Opinions: YouTube golf creators to compete for spot in Myrtle Beach Classic

[Rearviewmirror]

This'll be interesting for a number of reasons. I would separate the field based on mental game as opposed to anything else (I'll only comment on folks I've watched enough to feel like I know anything.). I'll roll the dice on score prediction too.

 

Weak head game:

Peter Finch - I love Peter's style and he seems like a genuine bloke. But I'd argue he's only eclipsed by Rick Shiels as the UK YT golfer most likely to go into a negative self-talk death spiral after a bad shot - 82

Micah Morris - seems to have legit anger issues and most likely to fire 3-4 OB - 87

Busta - I absolutely love watching Mason play, but as others have mentioned his short game gives me fits. If he hits greens in reg and can Texas wedge it when he doesn't, I could see him shooting a 75/76.

Madjack - I also love Cole, both him and Mason seem down to earth, but his putting isn't going to cut it and lack of length off the tee may cause problems to well defended greens - 86

 

Solid head game:

Grant Horvat - I think Grant seems relatively level headed (his "cut" series shows surprisingly good bounce back ability) - that said, not sure if he has potential for a death spiral too if he has a blow up hole. I could see him go under by 3-4 or shoot level par. So I'll give him a cautious 71 which I don't think gets it done.

George Bryan - I'd agree with others that his Korn Ferry and Q School experience gives him a serious edge. He seems able to stay surprisingly positive when the chips are down, and I could see him shooting low. Going to give him a 66 and hope he comes out swinging.

[bobfoster]

Embarrassing. Only vaguely recognize a couple of the names. But actually not that embarrassed. 

 

I realize there's this whole sub-genre of YouTube golf "influencers" (good grief, what an occupation), and now and then stumble across them - whenever I watch YTs about things like KLPGA swings, or WLD tourneys, or Funny Golf Fails (my current favorites), on the side I get all those suggestions for golf related stuff - the influencers. 

 

Sorry, but no Paige, don't really care if your boobs are as big as my head and your front teeth are bigger than my thumbnails, you actually just aren't really that interesting. And no guys, if the title to your video is "This is the secret that only the pros know", or "Use this one trick to go from 240 to 300 yard drives", or 'Do this and you'll never chunk another chip", I'm not only not going to watch it, I won't remember your name. No, I won't "Hit Subscribe, and Smash That Like Button!!!"

 

Who are these people? And how do they get "influencer" level subscribers? There are no freaking "secrets" in golf. There are no "tricks". There's simply practice. Reps. And anyone that is any more than a casual golfer knows that.

 

I will watch this for fun, in the same way as I was interested in Charlie Woods this week. Mildly interesting. But expect the results to be much the same - he finished last, as everyone does who's mind gets out over the skis of their abilities. 

[bobfoster]

On 2/20/2024 at 7:28 PM, pingbling23 said:

I like it.  I’ve said for a while LIV should have a top YouTube team compete and see how well they do with the pros.  

Well, to be fair, I thought LIV itself pretty much is (basically) a team competition on YouTube. 🤣

[jimecherry]

44 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

Embarrassing. Only vaguely recognize a couple of the names. But actually not that embarrassed. 

 

I realize there's this whole sub-genre of YouTube golf "influencers" (good grief, what an occupation), and now and then stumble across them - whenever I watch YTs about things like KLPGA swings, or WLD tourneys, or Funny Golf Fails (my current favorites), on the side I get all those suggestions for golf related stuff - the influencers. 

 

Sorry, but no Paige, don't really care if your boobs are as big as my head and your front teeth are bigger than my thumbnails, you actually just aren't really that interesting. And no guys, if the title to your video is "This is the secret that only the pros know", or "Use this one trick to go from 240 to 300 yard drives", or 'Do this and you'll never chunk another chip", I'm not only not going to watch it, I won't remember your name. No, I won't "Hit Subscribe, and Smash That Like Button!!!"

 

Who are these people? And how do they get "influencer" level subscribers? There are no freaking "secrets" in golf. There are no "tricks". There's simply practice. Reps. And anyone that is any more than a casual golfer knows that.

 

I will watch this for fun, in the same way as I was interested in Charlie Woods this week. Mildly interesting. But expect the results to be much the same - he finished last, as everyone does who's mind gets out over the skis of their abilities. 

literally none of the people in this event do what your complaining of so are you just yelling at clouds?

[bobfoster]

3 minutes ago, jimecherry said:

literally none of the people in this event do what your complaining of so are you just yelling at clouds?

I like to yell at clouds. It's fun. You apparently know these "influencers" far better than I do. (As I said, I'm clueless about that whole world). 

