“It’s been a difficult few weeks, and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for sure,” a pro golfer recently shared on his YouTube channel. Not long ago, he was suspended from the PGA Tour after joining LIV Golf’s influencer event, The Duels: Miami and it was none other than Wesley Bryan. What cost him his PGA Tour name was a content video he made with YouTuber Grant Horvat. And under PGA rules, even a fun, creator-style event like that isn’t allowed. The video hit over 2 million views — a big win online, but at what cost? Bryan admits the past few weeks have been painful, trying to figure out what happened. But the PGA Tour’s decision seemed unfair, almost personal.
Just days after the suspension, the PGA Tour invited Grant Horvat, Bryan’s close friend and collaborator on The Duels: Miami, to play in the Barracuda Championship. Horvat was part of the same video, but unlike Bryan, he isn’t a PGA Tour member, so the rules don’t apply to him. For Horvat, the moment was huge. “I’ll hit a lot of high-quality golf shots … but it’s truly a whole ‘nother level,” he said, reflecting on the invite. But while one friend was getting a chance to tee it up on Tour, the other was watching from the sidelines. “So from our end, nothing but gratitude for the PGA Tour, even in the midst of the little disagreement that we have right now,” Bryan said on his YouTube channel. Despite the controversy and the suspension, Bryan made it clear he’s still thankful for everything the Tour has given him over the years. This was already emotional enough for him, and he was hit with another overwhelming situation.
Lydia Ko, one of the top players on the LPGA Tour, shared during her press conference at the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills that she turned to YouTube to get to know the course better; for a big tournament like this, she went for all the help she can take “Yeah, in all honesty I watched some YouTube golf before coming here and seeing how they played and just kind of get an idea of what the golf course is like,” she said. When asked whose channel she watched, Lydia didn’t hesitate to reply, “I watched the Bryan Bros, and I think Wesley Bryan was trying to get his revenge from 2017. And I think it’s the series where they do it with Grant Horvat, and it’s going to major championship courses,”, It’s clear she wasn’t just scrolling randomly; she was following a series with a story and some serious stakes, featuring popular names, one of which is Bryan. And also it caught the attention of Bryan himself, sparking a heartfelt exchange online.
Her little chat was posted on Instagram by the official page of the U.S. Women’s Open, and Bryan replied, “Lydia!” This is a big achievement for Bryan, especially given the difficult time he is going through after his suspension from the PGA, so yeah, it was indeed overwhelming for him. But he kept it cool with his reply, “LET’S GO.” Horvat echoed similar emotions, “Let’s go.” But Lydia never shared watching YouTube golf before. is it her first time or a usual prep?
Is watching YouTube golf her usual thing to do for last-minute preps?
It was not her first last-minute prep choice until her husband convinced her, “ I got into YouTube golf because of my husband, and I won’t be shy to say I watch it on my own now.” While her husband introduced this little fun habit to her, now she has become used to it and it’s her go-to thing! Lydia knows it’s not the typical way most players prep—but for her, it works. “It’s probably not the preparation that many of the other players did,” she said. But watching YouTube gave her a quick feel for the course layout. “but it was just a good way for me to kind of see the golf course.” It might not be a deep dive or detailed breakdown, but it’s enough for her to visualize and get comfortable heading into the tournament.
The real question is, will this interesting prep help Lydia emerge victorious at the U.S. Women’s Open this year? Because if she does, and it turns out Bryan’s videos played a part, that’d be something special.
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