It was only a matter of time.
After seeing the Internet Invitational blow up last yearit seemed like it might be the right opportunity for golf’s biggest YouTube personalities to create a more formal professional golf tournament.
I even wrote about this topic last month, begging the question of whether this was the next frontier in YouTube golf.
The answer is here as Grant Horvat and Bryan Bros. have announced your golf tournamenta creator-driven tournament that will bring together 16 YouTube golf stars for a four-event circuit.
“Competitive golf is where we started. YouTube golf is where we’ve evolved. We believe there’s a place for both. It’s built by creators for the audience that’s grown with us,” it said in a statement.
“We’ve experienced everything this space has to offer, and now it’s time for the next chapter. Our vision is to create a structure for top players to perform under real pressure with meaningful action, while remaining authentic to the YouTube format we know and love.”
Your Golf Tour will open at Pursell Farms later this year and conclude at Wynn Las Vegas with a three-day, $1 million stroke play championship.
The tournament will feature four teams led by four captains including Horvat, George and Wesley Bryan and a fourth captain who is yet to be named. Final details will be announced in the coming weeks, but the league aims to play multiple seasons and grow from here.
Horvat says the players selected may not all be the biggest names.
“We’re starting with the top 16 hand-picked players in the creator world, not all of them huge names. The selection was based on skill first, then personality.”
Well, I guess Wesley Bryan does a tour after all. The 36-year-old, who was banned from the PGA Tour for playing matches on YouTube at LIV Duels, is now on his way.
Taking Sean
It’s still a little early to know exactly what that will look like.
Hopefully we’re talking more of an online invitation feel and less of a classic maker feel.
While I think there is OTHER USEFUL flesh on the bone for competitive golf on YouTube, that’s going to be a fine line to walk.
These guys have built YouTube channels based on their comedy and attitude – not necessarily their pure golfing ability. Their golfing ability is a big factor, but their channels wouldn’t go anywhere if they weren’t having fun as characters.
How do they maintain those traits while still competing for a lot of money? How do the videos feel?
When this starts to feel like a cash grab without the same layers of fun, the bubble may burst and there may be some resistance from the audience.
The other thing is that it’s much easier to get everyone together A event (Internet Invitational) rather than a series of tournaments.
And will some characters be missing? This sounds like the best of the best the players but those guys aren’t necessarily the best of the best the characters.
However, there have been similar successful tournament series previously produced in golf on YouTube, such as the Major Cut series with Horvat and Bryan Bros.
This time there will be money and a more formal structure.
Will it work? Will you watch? Let me know below in the comments.
Main photo caption: Grant Horvat plays in The American Express pro-am. (GETTY IMAGES/Orlando Ramirez)
