There are a lot of things contributing to the current state of golf, but Rory McIlroy believes YouTube might be one of them. There’s a general feeling of oversaturation about the sport, and the Irishman thinks that the content platform that’s seen a boom of golf content recently is partly to blame.
Rory McIlroy laments YouTube’s involvement in golf
Rory McIlroy has seen the growing popularity of golf on social media, but he isn’t sure it’s a good thing. Grant Horvat, Paige Spiranac, Barstool, and even Bryson DeChambeau have made inroads on social media because of their YouTube golf content.
“I’m not of that generation. I’d much rather watch pure, competitive… I’d much rather watch this golf tournament on Sunday than watch YouTube golf,” McIlroy said via the Daily Mail. “You know, I think it (PGA Tour) already has been diminished… YouTube is like golf entertainment adjacent, whatever. Those guys are killing it. They found a niche and it’s really cool and it serves a purpose for a lot of people.”
But, he said, he’d much rather sit down and see “real golfers play real tournaments.” He said that’s much more entertaining in his opinion than watching someone make a video and edit it on YouTube, never knowing what’s real or edited. He added, “But I understand that other people want something different and that’s totally fine as well. I think there’s space for all of this.”
All of it adds up, though. There’s the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, and LIV Golf is also in the picture. Add in YouTube golfers to the equation, and the formula isn’t good in McIlroy’s eyes. He added, “Yeah, I can see when the golf consumer might get a little fatigued of everything that’s sort of available to them.”
This all stems from a drop in ratings in golf, as there seems to be some frustration on the part of fans. Even Scottie Scheffler’s historic year didn’t get people to tune in all that much, and McIlroy believes an underrepresented culprit might deserve a larger share of the blame for the growing disinterest among fans.
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