Luke Kwon Finishes Top Of The Golf Influencers With Victory At Inaugural PGA Tour Creator Classic
The YouTube star saw off Wesley Bryan, Sean Walsh and Roger Steele to claim the trophy after an eventful inaugural tournament on the back nine at East Lake
The inaugural Creator Classic, featuring 16 golf influencers, has ended with Luke Kwon taking the title at East Lake.
The tournament was played over the back nine at the venue for the Tour Championship, with personalities including the Bryan Bros, Good Good members Garrett Clark, Brad Dalke and Sean Walsh, and Paige Spiranac in the field.
The players teed it up in four groups of four for eight holes of strokeplay, with the top four sure of progressing to a one-hole playoff.
Wesley and George Bryan, Tyler Toney and Gabby DeGasperis, aka 'Gabby Golfgirl,' were the first to test their abilities on the newly restored course. However, while they all made steady starts, Garrett Clark, a player in the second group to go out, set the early pace with a birdie on the 10th.
Birdie on No. 1 for @GM__Golf 👏He leads the Creator Classic. pic.twitter.com/wVT9F73TiGAugust 28, 2024
Soon, Clark fell back into the pack, and at the 12th (his third), Wesley Bryan took advantage with his first birdie of the day to move into a one-shot lead over brother George, Brad Dalke, Roger Steele and Sean Walsh.
Bryan had an eagle chance to go three-under on the par 5 13th as he found the green with his second shot. His 35-foot putt looked promising, but it fell short, leaving him to tap-in for birdie and move to two-under, one ahead of Steele.
Immediately afterwards, DeGasperis had her own eagle chance but, like Bryan, settled for birdie to move to one over.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
All the while, at the other end of the leaderboard, Tyler Toney’s struggles with the rough had left him at five-over by the fifth hole. He would eventually finish bottom of the leaderboard on 10-over.
Back on the 12th, Luke Kwon moved within two of the lead with his second birdie in succession to remain in contention. Then, on 13, Amiee Cho moved level with Steele at one-under with a beautiful chip-in for birdie.
Buckets! @GolfWithAimee chips in for birdie at The Creator Classic 💪 pic.twitter.com/X8sJGsYEFtAugust 28, 2024
At the same hole, Steele had a birdie putt to draw level with Bryan, but his effort lipped out to leave him one off the lead. That was quickly followed by a successful Walsh birdie putt as he joined Cho and Steele in a tie for second. Soon after, on the 14th, Dalke made a birdie to join the group.
Dalke then had a birdie putt to move level with Bryan on the island green 15th, but it drifted just right as he remained in the chasing pack. Bryan nearly dropped back with them on the 16th, but he came up clutch to save par, while back on the 14th, Micah Morris also moved to one-under with a birdie.
On the 17th, a wonderful second shot from Wesley Bryan almost moved him to four-under for eagle, but it missed by inches. He then missed his birdie putt to finish the strokeplay section on two-under, but more than enough to reach the playoff.
Peter Finch was looking to become one of the other three to make the extra hole. He'd been solid throughout to move to one-under, and he made a crucial par putt on the 15th to remain in the running.
Roger Steele then produced the moment of the tournament with a superb 55-foot birdie putt on the 16th to tie the lead. Meanwhile, dragging himself into contention at one-under was Kwon, with three birdies in five holes. Finch then fell back to even with a bogey on the 16th, while Steele finished his strokeplay section with a bogey to move back to one-under.
For birdie from 55 FEET! @RogerSteeleJr drains it to tie the lead at The Creator Classic 💪 pic.twitter.com/MEoAA4Y5f3August 28, 2024
With the final group about to tee it up on the 17th, Bryan, Steele, Walsh and Kwon held the four playoff spots, with only Kwon of the four yet to finish. In the end, he faced a nine-foot putt to make par and reach the playoff - he holed it.
With Bryan, Steele, Walsh and Kwon in the playoff, Bryan's tee shot at the 18th found the 10th fairway (which wasn't declared internal out of bounds for the event, unlike the Tour Championship). Walsh and Kwon followed suit, while only Steele decided to reach for the 18th fairway.
With his second shot from the rough to the left of the fairway, Steele stayed out of trouble with the newly extended lake to the right, as the others headed back towards the 18th green from the 10th fairway.
Steele then agonizingly rolled back off the green with his third, Bryan left himself a long putt for birdie, Walsh putted onto the green to leave himself a similar distance and Kwon hit his wedge shot to around six feet.
A delicate chip brought Steele to within a foot for his par, but it ultimately wasn't enough. Walsh left his birdie putt inches short and made par, Bryan missed his birdie putt left for the same result, but Kwon made no mistake to take the honors and become the first winner of an enthralling Creator Classic.
The putt that won The Creator Classic for @LKwonGolf 🏆(Presented by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/pPVKGrKQTLAugust 29, 2024
Creator Classic Final Leaderboard
- 1 Wesley Bryan -2
- T2 Roger Steele -1
- T2 Sean Walsh -1
- T2 Luke Kwon -1 (winner of playoff)
- T5 Brad Dalke - E
- T5 Micah Morris - E
- T5 Peter Finch - E
- 8 George Bryan +1
- 9 Paige Spiranac +2
- 10 Gabby DeGasperis +3
- T11 Mason Nutt +4
- T11 Aimee Cho +4
- 13 Fat Perez +5
- 14 Garrett Clark +6
- 15 Mac Boucher +7
- 16 Tyler Toney +10
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Arron Oberholser Facts: 15 Things To Know About The PGA Tour-Winning Golf Channel Broadcaster
Arron Oberholser left his PGA Tour career behind to take up life as a Golf Channel broadcaster in 2013 – here are 15 things to know about him
By Mike Hall Published
-
LPGA Tour Announces 2025 Schedule
The 2025 LPGA Tour season will have two new events including a visit to Mexico, while the biennial International Crown returns
By Mike Hall Published
-
Hero Who Tried To Save Brian Harman's Son From Drowning In Coma As Open Champion Asks For Prayers Ahead Of RSM Classic
The incident occurred at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida in October while Harman was away from his family competing on the Asian Tour
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
5 Big Things To Know About The New PGA Tour Changes
The PGA Tour Policy Board and Player Advisory Council have signed off on a number of changes which will come into effect as early as January 2025
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'Why Are We Making This So Hard?' - Hunter Mahan Says One Simple Change Would Help PGA Tour Promote More Leading Young Talent
While the PGA Tour U Rankings help one college golfer each season earn a direct path to the top table, Mahan does not believe it goes far enough...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
RSM Classic Prize Money Payout 2024
Ludvig Aberg defends his RSM Classic title as the PGA Tour season concludes at Sea Island Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
How All 10 DP World Tour Graduates Fared In The 2024 PGA Tour Season
Robert MacIntyre won twice while Matthieu Pavon also earned a big tournament victory...
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Just Days After The Birth Of His First Child... Rafael Campos Is A PGA Tour Winner
Campos became only the second Puerto Rican to win on the PGA Tour days after becoming a father for the first time
By Mike Hall Published
-
Sahith Theegala Gifts Caddie $50,000 Watch After Best Season To Date
After finishing third in the FedEx Cup standings, Theegala gifted a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch to his caddie, who has been with him since his rookie season
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Report: PGA Tour Player Disqualified After Being 'Not In Place To Play' At Bermuda Championship
Raul Pereda was disqualified from the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Saturday morning, reportedly due to the 28-year-old not being in place to play
By Matt Cradock Published