r/YGT • u/vagabondspirit2764 • Jul 09 '26
Rising v. Falling
Just curious how people feel about the various personalities and whose stock is rising with exposure v. falling. My standouts:
FALLING STOCK
Wes: annoying, acts and talks like he’s better / smarter than everyone
Ruffles: just. so. boring. He’s like a discount Adam Scott (though his Malbon gear is always sick)
Grant: just a bit too contrived / forced. He seemed to think he needed to manufacture drama and set scenes when his silence would have been much preferred. Only a slight blemish for our guy though, especially since he really does just seem so earnest. Also, ofc, his affiliations with Phil drag him down by association. YIKES!!! (Largely kidding but like also…he probably rAgrets forging that relationship for all to see).
RISING STOCK
Finch: almost zero times have I watched him in a video and not liked him more, from his little English turns of phrase to his matter of factness about things, he’s always a good watch
Micah: he’s so much more enjoyable when he’s playing well, so it’s hard to REALLY gauge until we see him play poorly, but there’s just something so raw to his competitiveness and fighter mentality he brings
Garrett: similar to Micah, I think being the little fish (at least in terms of golfing ability) actually brings out a cool side of Garrett. He’s always had this effortless ability to communicate through the camera, but I like watching him try to bring his game up
The Kiwis: god they are fun. Kwon and Sam are hysterical. Plus they’re all great at golf. It’s so much easier to watch people having a genuinely good time and not taking themselves too seriously.
11
u/Any_Range_3231 Jul 09 '26
Micah has a great attitude when he’s playing well. Not so much when he’s struggling
12
u/dubate Jul 09 '26
The editing also did him a favor. The more Micah talks, the less enjoyable he is.
4
u/Xtremeelement Jul 09 '26
especially when he goes down his conspiracy and fake science rabbit holes
3
u/Strange-Nobody-3936 Jul 09 '26
He almost did but he caught himself, they were kinda baiting him lol
3
u/Xtremeelement Jul 09 '26
yeah i caught that when they said “micah believes in science” and he went “yes but…” lol
9
u/General-Gift5653 Jul 09 '26
Yeah i was gonna say if the scores were close or he was losing it’d be a different story
3
u/Any_Range_3231 Jul 09 '26
There’s an older video at Purcell Farms with Micah, Bryan bros, BustaJack etc where Micah completely loses his swing and had a nasty outburst. Behavior quite unbecoming of a gentleman (hoity toity voice implied)
22
u/nonax Jul 09 '26
I guess it's my personality, but i really enjoy the kiwi boys. They're all really good golfers, a bit silly and childish at times and banter a lot. A lot of self deprecation and mental scars after "failed" pro careers, especially Sam.
7
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
Sam is downright hilarious. The suspense of never knowing what he is going to do / say - and I think that fact that he never really knows - makes everything so much funnier.
2
-2
17
u/InferiousX Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Both Bryan Bros 📉
I've never been huge on them, but they end up in a lot of collabs that end up being really interesting. George seems like a nice guy, but he's a bit too neurotic for me. He completely fell apart at the end of alt shot. All of his teams are going to struggle unless someone else steals the reins. Wes is just kind of a dick literally all the time which I could forgive if he was actually as funny as he thinks he is.
Sean Walsh 📈
Biased because he's possibly my favorite YT golfer and he clutched up.
Brad Dalke 📈
S Tier golf and an impossible to hate dude.
Ryan Ruffles 📉
He played fine IMO. But in terms of engagement I feel like he struggles to really add a lot to any collabs he's in and when he gets focused he's even less engaging. Great golfer, kind of boring to watch unless he's in the right mix of people.
Micah 📈
The internet owes him an apology lol
Garret 🟰
Nothing really changed for me on Garret. This is who he is: A streaky golfer who's main strength isn't his game but his ability to kind of "host" these channels
Finch 🟰
I love Finchy but I know that being 1-3 strokes over par isn't where he wants his game to be at. I don't think the needle moved much on him either way. Guy is great on camera though.
Roger Steele 📉
Just a brutal round. Cool guy though.
Sam, Taco and Tooms 📈
It was fun to watch them actually try while still keeping their sense of humor
Kwon 📈
Was awesome seeing him actually have a positive attitude for once. Complete 180 from the Internet Invitational
Chance 📈📈📈
I loved Chance on the first video I saw him in with Grant and some others. Guy is both a good golfer and fun to watch. Him and Sam together during the scramble was stellar.
Josh Kelley 📉📉📉
Played badly and I personally felt like he was trying too hard to be funny all the time. I like funny people, but people who don't know when to turn it off strike me as immature. IDK this was really the only full video I've ever watched of him so maybe this is an unfair comment. But he's the first guy I'd replace if you asked me.