 

So - what, actually, is an "influencer"? Are they scratch golfers? I have more than a few friends that are (in fact, in my younger days I was about +4 at my best). But my friends are pretty humble, wouldn't even think that a million people should "follow" them simply because they usually could shoot par. 

 

These people apparently weren't picked to play in this because of their golf alone, but because of the the number of their "followers". 

 

This to me seems quite like every other YouTube race to the top. There are many women insanely more attractive than the (nearly 100% plastic) Kardashians, but who don't have nearly the same amount of "subscribers". 

 

There is this new thing called media golf. But then there is actual golf. I only care about the actual golf. 

[Railroading13]

any update of what these guys shot and who made it?

[subrew]

Peter Finch discussed the event a bit on his podcast.  The results are going to be tightly held until they release official vid/info in April.  Most of these guys are very used to dealing with embargos when it comes to new club info, so I doubt you'll get any leaks.

 

Pete also uploaded a lesson vid this morning:

 

 

[jimecherry]

here's an interview with one of the organizer's

 

tldr they had to have some non youtubers in order to appease wrxers if a youtuber played well. 

[mosesgolf]

I like George Bryan's chances as he has already made a PGA Tour cut plus he is pretty long off the tee  and fairway finding machine.  Grant Horvath has been playing very well lately and posting a lot of under par rounds so I'd put him 2nd.

[DON SVO]

Grant has been playing a very high level of golf the past year or so (he shot a PB 65 or 66 in stroke play against Peter Finch of all people recently, FWIW), and he’s been really upbeat in a lot of his recent videos. He’s my dark horse. 
 

Real picks: It’s going to be a coin flip between George and Crashkins. 

[GrandStranded]

On 2/23/2024 at 7:27 AM, CDLgolf said:

 

I'm sure because it's a pga tour event they want to control the narrative. Not sure why it's a closed event. As someone who lives close I'd go over and watch. You would think they would want all the youtubers promoting this on their channels.

Same here. The course is practically within walking distance from me.

Edit

Just remembered the Q is at TPC, I’m near the Dunes Club.

Edited March 3 by GrandStranded

[Maine Golfer]

I support the long calendar and alt. events, I think the PGA should provide chances for people to play. What I don't like about the World Tour talk with Liv, is less chances for people to earn spots.

 

Im not focused if you are on "Youtube" or not. If you Monday qualify , thats better than what I could do. More power to them. 

 

If some fans don't like smaller events, cool just dont watch.  

[jimecherry]

11 hours ago, Maine Golfer said:

I support the long calendar and alt. events, I think the PGA should provide chances for people to play. What I don't like about the World Tour talk with Liv, is less chances for people to earn spots.

 

Im not focused if you are on "Youtube" or not. If you Monday qualify , thats better than what I could do. More power to them. 

 

If some fans don't like smaller events, cool just dont watch.  

these players arent playing for a spot in the monday qualifier.

[tacklingdummy]

It is a good idea for getting ratings. It is more of what the Big Break should have been with more high level golfers that actually have a chance to compete with the pros. 

[dcmidnight]

It seems like such a huge miss for the Tour though. You could have these guys on their channels all talking about the event except now its going to be embargoed/blacked out for *7 weeks* until it comes out? Thats just dumb. Honestly 7 weeks from now, I may or may not care about this event at all.

 

Really good idea - really amateur execution.

[bcc624]

This will spark some interest, but horrible execution if that embargo is correct.

 

I dismissed a lot of the YouTube golf,  but have found myself throwing it on while I fall to sleep. Being able to edit golf into a 30 or 60 minute package makes it easier to watch from start to finish. In comparison, last weeks “The Match” was a slog. 12 holes that took almost 4 hours with so much dead time. I watched two holes and just turned it off.

[jimecherry]

4 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

It seems like such a huge miss for the Tour though. You could have these guys on their channels all talking about the event except now its going to be embargoed/blacked out for *7 weeks* until it comes out? Thats just dumb. Honestly 7 weeks from now, I may or may not care about this event at all.

 

Really good idea - really amateur execution.

watch the mr shortgame interview i posted.

[mosesgolf]

IMO the recent content put out by the likes of Good Good, Bryan Brothers, Grant Horvath etc has been very entertaining plus the level of golf that's being played is outstanding.   These guys most likely will never win a PGA Tour event but making a cut is a win playing vs many of the best golfers in the world.

[tacklingdummy]

6 hours ago, mosesgolf said:

IMO the recent content put out by the likes of Good Good, Bryan Brothers, Grant Horvath etc has been very entertaining plus the level of golf that's being played is outstanding.   These guys most likely will never win a PGA Tour event but making a cut is a win playing vs many of the best golfers in the world.

