Former major winner actually had a golf Youtuber caddying for him at the PGA Championship

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A former major winner had a YouTube golf star caddying for him during the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

After an exhilarating week in Louisville, the dust has finally begun to settle on Xander Schauffele’s first major championship victory.

It was a remarkable performance from the American, who managed to fend off a resurgent Bryson DeChambeau with a nerveless birdie putt on the 18th.

Valhalla certainly has its flaws, but the excitement the Louisville venue produced late on Sunday evening was unlike anything witnessed in recent major championships.

Rich Beem has YouTube star on the bag at Valhalla

• READ MORE: Three players who proved they can win the U.S. Open after their performances at Valhalla

One player who wasn’t challenging late on Sunday was Rich Beem. The 2002 PGA Championship victor finished rock bottom of the field on Friday on 20-over-par.

Of course, the 53-year-old knew he had no chance of competing or even making the cut, for that matter.

As a result, the American looked to experiment with his caddie.

YouTube golf star Rick Shiels has revealed that Erik Anders of Randon Golf Club was the man carrying Beem’s bag during the opening two rounds of the year’s second major.

“We had a fellow Youtuber caddying this week,” Shiels explained [Rick Shiels Golf Show]. “Erik Anders Lang of Random Golf Club was caddying for Rich Beem.

“That’s quite a cool thing to do, to caddy at a major tournament. Rich Beem won it [in 2002], so he has an exemption for a while. So he decided to get Erik Anders Lang on the bag, which was pretty cool. Hopefully he has made some content around it, that would be pretty cool.”

YouTube golf really starting to make waves in the modern game

• READ MORE: The five longest drives from the PGA Championship at Valhalla

Ten years ago, the idea that a ‘YouTube’ golfer would be carrying a bag at a major championship would’ve been laughed at.

Now, through the likes of Shiels, Peter Finch, and the work done by DeChambeau, a new audience has been captivated by the game.

Furthermore, The Q at Myrtle Beach allowed YouTubers the chance to qualify for the Myrtle Beach Classic, which took place alongside the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

Several players, such as Finch, captured footage for their social media channels and documented how they got on at the qualifier.

Hopefully, recent events are just the beginning for the YouTube scene. Those at the top of the game would be wise to utilise social media engagement as much as possible.

In a world which is primarily fueled by digital interaction, allowing a brand new audience to witness the game of golf can only be a good thing for the sport’s longevity.