US golf’s top-tier PGA Tour has announced the formation of a Creator Council, formed of social media influencers and brands.
The body will be made up of 10 content creators and brands who will meet regularly with media, marketing, and communications team members from the PGA Tour to develop strategies for content development and fan engagement.
The council will include Bob Does Sports, Bryan Bros Golf, Erik Anders Lang, Fore Play/Barstool Sports, No Laying Up, Paige Spiranac, Roger Steele, and Tisha Alyn.
The PGA Tour has stated that it expects the Creator Council to address fan engagement strategies, collaborative content opportunities, PGA Tour media regulations, PGA Tour event and broadcast enhancements, and the evolution of the Creator Classic influencer golf tournament.
It is anticipated that the organization will evolve over time, in terms of its priorities and its participants.
The inaugural members will serve on the Council for one year, with new creators added in future iterations.
The Creator Council will meet for the first time in January, with subsequent monthly meetings expected. The group will also meet in person three times a year at select PGA Tour events.
Tisha Alyn has now said: “I’m so excited to be part of the PGA Tour’s Creator Council and collaborate with such a talented group of creators.
“Social media is the future of golf, and together, we’re bringing a fresh perspective that will grow the game and connect with a broader audience in exciting ways.”
Andy Weitz, PGA Tour chief marketing and communications officer, added: “The combined creative engines behind the Council and Tour will help strengthen and grow our collective relationship with the vibrant community of fans who love to engage with golf and the PGA Tour through social media.”
The founding of the Council is the latest move by the PGA Tour to connect with and use influencers - for example in March, a combination of YouTube creators and pro golfers competed in The Q at Myrtle Beach, an 18-hole qualifying event that awarded an exemption for the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic.
In August, meanwhile, a pair of influencers, Grant Horvat and Bryan Bros Golf, hosted a PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ stream for the first two days of the St. Jude Championship.
Two weeks later, the Tour launched its most significant venture with content creators, the Creator Classic, which saw 16 influencers play the back nine of East Lake Golf Club the day before the first round of the Tour Championship.
The event aired live on Golf Channel, ESPN+, Peacock and YouTube. According to a PGA Tour press release, the YouTube video has accumulated 2.5 million views, with another 2.8 million views amassed across the 16 content creators’ individual YouTube videos of the event.