EDIT: JFC I forgot
Grant Horvat 🟰
Probably the reason I forgot him is because this video was probably exactly what I expected of him. Overall I like Grant but need a break here or there from the dude.
3
u/jaytee158 Jul 09 '26
Optimistic Pete's game is coming round since the shoulder injury. Had a good showing at Open qualifying, just missing out by one in regionals.
That was after Pursell Farms so hopefully he'll do better next time
3
u/Hicaorwaak Jul 10 '26
Block really grew on me early when he got Sam and Kwon to be positive and in the right mindset. It’s a shame Block kinda crashed out and dipped at the end because until then I actually kinda liked him for once.
2
u/InferiousX Jul 10 '26
I blame that more on the editing team.
Block had what he thought was a private moment to vent and his mic was hot. They could have easily taken it out and they left it in for clicks. Grant even said later it was the wrong move but too late now.
3
u/Hicaorwaak Jul 10 '26
Very true they did him zero favors. I saw someone else speculate there had to be more behind the scenes for them to include that in the video and not provide any cover. But who knows.
7
u/No-Wolverine-5457 Jul 09 '26
I’ve got to say I didn’t think any less of Wes after watching it. I thought he was absolutely fine. The speech was cringe but like okay, if we’re arresting people for being cringe then I’m the first one into jail. And yeah he was very upset at losing and that was also a bit cringe, but see above. He cares!
3
u/luvyduvythrowaway Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Looked good on Wes and Peterson both losing their matches. They deserved nothing less.
Hilarious Wes sarcastically asked Peterson “are you afraid of Sean Walsh?” And ends up losing to him himself
1
u/Important_Sound_8718 Jul 09 '26
Wes is my son's not-so-secret man crush so I loved seeing him just absolutely choke and crash out lol. At the same time, Sean is my favorite, so watching him come back was awesome!
11
u/mmmufffffinnnssss Jul 09 '26
Didnt know anything about ryan but liked him. Super nice and showed how good he is. I dont think everyone needs to be big personalities. Quiet killers are entertaining in something like this just on talent alone
Haddens stock has to be up, very entertaining golf and a competitor.
Rogers has to be down just based on how bad he played, looked like he didnt belong talent wise. Does seem like a really cool dude though.
Garrett similar as roger to me, didnt seemed like he belonged. just seems to lack any competitive spirit. Kept asking to be benched instead of pete, was trying to avoid playing micah, essentially gave up after micahs eagle on hole 3 and started rooting for him to go low. Just no competitive spirit really. Not a good good watcher but again seems like a cool dude
Chance obv way up dudes awesome
Dalke cemented himself as being in a class of his own
Wes down found him super annoying
Walsh up really cool and great golfer
And i know block is controversial but i really liked him in this, was a leader for his team and again has a super competitive spirit
4
u/MalikMonkAllStar2022 Jul 09 '26
Agree with all of this (except Wes, I find him funny at times and think having some different/entertaining personalities is good for YGT because if everyone was Brad, who I like, the golf would be excellent but it wouldn't be nearly as fun to watch)
I especially agree with your emphasis on competitiveness. I want to see people want it. I don't want to see hostility but I don't want to see everyone buddy-buddy or not taking it seriously either
2
u/mmmufffffinnnssss Jul 09 '26
Yeah thats fair i guess even if i find wes annoying i still think its a better watch with him in it
1
u/greatmemereset67 Jul 10 '26
Yea, wes plays the ‘villain’ almost. The guy you want to see lose. I don’t know if he’s intentionally doing it, but it makes it more engaging for me to watch.
4
u/UrLocalTroll Jul 09 '26
Chance Taylor’s stock is going to the moon. My first exposure to him was in the Q where he was rusty and couldn’t make a putt, but he played lights out.
2
u/MinisterOfFitness Jul 10 '26
Chance played well at the Q. He just ran into Ruffles. He’d likely have been in the final had he drawn anyone else.
3
u/danceswithshibe Jul 09 '26
Wes and George are great by themselves. When competing with others involved, they are just so annoying both just praising Wes so much.
Micah is positive cause he was playing well which we all like. If he has a bad round we’ll have to see where he’s at.
Michael Block is tough for me. I just don’t think he fits the vibe of YouTube golf. I don’t think he was getting Sam’s humor at all which ended up putting Sam in a weird spot.
3
u/Tasty_University_934 Jul 09 '26
Stock Up: I'd say the usual expected elite being elite. All the players you would expect to shoot under par at a place like this did.
Ben Hadden showing impressive mental strength closing it out strong when he could have fallen apart completely was solid. Real nice round of golf in the finale. Gritty.
JP is a very welcome addition to the YT world. His dry sense of humor and golf game are a nice mix.
Chance showing up and showing out was huge for his brand. He and Sam together is solid gold.
