The Creator Classic

Presented by Blackstone

Whenever I say “so I read an article the other day…” nine times out of ten, I mean I watched a Tik Tok about it. In the same vein, golfers will say “so I learned this new thing…” which usually means they watched a YouTube golf video about it. YouTube golf has grown exponentially in the past four years, due in part to the rise of people playing golf after COVID. But a lot of it stems from viewers feeling like the golfers they watch on YouTube are relatable and the skills they see in each video are somehow attainable. These YouTube golfers have become household names just as much as some of the pros.

In spring of this year, we got our first glimpse of just how big YouTube golf has grown. The PGA Tour debuted “The Q at Myrtle Beach” - a newly formed 16-player, 18-hole shootout among pros and YouTubers awarding the victor a sponsor exemption to Myrtle Beach Classic. When first announced, this idea was wildly popular on social media. Fans have long asked for the chance for “a normal” to compete alongside the pros just so we can see how good they really are in comparison. The downside to this event was it was pre-recorded, and all players and participants signed NDA’s that they wouldn’t leak the results in advance. But it’s 2024 and the results got out anyway; by the time the actual event aired, few people cared about the results. Viewers also complained about the length of the video; some saying that it since it wasn’t a live production it shouldn’t have been as long and featured shot-for-shot coverage. Others wanted more coverage of each player and wanted it to feel more like tournament coverage. Overall, it wasn’t well received.

But Chad Mumm, the executive producer of Netflix’s Full Swing, has set out to pull a mulligan. He and his team at Pro Shop, Inc. - in partnership with Blackstone and the PGA Tour - are hosting another event starring YouTube golfers. The Creator Classic will take place the day before play begins at the TOUR Championship. Sixteen golf content creators will compete on the back nine of the newly restored East Lake Golf Club. The tournament will consist of eight holes of gross stroke play, then a playoff between the top four finishers.

How To Watch

Finding & streaming the event online won’t be a problem this time. The Creator Classic will be streamed live on the PGA TOUR’s YouTube channel, as well as Peacock and ESPN+. But that’s not all - they will also be airing the event on the PGA TOUR channel on PlutoTV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi and XUMO, among other FAST platforms.

You’ll be able to follow your favorite creator’s every shot, just as if they were the pros competing in the big events. The Creator Classic will feature live ShotLink powered by CDW scoring/data, Trackman shot tracing, and rich, on-screen graphics similar to what you see during the pro events. They’ve secured an all-star line up of hosts including CBS Sports’ Mark Immelman, PGA Tour Pro Joel Dahmen, Hally Leadbetter, Bradford Wilson, and more. They’ll be in the booth as analysts and reporters covering the on-course action, while the players and participants capture and share their own content throughout the tournament. The event will be open to anyone with a Wednesday ticket to the TOUR Championship.

Who’s In It

Here’s a look at the 16 content creators competing in this inaugural event:

How Does It Work?

The competition will be a nine-hole tournament featuring four foursomes, with each creator playing in stroke play as an individual. Handicaps will not be in effect and no stroke advantage will be given to any player (regardless of their follower count or number of actual PGA Tour events they’ve competed in). The foursomes will start on the 10th hole, and will play holes 10 through 17 as individual stroke play. Once they reach the famed 18th hole at East Lake, the four lowest-scoring players will compete in a one-hole playoff. In the event that there are ties for those lowest four scores, a chip-off will happen on No. 17. The player closest to the hole would advance to that final playoff on 18.

When Does It Start?

The Creator Classic is set to tee off at 4 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 28th. Be sure to follow our GU socials for more behind-the-scenes action from Atlanta during this event.