Annika Sörenstam has broken her silence on the controversy surrounding Callaway and Good Good Golf, and the 10-time major champion has made it clear where she stands after the fallout from the now-deleted advertisement.
Sörenstam, who has been closely associated with Callaway for more than 30 years, was asked to comment after the equipment giant decided to cut ties with Good Good following the backlash over its controversial Quantum driver campaign.
The Swedish golf icon did not attempt to defend the advertisement itself.
Instead, Sörenstam described the advert as “terrible” while drawing a clear distinction between the campaign and the company she has worked with throughout her career.
The controversy erupted after an advert for the co-branded Callaway Quantum driver showed Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark tackling fellow creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground after she reached for his golf club.
Clark then stood over Miestowski and warned her: “Do not touch my new driver.”
Although the advert was reportedly intended as a parody of the horror film Obsession, the decision to portray a man physically attacking a woman over a golf club generated significant criticism.
The video was subsequently removed, with both Good Good and Callaway issuing apologies.
Callaway later announced that it had ended its relationship with Good Good with immediate effect.
That decision appears to have earned praise from Sörenstam, who has spent much of her post-playing career working to grow women’s golf.
“For over 30 years, I have been a proud partner of Callaway,” Sörenstam wrote on Instagram.
“More importantly, for over 20 years they have supported my work with the ANNIKA Foundation, which aims to empower and advance young women through golf and in life.”
Sörenstam was unequivocal about the advertisement itself.
She called it “terrible”, but said Callaway deserved credit for accepting responsibility and taking action once the controversy emerged.
“They have acknowledged that, apologized, and taken significant action to address it,” she said.
“I can say unequivocally that the ad does not reflect the values of Callaway or their CEO, Chip Brewer.”
Her defence of Callaway was also rooted in the company’s longstanding relationship with women’s golf.
“Callaway is and has always been one of the strongest supporters of women’s golf on the LPGA and amateur level,” Sörenstam added.
That relationship stretches back to 1993, when Sörenstam turned professional. She remains a Callaway ambassador today and has credited the company with playing an important role in her career.
“Being a part of their family has been critical to my success and the success of countless other girls with big dreams,” she said.
Sörenstam’s comments therefore offer a nuanced response to the controversy.
She has not attempted to excuse the Good Good advertisement or minimize the backlash. Instead, she has backed Callaway’s decision to act while emphasizing the company’s broader record of supporting women’s golf.
With Good Good facing significant consequences from the campaign, Sörenstam’s public defence could also help underline the distinction between one controversial marketing decision and Callaway’s much longer history within the sport.
