The rise of YouTube golf has given would-be professionals a platform to make a living from the sport without competing on a tour.
Some immensely talented players who may otherwise have played on the PGA Tour have seized the opportunity to pursue content creation, and in some cases, make far more money than they would have by turning pro.
That is something that the biggest stars in the sport now recognize, with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson committing countless hours to their respective YouTube channels to grow their following away from the professional game.
But with players of such incredible talent opting to play golf on YouTube rather than one of the major tours, it has blurred the line between amateur and pro. It’s sometimes hard to tell just how good these YouTubers are.
One former PGA Tour winner-turned-YouTuber, Wesley Bryan, made a shocking claim, saying that one content creator would “run circles” around Collin Morikawa and even beat Rory McIlroy.
The YouTube star Wesley Bryan thinks would ‘run circles’ around Collin Morikawa
Brad Dalke looked like a sure-fire PGA Tour prospect when he finished runner-up at the 2016 U.S. Amateur. In doing so, he received invitations to The Masters and the US Open, but a case of the “driver yips” and internal doubts about his ball-striking ability saw him turn to YouTube Golf.
He’s recently been able to show just how good he is. Dalke won back-to-back Creator Classics and was the standout performer on the way to winning the inaugural Internet Invitational.
He impressed Bryan so much that it led him to believe that he can go head-to-head with any of the best players on the planet.
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He said, “What I watched out of Brad, is Brad could run circles around Collin Morikawa right now. He could, I’m telling you. His game, in current form, he can compete with any of the best players in the world.
“Obviously, Collin is a substantially better golfer, but any given day… Brad Dalke can beat Rory McIlroy on any given day right now.”
It might seem like a ridiculous claim, but judging by Dalke’s recent form it might not be a million miles from the truth. It’s definitely a video we would all like to see!
Brad Dalke’s golf handicap
If YouTube Handicap Tracker is to be believed, Dalke can go head-to-head with nearly anyone on the planet. He’s second on their table behind DeChambeau.
According to the site, Dalke is playing off a handicap of +7.3. That’s just 2.2 behind two-time US Open winner DeChambeau, 0.7 ahead of Bryan, and 4.6 ahead of YouTube star Grant Horvat.
That’s a significant marker, as Horvat often plays the best golfers in the world and gives them seven shots over 18 holes. It’s proven a fair handicap, as he wins and loses around the same amount.
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So if Dalke is really four and a half shots better than Horvat, then he’s only 2.5 shots behind the pros. If he were to play one shot better than his handicap, and McIlroy one shot worse, then these handicaps would suggest that he’d be right there with him.
Bryan’s claim may make eyes roll, but he’s seen him play firsthand, and he knows what it takes to win at that level. Don’t be so quick to dismiss Dalke’s talent.
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