Golf Channel postpones ‘Big Break’ premiere after sponsor pulls out over Good Good Golf video

Golf Channel has delayed the premiere of its reality show "Big Break x Good Good" by a week due to pressure from a sponsor who withdrew its support. The timing of the postponement to September 1st allows for necessary production adjustments after one of the show's sponsors requested the removal of its branding from the series. Although the identity of the sponsor was not disclosed, reports suggest it was retailer Golf Galaxy, listed as a presenting sponsor of the show.

The controversy arose from a video posted by the show's title sponsor, Good Good Golf, depicting a man shoving a woman to the ground while she attempted to grab a new Callaway driver. The video, created as an advertisement for the Callaway driver, was swiftly removed by Good Good Golf a day after its posting, drawing widespread condemnation for its portrayal of violence against women. The company subsequently issued an apology, acknowledging that the actions depicted in the video were not consistent with their values.

Callaway, the brand featured in the video, expressed disappointment in the content and appreciated Good Good Golf's prompt response in addressing the issue. However, the PGA Tour's CEO, Brian Rolapp, criticized Good Good Golf at first for its "defensive and late" reaction, though he noted that subsequent responses have shown improvement. Rolapp emphasized that the tour takes the matter very seriously and has had discussions with Good Good Golf to move forward.