Golf equipment company Callaway has issued an apology after facing a wave of criticism over an advertisement depicting violence against women. The ad was removed after being posted online last week.
The advertisement showed a male golfer knocking a female golfer to the ground as she reached for his new driver, with the warning: "Don't touch my new club." The incident immediately sparked anger and led to calls for a boycott of Callaway products.
In a statement released Tuesday, Callaway CEO Chip Brewer said the company has opened an investigation into how the ad, produced by golf media company Good Good Golf, was approved.
"Last week, Good Good Golf and Callaway posted a video promoting our co-branded driver line," Brewer said. "Although the video was produced by Good Good, Callaway approved it before it was posted. That approval should never have happened. We made a mistake and we are taking this very seriously."
"As we face the consequences of our mistake and complete our investigations, I want to be clear that we sincerely apologize for this video. The content was inappropriate and does not reflect our values. We stand firmly against all forms of discrimination, domestic violence, or threatening behavior of any kind," Brewer emphasized.
Earlier, Good Good Golf, a company known for its YouTube channel aimed at attracting younger audiences to golf, had issued an apology and removed the video. The company said the video was "inconsistent with our brand values" and affirmed its mission to make golf more accessible to everyone.
However, criticism continued to target both companies. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp expressed disappointment with the ad and the way Good Good handled the incident. "Their initial reaction was disappointing, defensive, and slow. But subsequent responses have been better, and we will continue to monitor," he said.
Many female golfers said the ad was a setback for women seeking to participate in a sport historically dominated by men. Some Callaway customers have publicly declared they will no longer support the brand. On both companies' social media pages, users continually demanded transparency and a more meaningful apology.
