The Creator Classic Needs Some Tweaking

I’m a huge fan of the Creator Classic concept.

After the first edition last August, I wrote about the success of that experiment. The PGA Tour’s first meaningful investment in YouTube golf brought impressive viewership numbers and gave golf fans a reason to watch on the Wednesday before the pros played in the real tournament.

The phrase “grow the game” is so overused that it has become a joke. But ideas like this do help golf in a very tangible way.

You could see that at TPC Sawgrass this week for take two of the expanded Creator Classic as YouTube golf superstar Grant Horvat defeated No Laying Up’s Chris Solomon and George Bryan in a playoff at the famed island green (which is really a peninsula, but I digress).

Here are the results if you are interested. The creators played eight holes (from the tips!) with the top three players getting into a one-hole playoff.

Grant Horvat*	+1
George Bryan IV	+1
Chris Solomon	+2
Roger Steele	+3
Fat Perez	+4
Kyle Berkshire	+6
Tisha Alyn	+6
GabbyGolfGirl	+6
Wesley Bryan	+6
Trent Ryan	+29

According to most accounts, the energy on the grounds was phenomenal. Fans crowded around the 10th tee in surprising numbers. Creators were inundated with autograph requests and high-fives. Fat Perez of Bob Does Sports drained an epic putt. Barstool’s Trent Ryan was cheered on relentlessly as he made an 11 on the par-3 17th.

Vibes were immaculate.

Keeping all of that in mind, there is still room for improvement for an idea that is in its infancy.

This tournament was aired on Golf Channel, ESPN+ and YouTube (where you will be able to watch it on-demand as well). Only six hours into the video being published, more than 500,000 people had already watched it on YouTube. Add in the other audiences—I personally watched on ESPN+—and I’m sure this is a healthy rating that LIV Golf would kill for.

So it’s important that this TV/streaming product reflects what makes YouTube golf so special.

Right now, I don’t think that is the case.

Namely, it needs to feel way less like a traditional golf tournament (and broadcast).

Here are seven changes I’m hoping the Creator Classic makes in the future.

1. More golf shots, please

Whether it’s the Creator Classic, The Match or other one-off golf broadcasts, a recurring problem is over-producing and over-complicating the product.

Less is more. Keep things simple here.

What makes YouTube golf great? It’s shot after shot and the personalities naturally shine through.

There were 10 players on the course Wednesday evening. At one point, we went more than 30 minutes without seeing any shot from one of the foursomes.

Why would that happen? This broadcast should be all shots. Just show the golf.

A normal Tour broadcast is bloated with commercials—the Creator Classic has the advantage of only having 10 balls in play with limited interruptions.

No excuses here.

2. Mic up the players instead of doing interviews

The broadcast bogged down a handful of times when one of the three on-course reporters did a walk-and-talk interview with one of the players.

Unnecessary.

These interviews aren’t additive. The on-course reporters seem to be doing an impression of a typical broadcast, which is the exact opposite of what we want.

That includes Shane Bacon and Doug Smith as the play-by-play announcers. We’re getting way too much buttoned-up commentary from people not playing in the event.

This should be funny and zany. Treating it like a meaningful event where the competition matters doesn’t make sense. This isn’t a serious golf tournament—it’s purely for entertainment.

Throw mics on the players and let them carry the event. Put Robby Berger on the call. Make it funny.

3. Make the format more inclusive

The format of having a few players qualify for a playoff is a very good idea. It creates automatic drama and a fun ending.

However, I think this tournament crystallized how that format might work better when there are more high-end players in the field (like what we saw with the first Creator Classic). YouTube golf is usually not individual stroke play on championship courses, so that shouldn’t always be the format.

As a way to include all skill levels while still making an entertaining event, I think it makes more sense to do teams.

Imagine having Ryan, who is maybe a 16 handicap, paired in an alternate shot with Horvat.

Take your best players and pair them with the worst players.

This would open the door for all sorts of creators to be involved and get into contention to win.

And with certain format ideas that include teams, I think the pace of play—which was terrible at Sawgrass—could improve greatly.

What else would you like to see? How did you enjoy this edition of the Creator Classic?

Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Wesley Bryan, George Bryan IV and Grant Horvat tee off at the Creator Classic. (GETTY IMAGES/Richard Heathcote)

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