The PGA Tour recently saw Rory McIlroy score another victory at the ‘fifth major’, marking his second grand win after the 2019 tournament. The excitement sparked off a day prior to the main event, with the second edition of the Creator Classic, a unique competition featuring YouTube golf influencers. Following the success of the inaugural edition before the 2024 Tour Championship, this year’s event had ten content creators facing off in an eight-hole competition, with Grant Horvat securing the win with a 15-foot birdie. The event gained popularity despite its rough edges, with trick-shot maestro Mac Boucher stealing the limelight with a 225-yard shot executed with an upside-down right-handed driver.
However, not all share the enthusiasm for this new style of golf. Rory McIlroy, for instance, has openly shared his reservations. He believes the event has its appeal, but it might not resonate with his generation. This sentiment is also shared by Johnson Wagner, who despite being a critic of McIlroy, agrees with the golfer’s perspective.
The Creator Classic was a hot topic on the Wagyu Filet Show, where hosts Brendon de Jonge and Johnson Wagner discussed its pros and cons. De Jonge suggested that the event could be better presented to the public. He recommended recording and editing the event before airing it, rather than broadcasting it live. Wagner echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that YouTube Golf’s charm lies in its well-edited content, which is hard to capture on live TV.
Wagner also voiced concerns that the Creator Classic dilutes the prestige of the ‘fifth major’, asserting that the PGA Tour is overhyping the event rather than letting its legendary status speak for itself. He believes that the PGA Tour is providing more exposure to the content creators than the views brought in by the influencers, arguing that the two biggest tournaments that the PGA Tour owns seem to be doing more for the content creators than the creators are doing for the product.
The 2024 Creators Classic attracted 2.7 million viewers and trended No. 2 online, prompting the PGA Tour to plan three more events in 2025. However, McIlroy and Wagner’s views present a cautionary note to Jay Monahan and his team as they plan for the upcoming Creator Classics.
The Creator Classics are designed to engage younger, new fans and expand the game’s reach. The second event will take place before the Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on May 7th, and the final one of the 2025 season will be held at East Lake, preceding the season-ending 2025 Tour Championship.
The inaugural event at East Lake last year was a huge hit, engaging 60 million fans across all social media platforms over a four-week period. That event, featuring 16 players, was won by Luke Kwon after a thrilling four-player playoff.
However, the question remains whether the Creator Classic should continue, or if it indeed makes the Tour more entertaining and captivating for the general audience. As the debate continues, it will be interesting to see how the PGA Tour evolves to balance tradition with innovation.