YouTube star Brad Dalke says he’s thrilled with the level of support he received during his debut DP World Tour.
Dahlke, 28, was two shots behind the leader heading into the third round of the BMW International Open but posted a three-over 75 on Saturday in Munich to leave him seven strokes behind joint leaders Michael Hollick and Bernd Wiesberger, who are at 13 under.
Despite his struggles, the American, who played against the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland during his college days and now has an army of fans for his online golf content, amassed a sizable gallery and rewarded them with his second birdie of the day on the 18th hole.
“It was fun to make the birdie last before the crowd. I think it’s crazy knowing that I’ve never played a DP World Tour event and I might have the biggest group (of fans) and the biggest following.
“Big greetings to the fans. Golf is booming on YouTube and it shows in crowds like these. I’ll try to finish strong.”
Dalke competed at a world-class tournament for the first time since 2020 thanks to a sponsor release this week.
He was once an accomplished junior and amateur player, winning the Junior PGA Championship in 2015 and finishing runner-up at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship.
He also helped Oklahoma win the NCAA Championship in 2017 and played in the Masters and U.S. Open that year.
Things didn’t go according to plan for Dalke after he turned pro in 2019.
He suffered from well-documented driving problems, and when he ran out of sponsors, money and some love for the game, he turned to golf on YouTube, became part of the Good Good group, and learned “how to enjoy golf again.”
Last week he announced he was leaving the channel, which now has 2.1 million subscribers, to focus on supporting his wife through some health issues.
“Before I started YouTube, I was struggling and at times I really didn’t like golf and put a lot of pressure on myself. Now I just enjoy it,” he added.
“There are some really good golfers on YouTube golf. “I think we’re starting to show that with my performance here, Ryan Ruffels (who finished tied for 45th at the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic in May) a couple of months ago.”