Golf Channel postpones 'Big Break' premiere after sponsor withdraws over controversial ad

The Golf Channel announced that the premiere of the new season of "Big Break x Good Good" will be postponed to Tuesday, Sept. 1, to allow for production changes requested by a sponsor. The network said it would instead air repeat coverage of the Payne Stewart Award that evening.

Golf Galaxy, the title sponsor owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods, withdrew its endorsement hours before the originally scheduled airing. The decision came after a Callaway-Good Good advertisement featuring golfer Alexis Miestowski and co-founder Garrett Clark sparked widespread criticism for its violent imagery. The PGA Tour, which will host a Good Good-sponsored tournament in November, described the situation as fluid and expressed disappointment with the brand’s initial response.

Good Good issued a statement acknowledging that the video “depicted actions that are not aligned with our values,” and its CEO Matt Kendrick later sent an internal email apologizing for the mis-step, saying the ad was intended as a parody but missed the mark.

Callaway, which approved the ad and manufactures the driver shown, also issued an apology. Dick’s Sporting Goods has not commented on the sponsor’s withdrawal or its future relationship with the brand.

The delay raises questions about how the network will remove Golf Galaxy’s branding from the series and whether the winner’s promised PGA Tour exemption will remain if the sponsor’s involvement is further reduced.