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Scottie Scheffler sure isn’t a fan of mud balls—and neither is TaylorMade.
The golf ball and club manufacturer is suing its rival Callaway over what TaylorMade says are false claims about the makeup of its golf balls, which Callaway allegedly claims make them inferior to its own. One claim, according to the lawsuit, is that the construction of TaylorMade balls creates the same negative effect that pesky clumps of mud can have on a golf ball’s flight trajectory.
“Callaway, its agents, and representatives have conducted misleading UV light demonstrations in which they disparage TaylorMade’s golf balls, including by calling them ‘mud balls,’ and by falsely asserting that TaylorMade balls have uneven paint/coating coverage and poor quality control, leading to poor performance,” TaylorMade said in a lawsuit filed Thursday against Callaway in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California San Diego Division.
The lawsuit cites a video obtained by TaylorMade in which a golf club pro, which the lawsuit labels a Callaway sales agent, is advising a prospective customer. The golf pro proposes “UV light testing golf balls seeing what type of paint coverage these golf balls have for overall golf performance.”
“He then puts the UV light over the TaylorMade TP5 golf ball, eliciting awe from the subordinate who observes that the golf ball has a darker spot,” the claim reads. “The Callaway sales agent suggests that the appearance is indicative of a poor-quality golf ball, saying, ‘Wow. Interesting [be]cause from my standpoint it looks like a gigantic piece of mud is right there…right above where it says TaylorMade.’”
The lawsuit adds, “A ‘mud ball’ is one of the most derogatory phrases that can be attributed to a golf ball.”
A Titleist ball is also part of the UV test, but the lawsuit does not reveal what was said about that ball.
TaylorMade claims Callaway is “currently perpetuating the misinformation campaign,” and believes there have been “many other instances of Callaway’s perpetuation of this campaign.” However, the lawsuit does not cite further specific instances beyond the video.
TaylorMade is requesting a trial by jury to prevent Callaway from continuing the alleged libel, and is seeking to recover a to-be-determined amount of financial damages.
TaylorMade and Callaway are two of the top club and ball makers in golf. TaylorMade sponsors stars like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler, while Callaway has deals with notable players like Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Sam Burns.
Callaway recently sold Topgolf in a deal that valued the business at $1.1 billion. TaylorMade remains embroiled in a battle between two Korean entities over ownership of the company.
