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Peebles head pro Steve Johnston has predicted a bright future for the YouTube Golf Day after competing in the inaugural tournament earlier this week.
The event, which took place at Formby Hall in Lancashire, was organised by PGA pro and hugely popular golf YouTuber Rick Shiels.
The first-of-its-kind event saw 44 of golf’s most popular digital content creators – who have a combined 19million followers – do battle alongside amateurs who applied to be part of the day through a Facebook poll. The event raised over £15,000 for Prostate Cancer UK in the process.
Johnston, whose own YouTube channel has over 16,500 subscribers, took part alongside Shiels and the likes of Me & My Golf, Peter Finch, Erik Anders Lang, Seb Carmichael-Brown and What’s Inside. Two-time LET winner Carly Booth, former Westlife singer Brian McFadden and Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle also featured.
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“It was so much better than I expected it to be,” said Johnston, a long-standing member of the bunkered Tuition Panel. “Every big name in YouTube golf was there and the set-up was superb.”
A crowd of around 400 turned out to watch Mike Dawson (pictured above with Shiels) take the title, with a series of other challenges taking place throughout the day.
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They included the Phil Mickelson Flop Shot Challenge, where players were required to stand three feet from a life-size cardboard cut-out of the five-time major winner and flop the ball over his head. Titleist also sponsored the long drive competition, with BMW putting up a new car as a hole-in-one prize.
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Plans are already afoot to stage the day again next year, with Johnston keen to be involved.
“The event can only grow and get better over the years with more golf creators eager to be a part of it and to raise even more money for charity,” he added.
“Golf channels on YouTube are only going from strength to strength. As long as you keep putting up fresh and new content you will keep gaining followers, as video is much more interactive and engaging. It’s the best way to learn.”
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