Getting Hip: PGA Tour Opening Up Qualifier For YouTube Golfers

The PGA Tour is set to embrace the world of YouTube golf.

In an unusual move for the usually staid organization, the tour announced on Friday that it's putting together a one-day qualifying tournament on March 4, with a spot in a brand new PGA event on the line. According to the press release, the event will be called "The Q at Myrtle Beach," featuring 16 players competing over 18 holes at TPC Myrtle Beach.

The winner will receive an automatic berth in the Myrtle Beach Classic, a new tour stop at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club set to tee off in May. Not all of the 16 players are active on YouTube, and all of the competitors "meet PGA Tour Tournament Regulations for sponsor exemptions, requiring a USGA handicap of 0.0 or better," the release explains.

The YouTubers invited to the qualifier include Grant Horvat, Micah Morris, Luke Kwon from Good Good Golf, Dan Rapaport from Barstool Sports, Nick Stubbe aka Fat Perez of Bob Does Sports, one of the BustaJack group, George Bryan from the Bryan Bros, and Peter Finch, who's based in the UK.

Fat Perez hits a shot during the WHOOP Shot at Glory on the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale on Feb. 7.

PGA Tour Giving Opportunities To Popular Personalities

The event will be private, with a "90-minute video" set to be released on the Play Golf Myrtle Beach YouTube page in April. Each of the content creators will have their own videos shot during the experience and how the tournament unfolds.

It's nice to see the PGA Tour embracing something outside of its wheelhouse, especially as the YouTube golf world continues its explosive growth. In fact, it's likely that the combined viewership of the content creators involved in the qualifier handily exceeds that of the PGA tournaments during most weeks.

Especially with Tiger Woods withdrawing from tournaments.

READ: Tiger Woods Withdraws From Genesis With Illness, Paramedics Called?

NBC also just partnered with Good Good Golf for a live event called the Desert Open, which streamed on YouTube and on Peacock. With huge viewership and a dedicated fanbase, traditional distribution networks are picking up on the massive audience these types of individuals can bring.

Though with tough competition that includes a number of college golfers and those with experience on the Korn Ferry Tour, there's no guarantee any of them make it through to the actual event. Either way, it'll be must-see TV, err, YouTube TV.