Grant Horvat predicted it would ‘break’ the Internet. Horvat, a YouTube golf celebrity himself, knew when he saw it: Donald Trump playing golf with Bryson DeChambeau in a two-man scramble. Goal? On the course, break 50 from the most forward tees at Bedminster. The second and most important, reach 1M subscribers. 

The reigning U.S. Open champion found success in the latter. Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube popularity was read as a sign of a changing era. One where golfers can reach millions of fans outside the greens. One where they can have fun with amateurs, scratch golfers, and celebrities regularly. It’s fun, sure. But there is also a larger purpose behind it. 

YouTube has a mass appeal, and DeChambeau knows how to tap into it

Bryson DeChambeau is the only one who is managing two careers simultaneously. Of course, YouTube is a hobby, but his followers count, over 1M is more than Grant Horvat, a ‘career’ golf influencer.

A lot of what he has done in the past few months – the fist pumps at the Masters, the little winks at the broadcasters – have naturally come with his stint as a YouTube content creator. The biggest upshot is how the mood of the crowd turned in his favor.

Only 24 months ago, the 30-year-old was one of the most disliked golfers anywhere on the planet. His subsequent defection to LIV, and the lawsuit against his former employer, exacerbated the matter. YouTube gave him the way, in his words, to show who he really is.

One part of that is of course camera awareness. He can interact with the spectators surrounding him. But DeChambeau wants to talk to the people glued to their screens.

The LIV pro doesn’t hide his intentions. “I’m playing to entertain and inspire a new generation, and my mindset has shifted to where I can look into a camera and see those people,” Golf Digest quoted the two-time major winner. 

Sure, there is no Tiger Woods at disposal. There is no youth-drawing magnet whose mere footsteps will draw all the eyes toward him. But DeChambeau has given a formula that can remove the rust from a game that’s mostly associated with the words, ‘tradition’, ‘old age’, and ‘boring.’  To be sure, youths are listening. 

The Bryson DeChambeau success story is one for the ages

 You could debate which of the two goals – breaking 50 and reaching 1M subscribers – was more outlandish. For the first, both the pro and the former POTUS needed to show up. For the latter, the mantle on Bryson DeChambeau and his production team.

Trump and DeChambeau came up one stroke short. But it was still a win. Within 13 hours of publishing, the video generated over 3M views. It toppled the Phil Mickelson 9-hole duel as the most-watched video on his channel.

The subscriber’s number was hovering around 870K when DeChambeau launched the clip. It took him less than 10 hours to cross the 1M mark. By the looks of it, soon it will cross the boundary of 1.1M. 

It should not come as a surprise that the Crushers captain has reached a landmark. Speaks for his charisma, of course, but this is also the zeitgeist of the time we are surfing through. Consider the case of Good Good Golf run by a bunch of golf influencers in their mid-20s. 

The best is yet to come for YouTube celebrities 

The Good Good Golf runs a tournament ahead of the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open. The influencer-only tournament became such a hit among fans, that NBC decided to stream it on Peacock. In early 2024, the broadcasting giant struck a deal with Good Good.

The end result? Peak 1,00,000+ viewers in the 14-hole tournament. Gabby Herzig at the Athletic reported the total views reached 800,000 compared to the 511,000 average views at ‘The Match’. But, that’s just one part of the story.

A year prior, they decided to host an event with mini-tour golfers in Scottsdale. Half of the $100,000 purse was reserved for the winner, per D Magazine. Compared to mini-golf tours, where players have to pay $1000 while signing up, and the winner receives $10,000, it was a steal. 

They even came close to signing Min Woo Lee as their apparel ambassador. The Australian star, who is quite an Internet sensation in his own right, eventually signed for Lululemon. But they were close. It speaks for Good Good and other YouTube influencers’ growing popularity that fans often sport their braided t-shirt instead of something their favorite golfers are wearing. 

Good Good Golf, of course, stands as a synecdoche for the rising bunch of stars all in their mid-20s. Is it a surprise that almost every equipment giant has a celebrity influencer on their roster? Grant Horvat is sponsored by TaylorMade; Good Godd members are with Callaway,. Whereas, Titleist has signed No Laying Up.

This is a new phenomenon we are witnessing. YouTube golf can’t be shrugged aside as a frivolous means of entertainment. And, in this newly discovered territory, Bryson DeChambeau might be the owner of the most profitable merchant ship.