Rory McIlroy has shared his thoughts on the YouTube golf scene (Image: Getty / bobdoessports)
has started a war of words with the YouTube golf scene, insisting he doesn’t pay much attention to it. The Northern Irishman was speaking ahead of a Players Championship event in Florida.
McIlroy has entered his 11th year without a major – something he’ll look to put right throughout the 2025 season. Heartbreak from last year’s U.S Open final round will no doubt still haunt McIlroy, who last tasted major championship glory in 2014.
However, McIlroy, alongside fellow PGA Tour ace Tiger Woods, has been busy with the launch of TGL Golf – a new team-based simulation golf tournament, which has grown in popularity following its arrival last month. It’s reimagined the sport and brought it into the digital age, with matches taking place in one specially designed arena.
TGL Golf has also helped market the sport towards younger generations, but McIlroy has insisted on keeping a degree of separation between his new venture and social media golf tournaments like the Creators Classic.
When asked if he watches any YouTube golfers, he replied: “Not really. I’m not of that generation. I’d much rather watch pure competitive — I’d much rather watch this golf tournament on Saturday and Sunday than watch YouTube golf.
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“I’m happy for the people that enjoy it, but I enjoy something else… It’s important for them, that’s good. Again, I don’t feel like I’m of the generation, but I can obviously see the intrigue and the — look, I think it’s cool for some people, but I don’t think it’s quite for my generation.”
In the traditional golf world at least, McIlroy is still considered among the biggest names in the sport. However, his comments didn’t go down well with one of the stalwarts of the YouTube golf scene, Robby Berger.
Adresssing the McIlroy comments, the frontman of YouTube channel Bob Does Sports, which boasts over 900,000 subscribers on YouTube, said: “You don’t think that YouTube is competitive enough, Rory? Try being the first out of 10 in a 10-man scramble.
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“Lot of responsibility to show the nine guys behind me whether that putt’s going to break right to left, or left to right. You bite your tongue, McIlroy. Try being eight Fireball shots deep trying to hit a 45-footer while the whole world of YouTube is relying on you, even though you know deep in your soul every single person watching that video knows damn well I ain’t making it.
“I had to watch my co-worker, Fat Perez, be eight Boston cream donuts deep trying to attack a flagstick from 175 yards out. The guy could barely make it to his backside, had to swing it like [Tony] Finau in order just to get through the ball. Sorry, Perez, but that was a tough day.”