YouTube golf has become a thing, a huge one. If someone had said that YouTube golfers could amass more fan following than even some professional golfers a few years ago, no one would have believed that. But now, it’s a reality. YouTube personalities like Rick Shiels, Garrett Clark, Wesley Bryan, and others have far greater reach than many PGA Tour pros. In fact, professionals like Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson have also created their own YouTube channels to connect with fans.

Grant Horvat is one such celebrity YouTube golfer with thousands of fans and followers. And he has made videos with some of the prominent names in golf, such as Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Tiger Woods.

With his experience playing golf with all these stars, he said Tiger Woods could behave in a way that no other golfers, including rival Phil Mickelson, “We had the cameras rolling, and we had 30 minutes with him,” Grant Horvat told the The Big Swing With Jimmy Roberts podcast. “I can’t even believe I made contact. I actually hit a lot of great shots in front of him. It was like a quick little 30-minute lesson. But I was, it’s different, Tiger just has a way about him that is very different than any other person that I’ve ever met. It’s just more of a like, he’s just got a quiet presence that he takes time to think about what he’s going to say, and it’s just like that anticipation.”

The video Horvat is referring to is a small 18-minute video on his YouTube golf channel. It was a lesson video with Tiger Woods. So basically, Woods was going to teach Horvat how to hit with a driver, woods, and a hybrid. He talked about the same anticipation and feeling at the start of this video, too. Horvat said that he can’t explain the feeling. It could be like a tournament feeling or just nervousness, but he didn’t know how to explain it.

Tiger Woods is known to have such an influence on the people he meets. The 15x major champion has an introverted and intensely focused personality. Many people say that he has a laser focus and can shut out all the distractions when on a golf course. Players like Tony Finau have remarked on how Tiger can remain almost silent and fully present during competition. He played with Woods in the final round at the 2019 Masters. He said that they didn’t exchange many words throughout the game.

“We get to hole seven, I’m walking off the tee. We’re right next to each other, so I figured I’d better say hi or say something to him. I said, ‘Hey Tiger, how’s the family, how’s the kids?’ And he looked at me, pretty straight-faced, and he said, ‘They’re good.’ And he kept walking, and I never talked to him again until I was congratulating him on the 18th green,” Finau said about Tiger. It is a stark contrast to more outgoing personalities like Phil Mickelson, who engage more verbally and socially.

Grant Horvat was part of the star-studded Internet Invitational, which drew criticism and controversy among some YouTube golfers.

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Internet Invitational controversies and criticism

One of the biggest controversial moves at the Internet Invitational was by Luke Kwon. The internet celebrity was late for his tee time on Day 1. As a result, the host, Dave Portnoy, penalized him with a 4-hole penalty in a 9-hole game. His team lost a lot of matches, and that’s when Ryan Whitney mocked him at lunchtime. Kwon acted as if he didn’t care, which sparked widespread controversy and criticism. Kwon even admitted that he had been receiving death threats for what he says was such a small mistake.

Paige Spiranac is another celebrity influencer who was at the Internet Invitational. After the event videos were released recently, Spiranac received some hateful messages and criticism from fans. She got emotional as she shared the messages she had received. However, she also got a lot of supportive messages once she opened up about the criticism.

Grant Horvat was on the Pink Team on Day 1, the same team Luke Kwon was playing for. Horvat was paired with Daltoosh for the 9-hole scramble match on the first day. The duo was playing against Roger Steele and Paige Spiranac. Steele and Spiranac won the first round with 3UP. On the next round, Grant Horvat and Daltoosh were playing against Micah Morris and Francis Ellis, and the game ended in a tie. Unfortunately, Horvat’s team was eliminated at the end of the day.