Barstool's Internet Invitational: YouTube Golf's $1M Spectacle Outpaces Pro Tours in Views and Buzz
- Rex Ballard
- Nov 6, 2025
- 6 min read
November 4, 2025
In a sweltering August showdown at Missouri’s Big Cedar Lodge, Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports unleashed the first-ever Internet Invitational—a high-stakes, influencer-driven golf tournament pitting 48 of YouTube’s biggest golf creators against each other for a $1 million purse. What started as a pre-recorded, six-episode match-play extravaganza has exploded into a cultural phenomenon, blending trash talk, dramatic penalties, and raw athleticism in a format that’s equal parts Happy Gilmore and reality TV. Hosted by Barstool’s founder Dave Portnoy and his irreverent crew and featuring teams drafted in chaotic pairings, the event has captivated a digital audience hungry for golf that’s less buttoned-up than the pros.
But the real story isn’t just the swings—it’s the numbers. As episodes drop weekly on YouTube, the series has racked up over 16.5 million views across its platform, with the premiere alone surpassing 5.2 million views in under a week. That’s not a typo: 16.5 million and climbing, fueled by viral clips of on-course beefs and improbable comebacks. For context, this dwarfs the viewership of LIV Golf’s 2025 season, which averaged a dismal 338,000 viewers across 17 Fox telecasts—barely a blip compared to the PGA Tour’s most popular Sunday finales, which pull in 3.1 million viewers on CBS and NBC. The PGA’s non-major events often struggle to crack 2 million viewers on a Sunday afternoon according to the PGA’s decade-long ratings trends.
Stack it against other YouTube creator spectacles, and the Invitational still shines. Good Good Golf’s signature scrambles and challenges routinely hit 2-3 million views per video, while Bob Does Sports’ matchups hover around 1-2 million. Even YouTube’s rising star Grant Horvat, aka the “Golden Boy”, with his iridescent smile hasn’t achieved those types of numbers. Yet the Invitational’s scale—48 creators, $1.7 million total purse (including side pots), and a narrative arc spanning scramble play, alternate-shot rounds to sudden-death playoffs—has turned it into a binge-worthy saga. “It’s like the Avengers of golf content,” one viewer quipped on X, echoing the sentiment that these events are redefining accessibility in a sport long draped in country club stuffiness.
Drama on the Fairway: Standout Stars Steal the Show
No tournament thrives on stats alone, and the Invitational’s initial breakout moment came courtesy of one of its unfiltered personalities. Luke Kwon emerged as the unwitting villain of Episode 1, his now infamous oversleeping fiasco sparking a tee-time controversy that rivaled any pro tour ruling dispute. Kwon arrived late for his tee time, leaving his scramble partner shorthanded. Possibly facing a match-ending penalty, only for the Invitationals chief official Barstool founder Dave Portnoy to settle in with a compromise allowing Kwon back into the tournament on the fifth hole of a nine hole match. The internet backlash was swift—fans dubbed it “the sleepiest scandal in golf history”—but Kwon’s redemption arc, marked by clutch putts, defiant trash talk and support from Coach John Gruden who was also participating in the event, could not save Kwon from becoming the polarizing anti-hero of Event 1. “Kwon went from zero to meme lord overnight,” Golf Digest noted, highlighting how his blunder humanized the high-stakes grind. The backlash against Kwon was so severe that he would subsequently appear in a solo video humbly expressing his apology to the organizers of the Invitational as well as his playing partner.
The event’s emotional core, however, belonged to the late Cody “Beef” Franke, a beloved member of the Barstool Sports crew. Beef, who participated in the event that was filmed in August, regrettably passed away suddenly prior to the first episode being streamed on YouTube in late October. Consequently, the first episode was kicked off with a poignant tribute to this popular member of the Bartsool Sports crew.
Paige Spiranac, the voluptuous glamour icon of golf content, brought star power and vulnerability to the event. Paired with pros like Roger Steele she navigated the scorching August heat (players described the course as feeling like “golf on the sun”). Paige dropping insights and praise on the elite play of their competitors George Bryan and “The Jet” for a clinic-like 7-under nine-hole run. Post-event, Spiranac went viral again, tearfully addressing the torrent of online hate that she was subjected to - exposing her insecurities, turning personal pain into a broader conversation on mental health challenges that golfers sometimes experience. The harsh comments posted on social media also highlights one of the darker aspects of the genre and its sometimes unempathetic viewers.
