The PGA Tour is upping the ante with social influencer tournaments in 2025.
Following the success of the Creator Classic at the 2024 Tour Championship, three events are penned for over 20 content creators to battle it out on the golf course this year.
The Players Championship, the Truist Championship (formerly the Wells Fargo Championship) and the Tour Championship will host the Creator events during tournament week.
You can expect similar golf content creators to those who played in the Creator Classic at East Lake in August 2024 and who competed in the Q at Myrtle Beach earlier that year, the first event of its kind which actually offered a spot at a PGA Tour event.
Peter Finch, Luke Kwon, Paige Spiranac, Wesley Bryan, Dan Rapaport, Roger Steele, Fat Perez, Mac Boucher, Tyler Toney and Garrett Clark are all names and faces you might recognise who have competed on the creator scene so far.
The Creator Classic had more than 2.5 million views on YouTube which speaks to the PGA Tour’s desire to roll out more creator events in 2025. The three creator events will be shown on YouTube, ESPN+ and Peacock.
The vast following and value of golf YouTubers and social influencers can’t be ignored and they are being embraced by golf’s established tours. In an NCG survey with over 1,300 respondents, over a third said they watch YouTube Golf and well over a third said they watched golf through clips on social media.
At the start of 2025, YouTube sensation Grant Horvat produced videos with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, while previously collaborating with LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson.
Finch, one of the biggest YouTube names in the UK, could appear in the Creator Classics. Rick Shiels, who is approaching the mouthwatering figure of three million subscribers, hasn’t played in a PGA Tour Creator event yet, while Finch competed at East Lake in 2024.
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Shiels is unlikely to be involved with the PGA Tour creator scene now that he has signed an ambassador deal with LIV Golf, which will see him play with several stars like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Joaquin Niemann from the Saudi-funded roster.
Finch and Shiels have conquered the YouTube scene for several years now, visiting world-class golf courses and collaborating with tour professionals. They’ve grown huge fanbases to the point where crowds gather to watch them compete in Open Qualifying.
While Shiels is the most-watched in the UK, Tyler Toney and Dude Perfect of the USA boast a remarkable number of over 60 million subscribers. At the 2024 Tour Championship, NCG asked some PGA Tour stars about how they perceived the golf-influencing world.
“I think influencers work really hard to put out content, and I could never do it personally. My message was always in the dirt, and for them, it’s pumping out content and putting their face out there and doing their thing. I know it’s a lot of work to do it and it’s tiring and things like that,” said Open champion Xander Schauffele.
“But if it’s going to bring more eyeballs to golf I think it’s a good thing, but the whole sort of social media influencer thing, I’m going to leave it to everyone else that’s my age or a little younger because they’re just way better at it.”
“It’s very cool. It’s obviously very different,” Justin Thomas added. “That’s the day and age we’re in right now. At the end of the day, if it gets more kids, and more people interested in golf, that’s what’s most important. I don’t know that field very well, but I know that, yeah, there’s a handful of influencers, people out there that people know them probably way better than they know me.
“And that’s not right or wrong, but that’s just the power of it. I think them being out here and their time is valuable just like ours is, so for them to take the time on a big week like this and come play a course and have the opportunity to create a little bit more buzz, that’s great.
“It also gives kids a different avenue to want to be involved in golf. I think that’s a good thing, regardless if it’s professional or influencer.”
In December 2024, the PGA Tour announced the formation of the Creator Council which combines the minds of the most popular golf podcasters, YouTubers and vloggers to “develop shared strategies for content development and fan engagement.”
The members of the Creator Council are as follows: Bob Does Sports, Bryan Bros Golf, Erik Anders Lang, Fore Play/Barstool Sports, No Laying Up, Paige Spiranac, Roger Steele and Tisha Alyn.
Creator Classic 2025 schedule:
March 10-16: Players Championship, Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Field: Wesley Bryan (Bryan Bros Golf), George Bryan (Bryan Bros Golf), Fat Perez (Bob Does Sports), Gabby Golf Girl, Roger Steele, Grant Horvat, Tisha Alyn, Kyle Berkshire, Chris Solomon (No Laying Up) and Trent from Barstool Sports.
Details: Wednesday, March 12 | 9 holes | Live on the PGA Tour’s YouTube channel
Groups:
Kyle Berkshire, Trent Ryan, Tisha Alyn
Roger Steele, Chris Solomon, Gabby Golf Girl
Grant Horvat, Wesley Bryan, George Bryan, Fat Perez
Winner: Grant Horvat beat Chris Soloman and George Bryan in a playoff on the par-3 17th hole.
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May 5-11: Truist Championship, The Philadelphia Cricket Club, Pennsylvania
Field: Nadeshot, Marques Brownlee, Tyler Toney (Dude Perfect), Josh Richards, Paige Spiranac, Brad Dalke (Good Good), Sean Walsh (Good Good), Sabrina Andolpho, Erik Anders Lang (Random Golf Club), Claire Hogle, Joshua Kelley (holein1trickshots), Matthew Scharff (Good Good)
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Details: Wednesday, May 7 | 9 holes – Team Event | Live on the PGA Tour’s YouTube channel
Groups:
Kyle Lowry, Josh Kelley, Claire Hogel
Marques Brownlee, Sean Walsh, Sabrina Andolpho
Josh Richards, Brad Dalke, Erik Anders Lang
Tyler Toney, Matt Scharff, Paige Spiranac
Winner: Josh Richards, Brad Dalke, and Erik Anders Lang beat Marques Brownlee, Sean Walsh and Sabrina Andolpho in a playoff. It was an alternate shot format.
August 18-24: Tour Championship, East Lake, Georgia
NOW READ: PGA Tour schedule 2025
NOW READ: Rick Shiels or Rory McIlroy: Do young golfers want 4 million subscribers or 4 majors?
Will you be keeping an eye on each Creator Classic leaderboard? Will you be a fan of Creator Classic Golf by the time 2025 is done? Tell us on X!
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