Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods made it clear that the digital playground isn’t exactly their cup of tea. Yet, today, instead of just televised tournaments and tradition, golf thrives on YouTube challenges and creator-led competitions. And now Collin Morikawa has shared a very balanced take on that matter.

During a recent appearance on the Fore Play podcast, Morikawa was asked about how he navigates the YouTube-golf trend and whether he is ready to embrace it just yet.

“I kind of float on both sides, like I said, I don’t watch that much, so it’s not like I’m buying into it either. Like it’s to me, they’re very different styles of golf.”

Morikawa told Dan Rapaport and the others. He added that playing in a four-round event is very different from playing with the creators of YouTube. Morikawa had one of his very first encounters with YouTube golf in July, when Grant Horvat invited him to participate in his famous “Break 50” challenge.

He learnt through Grant that there’s an art to this whole ordeal of YouTube Golf. And it also helps in showcasing the real side of players a bit more.

“I think when I have opportunities to play with you guys and everything, it shows who I am a little bit more.”

In fact, during the challenge with Horvat, Morikawa mentioned being portrayed as a scary guy in the media. But Horvat then discovered that Morikawa is just brutally honest as a person. This trait only came to light because they played together just for fun. That’s what YouTube golf gave them.

“You don’t really get to see that when we’re out there, whether it’s a Ryder Cup or it’s a normal event. It’s a very different mindset. Not for the better, for the worse, just how we act in things, right? I don’t think people see it like that’s the nature of us, and that’s the competitive side,” Morikawa continued.

But his view is very different from what Rory McIlroy has felt about it.

Back in March, McIlroy admitted that he’d “much rather watch pure competitive golf than watch YouTube golf.” He wasn’t bashing YouTube creators, though.

But not everyone, especially Max Homa, agreed with that stance.

“If you could get one more kid into the game just playing, that’s like a win,” Homa stated during a recent Tooms Golf YouTube video.

“It’s so much easier to consume this than it is to sit for a kid than to sit and watch even 2 hours of golf on TV.”

Homa’s point seems to resonate with Morikawa, who sees creator‑led golf as a different but valid expression of competitive spirit, not a threat.

While Morikawa confessed that he’s not ready to dive into his own YouTube channel just yet, Tommy Fleetwood recently made one, joining several other players already on board.

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Pro golfers who have embraced YouTube Golf

Beyond the drama, a bunch of big-name golfers have quietly jumped headlong into the YouTube‑golf wave.

Tommy Fleetwood, for instance, recently launched his own YouTube channel in June, ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open. He kicked things off with a behind‑the‑scenes video titled ‘How I Practice for a Major,’ and several other playful videos after. Now, he already has nearly 123K subscribers.

And of course, there’s Bryson DeChambeau, who has been a YouTube star for a while.

It started with him setting up quirky challenges around his house, whether it was making a hole-in-one over his house or breaking public course records. His “Break 50” series has also been a hit, garnering millions of views.

DeChambeau has over 2.52 million subscribers, and some of his videos have gathered over 8 million views! He’s using the platform to reshape his public image and connect with fans in a more personal way.

These players illustrate just how broad the YouTube golf world has become. And the statistics back everything.

Searches for “YouTube golf” have more than doubled since 2020. Golf content viewership has increased by over 250% between 2018 and 2023. Much of that growth is driven by younger audiences, who prefer short, engaging, and interactive content over traditional broadcast golf.

Evidently, YouTube golf isn’t just a side trend. It’s becoming a key gateway for the next generation of players and fans.