PGA Tour member not a huge fan of Creator Classic: "I don't think it's entertaining"
PGA Tour member Ben An didn't appear to be a huge fan of the latest edition of the Creator Classic held at East Lake.
PGA Tour golfer Ben An didn't appear to be a huge fan of the latest edition of the Creator Classic.
Ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship, 12 YouTube golfers played the back nine at East Lake for $100,000.
It was the third and final edition of the made-for-TV event in 2025 - which is essentially designed to bridge the gap between traditional professional golf and the digital age.
Launched in 2024, the Creator Classic has now staged four tournaments featuring notable figures like Paige Spiranac, Peter Finch, the Bryan brothers and Garrett Clark.
Brad Dalke, of Good Good, was crowned the latest winner - sinking a birdie putt in the pouring rain on the first play-off hole to scoop the six-figure top prize.
Player | Score |
|---|---|
Brad Dalke | -2* |
Luke Kwon | -1 |
Sean Walsh | E |
Micah Morrs | +2 |
Tisha Alyn | +3 |
Garrett Clark | +3 |
Short Game King | +4 |
Gabby Golf Girl | +5 |
Sabrina Andolpho | +5 |
Roger Steele | +7 |
Soly | +8 |
Peter Finch | +8 |
An wrote on X: "I don't know about this. I don't think it's entertaining. Not sure their followers like it or not."
He added: "I'd almost like to see some random amateur playing on your course and see what they shoot. These creators are almost too good."
An stressed that he did like the latest instalment, though not as much as last year.
"Many golf fans probably see more of their games than many PGA players on a weekly basis," he said.
"Not seeing peak creators that are moving the needle like Grant, Bryan Bros, Rick probably loses some of the appeal.
"PGA is going to fumble this again. PGA lacks narrative, these people create that intrigue every week."
An was referring to Rick Shiels, who is the leading figure in YouTube golf content creation with nearly three million subscribers.
Golf's version of a buzzer beater!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 20, 2025
Brad Dalke (@GoodGood_Golf) won the Creator Classic with a birdie on the first playoff hole ... SECONDS before the horn blew for dangerous weather. pic.twitter.com/S8s6ll8A18
Shiels is now affiliated with LIV Golf and the PIF-backed breakaway's answer to the Creator Classic is called 'The Duels'.
Bryson DeChambeau is closing in on Shiels' subscriber count.
Brothers George and Wesley Bryan were also involved in previous editions of the Creator Classic, but did not feature on Wednesday.
Wesley Bryan, a PGA Tour winner, has been suspended for competing in the aforementioned 'Duels' tournament.
He has lodged an appeal.
Ben Smith joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
