by Neatly shaven with trousers cuffed just above his ankles, he stands tall on an island where champions are crowned, carefully wielding his extended mallet as ripples of watery fates pass by and onlookers oversee his every move with smartphones at the ready. For hours, nothing but Hollywood flashed across his face. Now, Grant Horvat towers over an opportunity. Ten experienced men and women entered the cauldron, yet only he has a chance at glory.
On Wednesday evening, the competition at TPC Sawgrass was labeled an exhibition, and yet the stakes were anything but. Into the arena stepped an array of golfers for whom the on-camera experience is familiar, an internet home for their hopes and dreams. Still, for most in the field, the situation in front of them wasn’t foreign. The second edition of the Creator Classic has them standing on the 10th tee at Pete Dye’s Stadium Course mere hours before the world’s best walk the same grounds in hopes of achieving a similar fame. And while the winner’s purse isn’t millions of dollars and they won’t be leaving a club in the champion’s hallway showcase, two things even more precious are on the line: pride and reputation. The proceedings kicked off with the longest of them all, a man known for making a mockery of golf courses with his prodigious length and lion-like mane. Kyle Berkshire’s six iron sores into the air with the speed of a peregrine falcon, diving left and ultimately settling in the woods, safe from any would-be predators.
The Creator Classic had begun. And create they did.
Following in Berkshire’s wake were nine other contenders, among them the Bryan Brothers, Gabby GolfGirl (one word), men only known by the aliases Fat Perez and Soly, the ever-present Tisha Alyn, the booming voice of the SoFi Dome Roger Steele, and Trent Ryan, a man who emerged out of the Iowa cornfields and conquered a four-man qualifier to earn his place. Split into three packs and accompanied by media personalities in tow, the 10 competitors set out on the inward nine of the vaunted Stadium Course with an audience ready to bellow and roar with all their might, much like those who filed into the Roman Colosseum in its day.
One by one, the weak links made their early exits. Barstool Trent was the first to depart. And while many would Irish exit on their way to the door, that’s not the Ryan way. His fall off said stool rang throughout the crowd, a clamoring thud as his scorecard painted the night red. Despite a practice shot on the 16th tee in preparation for the final boss, Ryan found the water surrounding the island green 17th four times, tapping in for an 11 to round out his day. This after digging a hole on the par-5 16th so deep that Bugs Bunny would have been proud. Yet, the battered and beaten Ryan received some of the biggest roars of the night. A man of the people, as they say.
Barstool Trent's four water balls on No. 17
Behind Ryan, crowds picked their jaws off the turf as they watched PGA Tour member and Creator Classic favorite Wesley Bryan weave his way around Pete Dye’s house of horrors. The former Tour winner was out of contention well before reaching the home stretch, a performance reminiscent of Esteban Ocon, not the most talented player on the course. He was joined by Alyn, Berkshire, and, eventually, by GolfGirl. In his better-than-most moment, Mr. Perez Euro-stepped his way ahead of that pack, ultimately finishing within shouting distance of the real contenders.
The efforts of the others were not forgotten; just four remained in the contest with a chance at the ultimate prize. Cruising into the three-man playoff was the mustachioed George Bryan IV, the younger brother of House Bryan, and the man whose smile literally lights up every room he’s in, Grant Horvat. That left one playoff entry and two men, Soly and Roger Steele. Steele found himself two down with three to play, but he’s never been one to take defeat lying down. Birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, including a harrowing metal wood into the devilish 16th, left the duo level as they stood on the 17th tee. A miss to the back of the green by Steele left the door open for Soly Solomon, who stood over his wedge, so nervous he couldn’t even spit. The ball sailed toward the island, his club twirled into the holster, and when both settled, Soly had all but sealed his place in the playoff. A three-putt from Steele confirmed his fate, and our playoff triumvirate headed back to the 17th tee.
While Soly, Horvat, and George Bryan all play a lot of golf on YouTube, their experiences in the game are vastly different. Mr. Soly started a podcast and Twitter account with college buddies before rising to fame and fortune (albeit his most recent tape includes a heartbreaking 86). Bryan is arguably the grandfather of YouTube golf, having turned to the platform way back in the 2010s. While disappointment at the 2019 Thoroughbred, a Fried Egg Golf event at Bryan IV’s home course Aiken Golf Club, certainly left him searching, he has found his way to stardom and recently purchased his own course with younger brother Wesley, an expansion of their kingdom. And much like Bane, Horvat didn’t just jump into YouTube Golf, he was born into it, molded by it, and ultimately has become the thumbnail all YouTubers would kill to be pictured beside, including a left-handed, six-time major champion. Pasts aside, the three men entered the final challenge with just 140 yards standing between them and greatness.
The champion
Up first went Soly, who safely found the putting surface high atop the back tier, setting up a difficult two. Horvat found the proper level and would have the easier of the two putts, and it looked as if all three men would be putting for birdie as Bryan’s approach hit the surface. But as Bryan’s ball spun down the hill and toward the collar of the 17th green, it became clear that the speed was too much, and a watery grave would be its final resting place. One on one, Solomon tried to walk in his birdie look but had to instead raise his head toward the sky as his attempt raced by. Armed with his blade (collar) and leaving space for the Holy Spirit between his chest and the butt of his putter, Horvat took a final look at the hole, heart pounding. Back and through, the ball rolled end over end as the crowd held its breath. As it curled to the bottom, Horvat’s million-watt smile revealed itself yet again as he became champion of the 2025 Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass.
The fierce competition complete, the players gathered for one last celebration of the journey that brought them there. Because the real Creator Classic isn’t a competition, it’s the fans whose lives you touch along the way.
