this straight. Callaway spent 3 days telling us it was disappointed in an ad, then the CEO admitted that Callaway approved the ad that was posted.
All right.
And that's why I think the CEO of Good Good is so angry right now.
The company then fired Good Good Golf, and its response Sliced into Callaway. Interesting that Callaway Golf asks us to make an ad, then approves it, then asks us to take the fall, then drops us in a coordinated media blitz and covers it up by giving $1 million away, thinking everyone will be okay with it.
I think the approval process is the red herring in the story. It's really a clash of brands, but Callaway did not want the stink of the Good Good backlash.