Golf content is currently undergoing a boom on platforms like YouTube, but the category’s rising popularity might come with some drawbacks. As golf creators hurry to make deals with the competing PGA Tour and LIV Golf circuits, Rory McIlroy is questioning whether that gold rush goes against the spirit of the game.
Based on what’s already gone down in the golf world since the start of the year, 2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for creators on the links — much like 2024 was for football and basketball content. The PGA Tour has already announced that it will host a trio of creator tournaments throughout the 2025 calendar year. Not to be outdone, Saudi-backed LIV Golf has struck a deal with Rick Shiels, one of the most-subscribed golfers on YouTube.
This massive moment has been a long time coming. After getting millions of views and launching offline ventures in 2023, golf creators leveled up in 2024, when they hung out with PGA Tour stars and competed in tournaments of their own.
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If the PGA Tour is following the NFL’s playbook for social media success, the next step is to bring more pro players into the fray. Some top golfers have already collaborated with the YouTube stars of the links. After getting millions of views for his Tiger Woods team-up, Grant Horvat returned to YouTube’s trending tab alongside longtime Woods rival Phil Mickelson.
Tiger and Lefty may be eager to explore the world of YouTube, but another former #1 player is not so enthused. In an interview with the Fresno Bee, McIlroy argued that golf creators have “diminished” the sport’s core product. Though he admitted that upstarts like Horvat are “killing it” by making “really cool” content that pleases “a lot of people,” he believes that the on-course product deserves more attention.
“I would much rather sit down and watch real golfers play real tournaments,” McIlroy said. “To me, that’s more entertaining. But I understand other people want something different, and that’s totally fine as well. I think there’s space for all of this.”
McIlroy may be onto something. Sports creators may not get in the way of the games themselves, but they do shift the balance of power toward individual athletes. Does the increasing focus on the drama surrounding sports detract from the enjoyment of the action? Rory McIlroy seems to think so — but your mileage may vary.
