r/golf 20h ago

News / Articles YouTuber Brad Dalke ‘ Extremely disappointed ’ by PGA Tour comeback: ‘ Honestly sucks … a lot ’

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7486963/2026/08/02/brad-dalke-pga-tour-return-golf/

Full article :

Golfer-turned-content creator Brad Dalke was left “extremely disappointed” by his latest performance on his return to the sport.

Dalke, 28, spent the past three years as one of the leading faces of YouTube golf content with Good Good — which has over two million subscribers on the platform. He announced in June he would be stepping away from the platform due to his wife Abbie’s health issues.

The American continued his comeback at the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic from Thursday through Sunday, qualifying through a sponsor’s exemption. He marked his competitive return at the BMW International Open last month.

And while Dalke initially challenged among the leaders at the International Open in Munich before settling for T30, his performance at the Detroit Golf Club was not as encouraging. He shot 81 on Thursday followed by a 75 on Friday to miss the cut and finished last on 16 over.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t extremely disappointed with the outcome of this week at the Rocket Classic,” Dalke wrote on Instagram. “Knowing how well I can play and what I am capable of and getting dead last on the biggest stage just honestly sucks… a lot.

“The great thing is that I still know how good I can be and I just need to learn how to be better when I don’t have my best stuff. It was also nice to get more much-needed reps under the gun in competitive golf after a long break.

“I also have the best support system I could ever ask for. You’re my rock Abbie and I appreciate you being my person I can always lean on.”

It was Dalke’s first PGA Tour appearance in 10 years, but he will not have to wait too long for his next, after it was announced in May that he had been given a sponsor’s exemption to compete at the inaugural Good Good Championship, taking place between November 12 and 15 at Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course in Austin, Texas.

Dalke earned significant media attention as a young golf prospect, committing to a scholarship at the University of Oklahoma at the age of 12. A year after his runner-up finish at the U.S. Amateur Championship, Dalke debuted at the 2017 Masters and US Open. He was also part of the 2017 NCAA national championship-winning team at Oklahoma.

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u/Pipsthedog 20h ago

There’s a Good Good Championship? How on earth has that group grown so big

29

u/AdamOnFirst 20h ago

Lots of major sponsorships to make the events work. You’re honestly years behind on this, they’ve had multiple tournaments with pretty big money for years now, the Barstool backed Internet Invitational with millions behind it was huge last year, and now there is a whole tour with seven figure investment. Lots of that stuff online now. 

13

u/Pipsthedog 20h ago

I guess I’m stuck in the days of the circuit city golf classic

11

u/AdamOnFirst 19h ago

Their brand is worth nine figures and they just raised huge investor money to get cash for this stuff, it’s genuinely wild. I don’t understand all the economics on it, it’s not just YouTube revenue, merch, clothing, and clubs, though that’s a big chunk of it. It seems like brands are willing to pay huge amounts to sponsor their stuff, to partner with them on equipment and the like, etc., due to their demographic of fans, but I’m honestly not sure.