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USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
YouTube golf star Grant Horvat is backing out of his PGA Tour debut. How come?
YouTube golf star Grant Horvat will no longer make his PGA Tour debut at the Barracuda Championship after a dispute over his ability to film the competition. Horvat received a sponsor's invitation in April to compete in the California tournament, which will run opposite the Open Championship in Northern Ireland this weekend. He released a statement to social media on July 15 stating that he declined the invitation because he could not film the round and publish it to his YouTube account, which has 1.38 million subscribers and regularly draws more than a million views per video. "Unfortunately I will not be playing in a PGA Tour event. The rules and regulations around PGA Tour tournament play will not allow us to film," Horvat said. "The only reason I was in the position to receive an invitation like this is because of YouTube and you all watching the videos, so if I'm going to play, we want film it. "I am hopeful that this won't always be the case. I would be honored to play in a PGA Tour event and bring you all along in the future. Huge thank you to the Barracuda for the invite and belief in YouTube golf. More: How Grant Horvat fared in pro tournament at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club Horvat's decision to reject the sponsor's invitation has proven controversial, particularly since it goes against advice given to him by Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 golfer. The pair played a round together for a video that was published on May 6 via Horvat's channel. Scheffler encouraged the YouTuber, who was wrestling with the decision, to play because he'd earned the chance and would ultimately help the Barracuda Championship. "It's an opposite-field event that needs the exposure," Scheffler said in the video. "There's a reason they're giving you the spot. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to take it if I were you." The initial decision to invite Horvat to play the Barracuda Championship also drew scrutiny as it came within days of the PGA Tour's banning of longtime pro Wesley Bryan over his involvement in a YouTube video with LIV Golf. Where did Grant Horvat go to college, high school? Horvat, 26, moved from Michigan to Florida shortly before his 15th birthday and joined the South Fork High golf team ahead of his sophomore year. He was a first-team All-Area selection in 2015 and 2016. The son of a PGA professional, Horvat played collegiate golf at Palm Beach Atlantic from 2017-21 before moving into content creation as a full-time endeavor. He has since recorded golf videos with top professionals like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, John Daly and many more. Horvat, an amateur, won the PGA Tour's Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass in March in the days prior to The 2025 Players Championship. He has also played in minor professional events in South Florida on the Minor League Golf Tour. Horvat shot 72 and tied for 25th in an event at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club on March 18, taking home $140 for the finish. In January 2025, Horvat signed a deal with Finnish brand Takomo Golf to become a company shareholder. Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it invited one, suspended another after LIV Golf event
Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it invited one, suspended another after LIV Golf event YouTube golf star Grant Horvat's reported invitation to play a PGA Tour event this summer and the suspension of PGA Tour pro Wesley Bryan have caught the attention of five-time major champion Phil Mickelson. Horvat, a South Fork High grad and former Palm Beach Atlantic golfer, published on social media Wednesday that he'd received a sponsor's invitation to play the PGA Tour's Barracuda Championship. Advertisement The Barracuda Championship, an opposite-field event to the Open Championship, will be played July 17-20 at Old Greenwood in California. An amateur who recently tied for 25th in a minor pro event at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club, Horvat took to social media to ask fans for advice on whether he should compete alongside some of the world's best golfers at the PGA Tour event. Horvat is one of the biggest names in YouTube golf with more than a million subscribers to his channel and hundreds of thousands of followers on his Instagram and TikTok accounts. He won the PGA Tour's Creator Classic at The Players Championship in March and hosted LIV Golf's "The Duels" broadcast on his YouTube channel at Trump National Doral Miami. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Grant Horvat celebrates with the trophy on the 17th hole green after winning the Creator Classic prior to THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) More: How Grant Horvat fared in pro tournament at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club Wesley Bryan suspension catches Phil Mickelson's eye Participation in the latter event has temporarily cost professional golfer Wesley Bryan his ability to play PGA Tour events. Advertisement Golf website MondayQ reported Wednesday that Bryan had been suspended indefinitely by the PGA Tour for his participation in "The Duels." The PGA Tour has previously banned tour members, such as Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, who defected to the Saudi-backed tour. Bryan has five career top five finishes and nine top 10 finishes in 134 career PGA Tour events. He joined the PGA Tour in 2017 and has more than $5 million in earnings. Bryan and his brother George also create YouTube videos on their "Bryan Bros Golf" channel, which has more than 500,000 subscribers. Wesley Bryan of Byran Bros Golf reacts on the tenth tee during the Creator Classic prior to THE PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 12, 2025 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. "For the last eight or nine years, the opportunities have been amazing," Bryan told Monday Q. "I'm extremely grateful to the Tour for that. I don't want this to be the end of my professional golf career." Advertisement Mickelson, who has been one of the PGA Tour's most vocal critics in recent years, took to X on Wednesday to call on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene on Bryan's behalf. "Here's a question. Normally when an entity violates independent contract law, they deny that it happened and forces the contractor/individual to prove that it did. "In this case the PGA Tour blatantly admits they are illegally banning an independent contractor so why doesn't they DOJ step in and enforce the law? Why does the individual have to sue to enforcer the law? DOJ do your fffing job!" Horvat later posted his own support for Bryan via X, stating, "#FreeWesley." Advertisement Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour after it suspended golfer for LIV event
