The PGA Tour had a cheeky moment when Golfoncbs shared a highlight from the 2017 BMW Championship on Instagram. Sharing Wesley Bryan‘s unofficial record of a blistering final round of 18 holes in 89 minutes, it roused hilarious reactions from the fans. Why? Well, the timing turned out to be ironic, with Bryan’s recent suspension from the Tour. However, what caught attention was the golfer’s witty, tongue-in-cheek response to the situation.

The reel featured Bryan as he finished his putts in record speed, allegedly the fastest in PGA Tour history. The PGA Tour pro finished 2-under 69 in 89 minutes. While a part of the spotlight went to the “I’ll tap” comment, Bryan seemed to pronounce before every shot, the tone-deaf placement of the 2017 championship reminder turned the comment section into a trolling battleground. Needless to say, Bryan himself chimed in, subtly calling out the Tour.

“Am I getting trolled?” Wesley Bryan commented on the post. Although a short, playful comment, it underscores the strained relationship with the PGA Tour. Bryan and his brother George’s golf page also jumped on the wagon in another teasing, subtle dig at the Tour. “Does this mean the tour wants Wesley back???” commented Bryanbrosgolf.

That crack in the relationship came after the indefinite suspension of Bryan earlier this year, in April.

The Bryan brothers participated in a LIV Golf influencer event just a week before the Masters. The event called ‘The Duels: Miami’ was an engagement stunt for YouTube views. It featured 6 LIV golfers and 6 YouTube golfers, and Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel streamed the event. However, the day after the video went live, a fun side-quest turned into a tour card confiscation for Wesley.

Although not a professional event, Wesley suffered the consequences. What added shade was Wesley’s sole suspension from the tour, despite others competing as well. But Bryan confirmed that he held no regrets for his participation in the event. “That video is one of the most powerful videos in YouTube golf. We are going to continue to support Grant and grow the game through YouTube.”

Wesley Bryan’s resolve to continue contributing to golf through his YouTube channel reflects his dedication and commitment to the sport. Having over half a million subscribers, Bryan surely has the platform to materialize his goals. However, the 2017 PGA Tour reminder, especially where he witnessed a disappointing finish at 69, brought up old business. Bryan’s witty remark succeeded in throwing subtle shade on the Tour under the light of these events.

But the implications of the moment go deeper than a playful back-and-forth. It underscores the ambiguous, almost biased PGA Tour rules against the Saudi-backed league.

Wesley Bryan fell afoul of the PGA Tour’s strict LIV Golf policies

Wesley Bryan’s suspension from the PGA Tour came as a surprise to the golfer himself. He later admitted how the ambiguity of the Tour’s rules created confusion. While competing in professional LIV events had pain and clear repercussions, the consequences of competing in influencer events remained a mystery.

“I want to be clear, I do respect the authorities that are in place at the tour, but because of the ambiguity in the rules and regulations that were written, I do, as a member of the PGA Tour, have a right to appeal their decision of which I plan on exercising,” he said. “And I don’t feel like when the rule was written, it was meant to cover content creation on YouTube. I feel like it was meant to cover organized, professional, high-level golf events.”

Following his comments, he appealed the suspension, but the ban remains intact. Bryan is not alone in experiencing such a fate, owing to the PGA Tour’s long-standing rivalry with LIV. Hudson Swafford participated in five LIV events back in 2022, leading to another long-term suspension until 2027. However, while he expected the ban, the term of the confiscation aroused confusion in the golfing community.

While other golfers like James Piot and Laurie Canter served a one-year suspension, Swafford’s unusually long ban creates inconsistency and confusion in the Tour’s LIV policies. “I don’t know how you can come up with a five or five-and-a-half year suspension based on I played five events while the PGA Tour season was going on in ’22,” shared Swafford. “We knew there would be some repercussions. I knew I’d be suspended for a little while. Didn’t know how long. There were definitely some unknowns there, but I didn’t think [the pro game] would be this fractured this long, to be honest with you.”

Through these incidents and the playful banter on Instagram recently, the PGA Tour’s strained relationship with the LIV takes center stage. Yet, Wesley Bryan seemed to capitalize on that, making a witty yet sharp dig at the PGA Tour.