PGA Tour Faces Heat as Partnership With $45M YouTube Brand Enrages Fans: ‘Game Is Gone’

Just over a year from now, the PGA Tour is bringing something completely new to Austin, Texas: the Good Good Championship. Yes, it will be sponsored by Good Good Golf. And no, this isn’t just a side event or fun exhibition. From Nov. 9 to 15, 2026, it will take place at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course, freshly renovated by Tom Fazio, with 120 pros competing for FedExCup points. From the start, it’s clear this is a serious, fully official tournament, and fans are already talking.

So how did a YouTube channel end up running a PGA Tour event? Well, Good Good Golf started in 2020 as a small digital brand making entertaining golf content. Since then, it has exploded online nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers, 1 million Instagram followers, and 600,000 TikTok fans. Along the way, they partnered with PGA Tour players like Joel Dahmen and Beau Hossler and even aired some tournaments on Golf Channel.

And just recently, they raised $45 million in funding, led by Manhattan West Private Equity, Sunflower Bank, and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, with over 50 investors on board. In short, the brand has taken its digital fame and turned it into a real-life PGA Tour event and it’s capturing everyone’s attention.

The deal itself is significant. While financial terms weren’t disclosed, fall PGA Tour sponsorships usually run $11-$13 million annually, according to Sports Business Journal. The event will be managed by Ohio-based HNS Sports Group, and it will air on Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live from November 9-15 as part of the FedEx Cup Fall Series.

In contrast to other sponsor changes this season, such as Baycurrent Inc. taking over in Japan or Truist replacing Wells Fargo, this one feels more significant, daring, and somewhat contentious. And what now makes it more interesting is that Rory McIlroy reportedly have reservations. Fans, predictably, are split. On the one hand, many people are thrilled about the new energy. However, some people are incensed, claiming that a YouTube channel has no right to host a PGA Tour event.

Traditionalists criticize while some PGA Tour fans cheer the Good Good championship

“@PGATOUR Lost a fan today,” one viewer tweeted. Before this deal, the PGA Tour mainly focused on stroke play tournaments, with match play events like the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play being the notable exception. That tournament, held annually in Austin until 2023, featured head-to-head knockout rounds and was loved for its competitive intensity and unpredictability. In order to keep fans interested after it was discontinued, the Tour looked into new formats.

Next up was the digital brand Good Good Golf. So, another wrote, “Lose lose. A bad day for golf.” Many fans believe a social media-first sponsor lacks the history, credibility, and competitive gravitas of traditional PGA Tour events, even though the brand collaborates with pros like Joel Dahmen and Beau Hossler.

And a third added, “This is so embarrassing for the sport.” These reactions show why many traditional golf fans are skeptical. Since Brian Rolapp became PGA Tour CEO in June 2025, the Tour has been evolving. In his first 90 days, he restructured leadership and emphasized innovation, aiming to make every event more meaningful and appealing to a wider audience. Some see the Good Good Championship as part of that strategy. But not all fans are convinced.

One fan aptly expressed this worry: “I used to respect the PGA TOUR. Now it feels like it’s just a platform for influencers.” Critics worry that the event will prioritize entertainment and viral content over skill, transforming a prestigious stage into a stage for spectacle.

Another added, “The game is gone.” Critics have a real concern that the sport’s integrity and legacy may be jeopardized as it increasingly relies on entertainment-driven collaborations, and their distaste for YouTube goes beyond simple distaste. However, not every fan is angry. There are those who are truly thrilled. “That’s very cool good on ya, boys,” one fan commented. Golf’s always had this reputation for being kind of stuffy and stuck in its ways, right? But the Good Good Championship?

That’s like someone opened a window and let in some actual fresh air. They have millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, so of course, they were posting, and Gen Z is watching! For those who hardly watch golf, especially young fans, they might start to watch it as well. So yes, it’s a smart move: mixing old-school tournaments with digital chaos. Even though die-hard fans may not like it, soon they might turn to it as well!