Remember when Twitch was just for gamers and YouTube was for cat videos? Fast forward to 2025, and content creators have become the lifeblood of every major sport. Just ask the 2.7 million viewers who tuned in to watch golf’s biggest online personalities take on East Lake Golf Club at the inaugural Creator Classic in 2024. The event wasn’t just a one-off spectacle—it was YouTube’s second-trending video following the competition and engaged nearly 60 million golf fans across social media platforms during four weeks. 

As the golfing world turns its attention to THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship event, fans will first be treated to a special appetizer. This Wednesday, March 12, TPC Sawgrass will witness the return of the Creator Classic—the first of three events in what has now become a season-long series. And this time, the stakes are even higher as ten of golf’s most prominent content creators prepare to tackle the same challenging conditions the pros will face just 24 hours later. But how can fans tune in for all the action? 

How to watch the Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass

When the inaugural event debuted in 2024, it attracted 2.7 million viewers and engaged nearly 60 million golf fans across social media. Now, as the golfing world anticipates THE PLAYERS Championship, fans can watch the 2025 edition starting at 4:10 p.m. ET across multiple platforms, including the PGA TOUR’s YouTube channel, GOLF Channel, ESPN+, and various streaming services.

The tournament will feature eight holes of stroke play beginning on the par-4 10th hole and concluding on the iconic island-green 17th, with the top three finishers advancing to a sudden-death playoff. Tee times are set for 4:15, 4:27, and 4:39 p.m. ET, ensuring a compact and action-packed viewing experience. The Creator Classic field includes returning participants like the Bryan Bros, Fat Perez, Gabby Golf Girl, and Roger Steele, alongside newcomers Grant Horvat, Kyle Berkshire, Tisha Alyn, Soly from No Laying Up, and Barstool Sports’ Trent Ryan.

Following the success of the 2024 event that revealed 63% of YouTube viewers had never previously attended a PGA Tour event, the Tour expanded the concept into a three-event series for 2025, with additional competitions planned at the Truist Championship and TOUR Championship later this year. For the PGA Tour, the Creator Classic serves as a strategic bridge between traditional golf and digital culture, designed to secure the sport’s future with younger audiences.

Hopes are high from the Creators Classic

The Creator Classic emerged as PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan’s innovative strategy to capture the attention of internet audiences. When first introduced in 2024, this influencer-centric event brought together 16 of the world’s top golf content creators for a nine-hole competition at East Lake Golf Club. Indeed, Monahan and his team had good reason to create this tournament, as they recognized how golf was experiencing an explosion in popularity on social media platforms where younger fans were increasingly engaging with the sport through content creators rather than traditional broadcasts.

Additionally, the PGA Tour demonstrated remarkable flexibility by partnering with Pro Shop Studios to produce a premium broadcast experience. As Pro Shop founder Chad Mumm observed, “Golf is in the middle of an explosion in popularity, and, for many young people, some of the biggest stars have emerged on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.”

The PGA Tour senior vice president Chris Wandell emphasized this partnership’s importance, calling it “an exciting new concept” that featured prominent names like Tyler Toney from Dude Perfect, the Bryan Bros, and various creators—all of whom had built substantial followings online.

The format evolved slightly from the original eight holes of stroke play followed by a playoff while maintaining the entertainment value that made the original event such a phenomenon among viewers seeking fresh approaches to golf content. Will you be tuning in to watch this year?