Two worlds will finally collide in Atlanta before the Tour Championship.
For the first time, the PGA Tour and YouTube Golf will join forces for a challenge called “The Creator Classic.”
It is not the first time a Tour event has collaborated with content creators, but the Tour’s creation of something like this for the Tour Championship week is massive.
From the Q at Myrtle Beach to LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau taking over the YouTube golf spectrum, people love this kind of entertainment. It goes further than that, as there are many popular channels with talented golfers.
The goal is to grow the game, and incorporating YouTube Golf is how the Tour can reach the younger demographic it craves.
Before the Top 30 takes on Eastlake Golf Club’s newly restored “Golden Age” back nine, some of the most popular golf content creators will play a nine-hole competition on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. ET.
These creators will face the same course conditions as the pros will for the Tour Championship.
There will be 16 creators at this event. Among the people committed already are Tyler Toney from Dude Perfect, Fat Perez from Bob Does Sports, The Bryan Bros and Good Good creators Garrett Clark, Brad Dalke and Sean Walsh.
It will be exciting to see who else they get for this challenge. Hopefully, they will include Paige Spiranac because she is one of the most followed golf influencers ever.
The participants will play eight holes of gross stroke play, and then there will be a playoff on the final hole among the top four finishers.
They will officially be the first to take on the restored course. Fans can get excited about these kinds of challenges or events because these creators are personable and know how to entertain the masses.
Just look at the success of the qualifier for the Myrtle Beach Classic.
The YouTube video garnered 981,140 views of just the qualifier since it aired three months ago. Among the 10 videos together, the content has 1,327,630 views. They also totaled 3,423 comments and 17,942 likes.
Those are fantastic numbers for a first-time event, and I think it is excellent that the PGA Tour wants to have fun with these content creators at the Tour Championship.
This event will be streamed live on the PGA Tour’s YouTube Channel, Peacock and ESPN+. The Tour’s channel on PlutoTV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and XUMO will also cover it.
The PGA Tour partnered with Pro Shop Studios, the production company behind Netflix’s “Full Swing” to run on-ground and broadcast production.
“Golf is in the middle of an explosion in popularity,” Chad Mumm, founder and president of Pro Shop, said in the release. “For many young people, some of the biggest stars have emerged on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The Creator Classic will bring the brightest of these new stars to the biggest stage in golf, giving them a chance to compete in a PGA Tour environment in front of fans on-site and all over the world.”
One of the first new projects from Pro Shop Studios…. bringing the best YouTube golf creators inside the ropes to compete at the season ending Tour Championship at East Lake! https://t.co/O7QwpZX0sb
— Chad Mumm (@chadmumm) July 29, 2024
“The combination of these creators, who have millions of loyal fans, and the PGA TOUR’s unparalleled competitive atmosphere, production value and massive reach promises to deliver a landmark golf event unlike any other.”
Mumm is spot on with his quote. This event has the potential to reach record number levels in terms of views and reach. If the Tour wants as many eyes on its product as possible, collaborating with YouTube Golf is a great start.
The Creator Classic will be of standard broadcast quality. ShotLink scoring and data will be provided. Trackman will be present for shot tracing and on-screen graphics. These additions will allow fans to see how good the creators are in tour-like conditions.
Hosts will be in the booth with broadcast talent covering the on-course action to give fans the total package. Participants will also capture and share their content throughout the nine holes.
The best part is that anyone with a Wednesday ticket to the Tour Championship can stay and watch The Creator Classic.
I love this idea because it shows how the PGA Tour can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of golf. Hopefully, the Creator Classic will become a yearly event or, better yet, something that occurs a few times throughout the calendar year.
The more eyes on golf, the more it can grow, so I cannot wait to see what Pro Shop and the PGA Tour come up with.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
