When Grant Horvat teed it up at a creator-led qualifier in Myrtle Beach, the stakes weren’t clicks or bragging rights. They were about a pathway into something most online golfers never get: a PGA tour start.

The winner was to get a PGA Tour start with millions on the line. What unfolded at The Q at Myrtle Beach blurred the line between entertainment and elite competition.

“This is really cool to have, probably some of the best golfers in YouTube, I think, out here competing. Any one of us, I know for sure, could have won. Grant made an amazing run at it today. What an opportunity as a YouTube creator to plan a PGA Tour event,” said winner Ryan Ruffels in a video uploaded on the Grant Horvat Golf YouTube channel.

“So, heck yeah. Thanks to the Bryan Bros., thanks to Grant, thanks to Play Myrtle Beach. Um, thanks to River’s Edge, thanks to Poly’s Plantation, ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. I guess that’s where I’m going next. So, yeah, thank you to them as well.”

The Q at Myrtle Beach is a creator-heavy qualifier staged by Play Golf Myrtle Beach. Grant Horvat announced the tee-off of the event on April 27, 2026. This year marked the third edition of the competition. In 2024, Matt Atkins won, and in 2025, Nathan Franks took that spot. And this time, it was Ryan Ruffels who won and secured a place in the field at the $4 million-worth Myrtle Beach Classic 2026.

The Australian golfer turned professional in 2016 and has been playing on the PGA Tour since then. However, his journey was very short. Over the years, he has only had 20 starts on the PGA Tour. Of these, he made the cut in 10. The last event he played on the Tour was the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open.

After struggling on the PGA Tour, he started his YouTube channel in July 2023. Currently, he has uploaded 109 videos, amassing over 2.8 million views. That’s the reason he became eligible to play The Q at Myrtle Beach and get an opportunity to be part of a PGA Tour event once again.

He won with a score of 1-under par. Grant Horvat was right there alongside him at 1-under until the last hole. But while Ryan Ruffels scored a par on the last hole, Horvat hit a double bogey.

During his speech, Ruffels thanked all the sponsors, including ONEflight, Play Myrtle Beach, Poly’s Plantation, and River’s Edge. But he gave prominent thanks to the Bryan brothers and Grant Horvat, who helped organize and film the event. It is Wesley Bryan, actually, who is the commissioner of the event’s qualifier despite being suspended by the PGA Tour.

This qualified among 8 content creators reflects the rise of YouTube golf, and who better to represent that than Grant Horvat? His popularity through YouTube golf has helped him play PGA Tour events, too.

Grant Horvat’s participation in PGA Tour events

Grant Horvat was offered a sponsor exemption for the 2025 Barracuda Championship. It is an opposite-field PGA Tour event held during the Open Championship week. While Horvat wanted to be part of it, he had to decline. The reason behind this was that the PGA Tour made it clear that he could not record his rounds for YouTube.

He viewed this restriction as incompatible with what his audience expects from him. That decision sparked a lot of chatter. His decision meant he passed on a real PGA Tour start to keep his creator business model intact.

However, he then excited fans by announcing that he will play the American Express 2026. There was a catch, though. He was not playing in the official event. Instead, he played the pro-am with Adam Scott, Matt Fitzpatrick, and the owner of LAB Sam Hahn.

He then played in The Q at Myrtle Beach and was even close to a victory. While the win helped the struggling pro Ryan Ruffels secure a spot, it left fans wondering what would have happened if Grant Horvat had won.

Would he have played the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic 2026 with the filming restrictions, going against the decision he made in 2025? That’s something fans will have to wait to find out during a similar opportunity in the future.