The Creator Classic Draws Attention at East Lake

ATLANTA – Scottie Scheffler arrived at a bustling East Lake Golf Club practice green. To his right, Nick “Fat Perez” Stubbe from Bob Does Sports was working on his alignment, while Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect practiced his speed to Scheffler's left.

For this afternoon, they all shared the spotlight.

Scheffler found a quiet spot at the back of the green to start a putting drill with his coach, Phil Kenyon, finding a moment of calm amid the chaos as he prepared for the TOUR Championship. Shortly after, Perez and Toney departed for their tee time, trailed by camera crews and a crowd of enthusiastic fans.

YouTube golf reached a new high with Wednesday’s Creator Classic, where 16 of the platform’s biggest stars took on East Lake just before the TOUR Championship. The groundbreaking event attracted over 110,000 live viewers on YouTube and was also simulcast on ESPN+ and Peacock. Luke Kwon emerged victorious, clinching the inaugural Creator Classic title with a sudden-death playoff win on the par-5 18th hole against Wesley Bryan, Sean Walsh, and Roger Steele.

“The response from fans and content creators has been overwhelming,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan remarked.

This marked a significant moment for YouTube golf, which has increasingly integrated with the professional golf scene. Earlier this year, a mix of YouTube creators and pro golfers competed in “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” a qualifying event for the PGA TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic, won by Matt Atkins. The Bryan brothers and Grant Horvat also hosted an alternative ESPN+ stream during the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Wednesday’s event was especially notable as it was the first time creators played the newly renovated East Lake on television, just before the TOUR Championship. The event drew the attention of several pros, with Joel Dahmen providing commentary, caddies Austin Kaiser and John Ellis watching from the sidelines, and Akshay Bhatia observing from his rental home adjacent to the course.

The event captured the competitive yet quirky essence of the YouTube golf scene. It kicked off with ceremonial tee shots from Barstool's Fore Play team members Riggs, Trent, and Frankie. Canadian trick-shot artist Mac Boucher, who plays left-handed, flipped a right-handed driver and drove his opening shot 285 yards. Mason Nutt from BustaJack Golf hit a driver off the deck, while Garrett Clark of Good Good had a challenging day, including a quintuple bogey on the par-4 12th. Steele, who hosts Callaway’s Range Talk, smashed a 346-yard drive on the 10th hole, reaching a remarkable 195 mph ball speed. Throughout, TV, Netflix, and YouTube cameras documented the action. Several hundred fans stayed until play concluded just before 8 p.m. ET.

The top four finishers after eight holes of stroke play advanced to a one-hole sudden-death playoff. Bryan led with a 2-under score, while Steele, Walsh, and Kwon were all 1-under. Kwon secured the win with a birdie on the 18th hole, sinking a 15-foot putt.