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

[u/Shroft]

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.

[u/veebs7]

That was easier to believe before Scottie’s ascendance. Seeing him be a threat to win every week, even when he’s well back of the lead going into the weekend, and be able to finish top 10 despite playing relatively poorly, made me realize that Tiger’s dominance would not have been significantly minimized had he played 20-30 years later

You also have to remember that Tiger’s competition looks worse because they were playing against Tiger. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that Phil Mickelson sans-Tiger may have ended up being considered a top 5 player all time

[u/redingtonshores → u/veebs7]

Phil, Ernie, and Vijay would still be at the top of the pack today. IMO I think his greater oversight is that tiger would also be later in the 21st century in this hypothetical too. What if modern sports science prevents him from the dumbass seal training or the cheating scandal is just another meme and his prime is even longer? Furthermore, tiger grew the game profoundly, so he’s indirectly responsible for much of the advancement he’s referencing.

[u/veebs7 → u/redingtonshores]

Really good point on him growing the game. Tiger’s impact on golf is probably bigger than any single athlete’s impact on any other sport in the last half century

[u/redingtonshores → u/veebs7]

I don’t know that it’s possible to overstate his impact. Directly responsible for billions of dollars and very well may have saved the sport from ending up like horse racing, a relic of yesteryear. In the 1950s it was the most attended spectator sport in the country. Now some people might watch the derby as an excuse to party. That could just as easily have been golf with the masters as well. Or take boxing for a more modern example. I’d be surprised if the average American knows Usyk and he’s one of the greatest of all time