Golf is reaching new heights! Once considered a niche sport, golf has been the talk of the town in the past couple of years. The much-criticized tiff between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf might deserve some credit for that.

However, the fact is that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour do not directly benefit from it. As seen in the recent drop in viewership, the popularity of the PGA Tour has declined. And, LIV Golf has also not been able to find reliable broadcast partners and sponsors to drive them to success.

So how is golf getting popular? While the tried and tested concepts of golf have still not caught the attention of new viewers, golf influencers certainly have. The likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Paige Spiranac, Grant Horvat, and many other YouTube personalities have been able to attract audiences far beyond the golf community.

The same was discussed by Martin Slumbers and D.J., one of the hosts of No Laying Up Podcast on YouTube. Slumbers, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews talked about how they turn someone who has just shown interest in golf into becoming a fan.

Speaking about how the process begins, Slumbers said, “We spend more time talking to people who don’t play golf and when they show an inkling of interest, how do we root them into the right place?” He also added how they take advantage of the technology available at their disposal to improve the initial experience. The R&A CEO then went on to mention an influencer’s impact on the process. He said, “One of our ambassadors has 70 million plus social media followers. A lot of them are young women.” Talking about the reaction the influencer receives, Slumbers added, “When he tweets, what we’re getting is a lot of these young women say, ‘I didn’t realize golf was cool.'” He then explained how his organization tries to connect with those people and guide them through the right channels to fuel their interest in golf.

Slumbers stated “Those people do not know or are aware of all the other issues that are going on in the game. They don’t care about that.” He then went on to share how golf is just one of their interests and they might choose to pursue it or try other sports like swimming, gym, cricket, or anything else. “How do we turn golf into that product that those people want to buy against other consumers and it’s working,” said Slumbers as he explained the formula that has helped them compete against other sports and gain more fans of the sport.

So how does the influencer angle come into play in this situation? Let’s find out.

Bryson DeChambeau & co. following the trend

Golf influencers and pro players with golf channels like Bryson DeChambeau can help start the conversation about golf. Speaking about DeChambeau in particular, his ‘Break 50’ and ‘Hole in One’ challenges attract a lot of people who are not familiar with the sport. Moreover, when he collaborates with highly influential individuals like the 47th POTUS Donald Trump, fellow golf influencer Paige Spiranac, and more recently, NFL star Tom Brady, he can attract audiences who have never shown interest in golf.

While this does not help LIV Golf and the PGA Tour right now, continued efforts in this direction will show positive results. For now, gaining fans who follow YouTube golfers like Grant Horvat, the cast of Bob Does Sports, and Bryson DeChambeau is a win-win situation for their channels and for the future of golf. What is your opinion about the situation? Do you agree with Martin Slumbers’ views on the approach? Let us know in the comments section.