Webb Simpson just delivered the strongest rebuttal yet to Rory McIlroy’s criticism of YouTube golf. In this video, we break down Simpson’s viral comments at Quail Hollow, the stats he used to back up his argument, and why creators like the Bryan Bros, Rick Shiels, and Bob Does Sports are reshaping the future of the sport.
Is Rory right about “pure competition,” or is YouTube golf the future? This debate is dividing the golf world — and we’re breaking it all down.
Webb Simpson fires back at Rory Mroy. YouTube golf is the future whether you like it or not. Webb Simpson didn’t tiptoe into the debate. He walked straight onto the Quail Hollow Fairway with cameras rolling and called out the old school mindset holding golf back. While filming Road Trip EP.1 with the Brian brothers, Simpson made it clear he sees the game’s future very differently than Rory Mroy does. When asked about YouTube Golf, he didn’t hesitate. We’ve got to evolve. If we want younger fans, this is the way to reach them,” Simpson said. A direct counter to Mroyy’s recent dig at golf creators. And he wasn’t guessing. He was backing his point with numbers the golf world has been trying to ignore. Bar chart. The numbers don’t lie. YouTube is eating traditional golf. Simpson referenced a generational shift that’s already happening. 71% of YouTube golf viewers are between 18 34 PGA tours median TV viewer age 64. The contrast is brutal. Meanwhile, creators are dominating golf media. Rick Shield’s 2.95M subscribers. Bryson Dshambo 2.55M subscribers. Good. Good. $45 million investment. That’s not hobby content. That’s a full media ecosystem and Simpson knows it. Movie camera. Simpson praises YouTube golf and subtly exposes the PGA Tours problem. Simpson didn’t just defend YouTube. He praised the Brian Bros formula outright. You guys make it fun and golf is fun. He said that he also didn’t shy away from the core issue. Pro golf looks too serious too often. The PGA tour demands perfection and pressure. YouTube shows personality, mistakes, jokes, and real reactions. The stuff fans actually connect with. Fire enter Rory Mroy and the spark that lit the controversy while Simpson was advocating for evolution. Rory Mroy was doubling down on tradition at the players championship. When journalists asked him about creators like Fat Perez and Grant Horvat, Rory dropped the now infamous line. I’d much rather watch pure competition. I’d much rather watch this tournament than YouTube golf. That comment split the internet and the golf world in half. Robbie Burgerer from Bob Does Sports pushed back. Fans debated generational disconnect and the Brian brothers emphasized the real reason creators win. People want the curtain pulled back. That curtain, the barrier between fans and players is exactly what YouTube has torn down. Direct hit. Why Simpsons voice hits harder than you think. This wasn’t a mid-career player trying to get views. This was a major champion battling through the toughest years of his career. Acknowledging that the sport must change, Simpson joins a growing group of stars, Rahm, Kepka, Chaofell, who’ve embraced creators instead of dismissing them. Even the PGA Tour launched its own creator series. A sign that institutions see the writing on the wall that Simpsons message was simple but disruptive. YouTube isn’t competing with pro golf, it’s saving its future. push been the quail hollow moment that said everything Simpsons endorsement wasn’t just supportive. It was symbolic that a respected champion standing next to creators who built their own success from scratch, declaring that this is where the next generation of fans lives. While Mroy digs in on pure competition, Simpson is pointing toward a version of golf where traditional pros and digital creators don’t battle, they collaborate. And one thing is certain, the future fans have
