The Inevitable Future of YouTube Golf

Some might tell you differently, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism when it comes to golf and its future. The PGA TOUR is fresh off a season that seemingly saw year-over-year viewership numbers become a weekly occurrence, its popularity with the public has made it next to impossible to get a tee time with less than a few days’ notice, and the once-called fad known as YouTube Golf has taken a stranglehold on the newest generation of to-be sticks.

At least, that’s where I thought its influence stopped.

I was at my club over the weekend—a couple birdies weren't enough for a skin in our Saturday morning game, unfortunately—and after we holed our final putts, my playing partners and I grabbed a beer at the bar and watched some college football—Shipyard Pumpkinhead and Penn State at The Shoe wasn’t the worst way I’ve spent a few hours.

But as you’d expect, sitting around a bar with 25 other players, it didn’t take long for the conversation to get back to golf. And what started it all was a comment I wasn’t expecting from a 50-year-old.

“Have you guys watched that Internet Invitational yet? It’s so good. Really funny.” The best part? The other middle-aged men within earshot were in accord. As was I.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest consumer of YouTube Golf. Now, I have nothing against it. Bob Does Sports has racked up a serious amount of views from my account—you could say it’s my comfort channel—but outside of Bobby Fairways and the boys, I’m a novice. That said, when Barstool Sports and BDS announced the Internet Invitational, I made sure to jot down the release date.

And after watching the first three episodes, I have nothing but praise for all parties involved.

They brought in all the big names, the editors are deep in their bags, no one stirs the pot quite like Dave Portnoy—I still can’t believe George Bryan and The Jet turned down a chance at $100,000—and the choice of format has built enough tension to overcome this generation’s overwhelmingly short attention span—fine, I’m projecting.

When the fourth episode dropped on Thursday afternoon, the first episode had 5.4 million views, the second had 3.9, and the third had 2.6 (it dropped 72 hours earlier). No matter how you feel about the YouTube Golf space, it’s impossible to ignore the scale of audience.

But it also confirmed something that I’ve come to realize needed anything but further proof: there’s no plateau in sight.

Now, what will its slice of golf’s ownership pie look like in five, 10 years? I think it’s safe to say the TOUR and its majority stake shouldn’t be threatened, but the No. 2 spot is well within reach—if it doesn’t sit there already.

Those viewership numbers blow away anything LIV Golf has ever garnered from the public—yes, LIV bots, including those from the app. Hell, when you’re talking millions of eyeballs, that’s right up there with the TOUR.

What started as something seemingly meant for high schoolers and college kids has bridged the gap to golf’s primary audience. If it continues down this path—there’s nothing there to say that it won’t—YouTube Golf will turn itself into a priceless asset for the sport.

But again, it might be already.

There’s a reason that the TOUR (Creator Classic) and LIV (The Duels) have each developed a series to collaborate with the space’s biggest creators. And the more they seem destined for future joint projects, the easier I can see a world where the Internet Invitational could boast a Scottie Scheffler-Grant Horvat pairing. Or maybe a team of Paige Spiranic and Xander Schauffele.

If you told me 10 years ago that Rory McIlroy would join forces with Fat Perez to win an event at Big Cedar Lodge, I’d assume you were schizophrenic.

What a (potential) world we live in.