 

Yep, they are high level players. I watch those all those guys and a few more YouTubers more than the PGA right now. It is really entertaining to see high level golf and how they navigate golf courses. The matches they play are really entertaining and they play against a lot of current PGA pros as well, so that is just makes the matches really interesting. 

[subrew]

For some reason I thought this already happened, but it was today.  Quick screen grab from Peter's IG:

 

And I agree with others, what a way to kill the momentum of this project.  At least keep the embargo much shorter, like 7-10 days, giving all the content creators time to get home and edit videos.  They could have a solid few weeks of vids releasing up to the actual main event.

 

 

[Dutch1008]

On 2/24/2024 at 8:10 PM, bobfoster said:

Who are these people? And how do they get "influencer" level subscribers? There are no freaking "secrets" in golf. There are no "tricks". There's simply practice. Reps. And anyone that is any more than a casual golfer knows that.

 

You can't put all of the "influencers" into a single bucket. Quite a few of them (Shiels, Finch, Crossfield, etc) are old teaching professionals that actually do know some "secrets" and "tricks" just like any teaching pro does. Click on any of those videos you chose to ignore and you'll quickly realize that "Secrets" and "Tricks" are just marketing buzz words for fundamentals. For the 3 mentioned above and a few others, what started out as a side hustle became a full time job. Good for them for recognizing a new distribution channel. 

 

There really is nothing new under the sun. How is Mark Crossfield sharing golf tips on youtube any different than Hank Haney or Butch Harmon selling instructional videos? 

 

Is Paige Spiranac all that different from Holly Sonders? Attractive college golfers that leveraged their looks into a career? Paige just skipped the whole "golf channel eye candy" step. 

 

Foreplay is really just an evolution on sports talk radio with a focus on golf. Bob Does Sports is the same thing with a dash of comedy. 

 

Basically, not every "influencer" is garbage, some provide a lot of value if you're in the market for what they're selling. Plus, if there are ones you believe are garbage (and I agree there are) they are pretty damn easy to ignore so what's the harm?

[KimmerBH]

8 hours ago, mosesgolf said:

IMO the recent content put out by the likes of Good Good, Bryan Brothers, Grant Horvath etc has been very entertaining plus the level of golf that's being played is outstanding.   These guys most likely will never win a PGA Tour event but making a cut is a win playing vs many of the best golfers in the world.

Win a PGA Tor event? These people aren't even in the same universe skill wise to even make it on Tour with the exception of maybe two. George Bryan might have the game to make it but he'll never be a winner. Luke Kwon played the Korn Ferry but never really did anything and those two are clearly the best players out of the whole YT group. The rest will never sniff Tour level golf.

[johnathonweavers]

Is there anywhere to watch the qualifier live? If not, kind of a missed marketing opportunity for the tour....

 

[JungleJimbo]

30 minutes ago, johnathonweavers said:

Is there anywhere to watch the qualifier live? If not, kind of a missed marketing opportunity for the tour....

 

Embargoed until April.  

 

 

 

[bobfoster]

Probably a dumb question, but which one actually won this?

 

(And also, out of curiosity, did anyone watch it? I'm presuming it was live on YT.)

Edited March 5 by bobfoster

[JungleJimbo]

10 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

Probably a dumb question, but which one actually won this?

 

(And also, out of curiosity, did anyone watch it? I'm presuming it was live on YT.)

Embargoed until April

[bobfoster]

18 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

Embargoed until April

 

Thank you @JungleJimbo (seriously) but I don't quite know what that means. They played it but didn't show it live, or they postponed playing it?

 

There was a winner, but they won't play until some April tournament? 

 

(PS. I have to have a TS clearance for my business. You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone 🤣.)

Edited March 5 by bobfoster

[JungleJimbo]

29 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

 

Thank you @JungleJimbo (seriously) but I don't quite know what that means. They played it but didn't show it live, or they postponed playing it?

 

There was a winner, but they won't play until some April tournament? 

 

(PS. I have to have a TS clearance for my business. You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone 🤣.)

 

They played the qualifiers, but didn't show it live ... and will only release the results (and video uploads) in April, ahead of the actual tournament.

Edited March 5 by JungleJimbo

[bobfoster]

2 minutes ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

They played the qualifiers, but didn't show it live ... and will only release the results (and video uploads) in April, ahead of the actual tournament.

Ha! Okay good news. I'm sure it will be leaked well before that. (There really aren't many secrets left in this day and age.)

[JungleJimbo]

8 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

Ha! Okay good news. I'm sure it will be leaked well before that. (There really aren't many secrets left in this day and age.)