Other standouts included Brad Dalke, whose “disgustingly good” ball-striking left jaws dropped. However, Episode 3’s standout stars were “Chaz” Bowker and Sara Winter. Chaz, a top ranked amateur in the Short Stature Division of the Adaptive Golf Tour, stands at 4’4” tall. He and his playing partner Sara Winter, a former Miss Canada pageant winner and now accomplished YouTube golfer were notable underdogs to their long-hitting playing competitors. Chaz and Sara would go on to win their match in remarkable fashion with Chaz sinking 50’ putts and chipping in from off the green. The improbable comeback of this duo would fuel “greatest in YouTube golf history” hype.
Future Implications: A Wake-Up Call for Pro Golf?
As the dust settles on Big Cedar’s fairways, some experts are saying that the Invitational isn’t just a one-off—it’s a harbinger of the future. These creator-led events are slashing production costs compared to a typical PGA tour event (no multimillion-dollar TV deals needed) while delivering entertainment that the PGA can’t match. The unscripted drama, relatable fails, and Gen X, Y and Z appeal are all missing from today’s televised golf. Older viewers of the Invitational might find the uncensored and crude language featured in the Invititional to be off-putting but, the alphabet viewer, Gen X, Y and Z are finding it to be show’s secret sauce. The PGA tour is already suffering from the schism in the sport that was created when wealthy Saudi backers created the upstart LIV golf tour. Now both the PGA and LIV are finding themselves threatened by this new brand of golf entertainment. Both tours have leaned into the new breed of YouTube influencers—LIV’s “The Duels” and PGA’s Creator Classic drew solid digital crowds—but viewership of those offerings lags far behind what Barstool Sports has pulled off with the Invitational’s organic virality.
The impact? Its clear that the YouTube space and events like the Invitational pose a potential erosion of the pro golf monopoly. With 5.1 million views from the Internet Invitational’s first episode already eclipsing a decade of PGA non-majors, these events could siphon younger fans in the coveted 18-34 demographic, where YouTube dominates. As we are alredy seeing this is forcing all of the golf tours to hybridize their formats. Some experts argue that the YouTube “craze” will pass, pointing out that real golf fans want to see the sport played at its highest level by its greatest players. While the skill level of many of the YouTube influencers admittedly falls short of the sport’s greatest players, other experts point out that what they offer viewers is relatability, view on-demand without commercial interuption and a more personal connection with the creators. @mygolfspy commented that those who are in the “business” of golf point out that, if it costs less, draws more, and entertains better, then the PGA had better evolve. According to golfdigest.com, one analyst opined a warning of the Invitational being a “wake-up call” for a sport clinging to tradition amid declining TV audiences. Perhaps there are signs of synergy: Creators like Good Good Golf will be sponsoring a PGA tour event in 2026 in Austin, TX. Can we expect that event to feature a blend of PGA pros with creators?
The Sponsorship Gold Rush: Brands Bet Big on Creator Chaos
One might ask if there is commercial interest in such a chaotic offering. By all measures the verdict seems to be that it’s booming. The Invitational’s key backers—Dunkin’ Donuts, BODYARMOR, Microsoft Copilot, Bass Pro Shops, and DraftKings—proved that brands can tap golf’s aspirational crowd (the 18-34 demographic) without pro-tour premiums. As televised golf’s popularity peaked post-pandemic, we now see creator deals surging. Viewership, creator revenues and the addition of more paid sponsors point toward a 30-50% year-over-year growth in this non-traditional offering. According to Golf.com, we should look for more mainstream sponsors to hop on board this train. We should expect to see energy drinks, apparel lines, and tech firms and other traditional lines of business to begin flooding future Invitational-style bashes, with purses ballooning potentially to $5 million by 2027.
The outlook is electric. As Portnoy himself tweeted, “This is golf’s future—raw, real, and raking in views.” With a sequel already teased, the Internet Invitational isn’t disrupting pro golf—it’s daring it to catch up. Fore!
