ATLANTA – It wasn’t particularly classic and didn’t feature much creativity, but in the end there was a worthy winner.
The inaugural Creator Classic on Wednesday at East Lake Golf Club on the eve of the Tour Championship seemed like a great idea to showcase golf in a different way. But the 16 participants, including many of the world’s best golf content creators, had actually come to compete, not necessarily to entertain. In that regard, they managed to play some top-notch golf. But their serious demeanor somehow got in the way of showing why they were invited in the first place.
Shouldn’t golf get really serious on Thursday, when the PGA Tour’s $100 million season-ending Tour Championship begins?
Nevertheless, the event was overall a success, as good golf is always appreciated.
A true champion was crowned in Luke Kwon, a former PGA Tour China winner, who birdied the final hole to win the four-man shootout. Kwon, 31, hit a 10-foot putt on the par-5 18th hole to beat Wesley Bryan, Sean Walsh and long-shot Roger Steele. Kwon won a beautiful trophy and a 36-inch griddle from Blackstone, the event’s sponsor.
The competition format consisted of eight holes of stroke play, with the four lowest-scoring players moving on to a one-hole shootout. Bryan, the favorite as a former PGA Tour winner, finished two strokes under par to win the medal, while the other three men finished one club under par. Bryan said he might quit golf if he didn’t win, but it’s quite possible he’ll be back on tour in the near future.
Kwon began the day with a double bogey on the 10th hole and had to sink a 9-foot shot for par on the 17th to get into the final four and avoid a chip-off with three others who were at even par. “It’s really cool to win because these are some of the biggest movers and shakers out there,” said Kwon, a former University of Oklahoma star player who is now a solo influencer. “To be able to win the first match is pretty special.”
Recognizing the value of content creators in golf, the PGA Tour organized the Creator Classic and made it a premier endeavor with coverage on its YouTube channel. At its peak, more than 105,000 people tuned in on YouTube, and NBC’s Peacock and ESPN+ also aired the broadcast to attract more potential viewers. On a sweltering afternoon, around 2,000 fans filled the stands.
Because the PGA Tour sanctioned the event, rules officials were on site and the broadcast included technological enhancements such as Shot Tracer and ShotLink data.
Earlier that day, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spoke out in favor of the organization welcoming new voices and storytellers in golf. This was the reason for the decision to host the Creator Classic. The organizers were grateful for the gesture.
“Our followers don’t have a place to watch us in person, so we never expected to have the opportunity to be together in a competitive environment where they can see us all at the same time,” said Paige Spiranic, golf’s most popular influencer with nearly 10 million followers on Instagram, after shooting a respectable two over par. “I think that’s special for us and special for them. It’s just been a crazy, incredible experience.”
“It was great. Everything about it was great,” Stone said. “Will there be a next time? By placing in the top four, I secured an invitation to this event, right?”
Undoubtedly there will be a next one.