 

More info via google: i.e. i googled it, to save folks a search.

Same details were in the PGATour article ~18 days ago. 

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/02/16/youtube-golf-creators-compete-for-sponsors-exemption-myrtle-beach-classic-george-bryan-peter-finch 

 

 

YouTube golf creators to compete for spot in Myrtle Beach Classic

archive.ph/vfwIu

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/02/16/youtube-golf-creators-compete-for-sponsors-exemption-myrtle-beach-classic-george-bryan-peter-finch 

March 5, 2024

18D AGO

 

 

George Bryan IV will compete to earn a sponsors exemption to the Myrtle Beach Classic. (Marianna Massey/Getty Images)

 

---

Written by Staff, PGATOUR.COM

Prominent YouTube golf creators will compete for an unrestricted sponsor exemption in the PGA TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic, tournament officials announced Friday.

 

Golf Tourism Solutions and Visit Myrtle Beach will host “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” a 16-player, 18-hole shootout on March 4 at TPC Myrtle Beach. The winner will receive a spot in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, contested at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, May 6-12.

 

The field of 16 players – many with ties to the state of South Carolina – includes eight well-known golf content creators. All professional and amateur competitors meet PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations for sponsor exemptions, requiring a USGA handicap of 0.0 or better.

 

“The Q at Myrtle Beach” will be closed to the public. A 90-minute video will be released on Play Golf Myrtle Beach’s YouTube page on April 23, and the creators will post content on their respective channels documenting their experiences at the one-of-a-kind qualifying tournament.

 

Quote

 

“Fueled by our love of golf and belief in the magic of a Myrtle Beach golf experience, GTS is thrilled to host ‘The Q at Myrtle Beach’ and welcome the players to The Golf Capital of the World,” said Ryan Cannon, executive director of Golf Tourism Solutions.

Since 1990, 12 players have won on the PGA TOUR playing on a sponsor exemption. Most recently, University of Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap won The American Express on a sponsor exemption and has since turned professional and accepted TOUR membership.

See below for the 16-player field (alphabetical):

• Matt Atkins: The USC Aiken alum played six seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he won the 2017 Mexico Championship. Among his 25 PGA TOUR starts, Atkins finished T38 at The RSM Classic in November 2023.
• George Bryan IV: The three-time All-American at the University of South Carolina made the cut in his lone PGA TOUR start at the 2023 Bermuda Championship. Bryan has more than 410,000 total subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
• Jay Card III: The High Point University alum has made 39 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and has three top-10s, most recently at the 2023 Wichita Open (T7).
• Morgan Deneen: The former Coastal Carolina University star and 2018 Sun Belt Champion is the assistant pro at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club and has made three PGA TOUR starts, most recently the 2023 Fortinet Championship.
• Peter Finch: Based in the United Kingdom, Finch has more than 1.25 million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X.
• Grant Horvat: Played collegiately at Palm Beach Atlantic University and has more than 1.35 million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
• Luke Kwon: The member of Good Good Golf and University of Oklahoma alum has made over 50 starts in PGA TOUR-sanctioned events. Kwon has nearly 400,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Good Good Golf has more than 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
• Micah Morris: The Texas native made one PGA TOUR Canada start in 2023 and features more than one million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
• Turk Pettit: The 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Individual Champion played college golf at Clemson.
• Dan Rapaport: Member of the "Fore Play" podcast and Barstool Sports, the Northwestern alum was featured extensively in Netflix’s “Full Swing,” and has more than 250,000 combined subscribers and followers on X, Instagram and TikTok.
• Scott Stevens: The University of South Carolina alum recorded one victory and three additional top-10s on PGA TOUR Canada in 2022 and made 21 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2023.
• Nick Stubbe: Known as Fat Perez, Nick Stubbe is a member of "Bob Does Sports." Fat Perez features more than one million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
• Tyler Watts: The high school sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, won the Jones Cup Junior Invitational in December 2023.
• Jamie Wilson: A former All-SEC golfer at the University of South Carolina, Wilson has made two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
• Mason Nut or Cole Lantz of "BustaJack Golf": The BustaJack duo will compete in a playoff match to determine who earns a spot in The Q at Myrtle Beach. They have more than 350,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

The final spot in the Myrtle Beach Classic field will go to a Myrtle Beach-area PGA professional who earns their spot via a local qualifier on Feb. 19.

The Myrtle Beach Classic, an Additional Event on the PGA TOUR played the same week as the Wells Fargo Championship, will feature a purse of $3.9 million with 300 FedExCup points awarded to the champion.

 

 

Edited March 5 by JungleJimbo