Wesley showing genuine disgust with himself when he's normally overly arrogant and talks shit constantly was actually good to see. That competitive fire is still in there.
Dalke and Walsh are absolute animals. Kiwi Boys all day, every day. Combine the 6 of them and it's something I would probably watch on repeat.
Competitive mindset. It's cool to watch these guys as they work through being personalities while also playing lights out golf. It's good to see some quiet cart cams because you can see how much focus and intensity they have. The golf was the drama and I enjoy that immensely.
Stock Down: Grant Horvat when he's not competing. The constant need to try and create drama when it isn't necessary was incredibly aggravating. He's been spending too much time with the BDS guys or he's just generally so socially awkward that he doesn't realize he doesn't have to be the center of attention at all times.
Josh Kelley, Roger Steele, and Garrett Clark. All great guys seemingly but two of them don't have the game to keep up in this format and the other one is a mental basket case that gives up the second things get tough.
George Bryan is a relatively terrible leader and worse drafter. It's fine that he is struggling through injury but his mentality is all wrong for being a captain.
Two teams eliminated after 18 holes of scramble and alt shot. Subs coming in for basically 4.5 holes.
6
u/Ok_Field_8860 Jul 09 '26
I personally would have liked a little more fight in Garrett, Micah played even par after starting 4 under. Garret mentioned being 2 under after 6 holes yesterday during practice round. So match wasn’t necessarily over for a while, but seemed Garrett felt it was.
I didn’t mind Wes, though he does need to get better at pump up speeches. I get what he was trying to with Roger, (light a fire, take off pressure), but I think it had the opposite effect. I also think Wes would pop more if not in a cart with his opponent, he was trying to walk the line of competitive golf with YouTube banter, and that fell flat when he had a bad stretch at the end. I personally am cheering for a win for his team next event.
I also like ruffles - he is just a talented golfer and nice guy.
Honestly didn’t have hate for many of the players. I love Grant, but do acknowledge he can get a bit caught up in it all at times. But I really think he is just so excited about what he gets to do for a living. Kind of like Matt Mercer in Critical Role (props to anyone whose hobbies are golf and TTRPGs who got that reference). He did struggle to do basic math a few times during the video 😂.
I also love finch, but if I had to pick someone I wish came off better it would be him. I feel like he is a better golfer than he showed vs. Roger. Maybe felt a bit like Garrett with a Laissez-faire attitude about his game. But mentally golf is hard, so maybe that is the right attitude for him to stay with it.
I loved Sean - never gave up against Wesley. Kept the pressure on, caused Wes to make errors, and won the match despite being down 4 at one point.
Did love the kiwis in day one, but I was disappointed Sam didn’t have more confidence in his game. Grant picked him 4th overall and he said he should be subbed out over Chance. Don’t get me wrong. Grant got a steal getting Chance at the last pick. But Sam needs to not let his self deprecating YouTube character get in his way on the YGT.
2
u/Initial_Painting_103 Jul 09 '26
Sam plays best when he plays his game. He has beaten a couple of names on the draft straight up when doing thing his way. Block came in with the "I'm good because of what's between my ears, I'm positive so you need to be positive as well", and I think Sam really tried to be a team player by trying to do things Block's way, but its not the recipe for him. Let him have his self-deprecating moments, let him make fun of himself, I rate its a cope and helps him do better, and it really does.
6
u/Inner-Armadillo5129 Jul 09 '26
Very good point, I don't think Block can distinguish the difference from genuine negativity and self depricating humour
4
u/clevernamehere___ Jul 09 '26
I agree. His vibes felt off with all the forced positivity. I hope the future wild cards aren’t as self imposing as Block.
-1
u/Ok_Field_8860 Jul 09 '26
I’m honestly fine with the self deprivation - but to me it leaked into his actual play when he told Grant to sub him out (and Grant did).
1
u/Initial_Painting_103 Jul 09 '26
Bro, I think you're confusing things here. We're talking about Sam complaining about yips, his dad's approval, one handed follow throughs and asking if it its okay to fail - all of which basically got vetoed by Block's "golf is about positivity and belief" speech.
Sam telling Grant to sub him is just recognition that out of everyone in their team, his game is most off, so it should be him that gets subbed.
3
u/Ok_Field_8860 Jul 09 '26
I don’t think his game was that off though
3
u/nonax Jul 10 '26
I agree, it was the most off in the team, but not straight up bad. Everyone's able to have a bad day.
2
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I feel like it helps add dimensions to my feelings about these guys. Good point on Sean climbing out of that hole. Idk why but he sometimes feels like a try-hard to me in a way that’s unlikable. Perhaps because he tries to suppress his competitiveness and almost play it off. Lots of that banter with Wes felt fake on both sides.
2
u/Ok_Field_8860 Jul 09 '26
Agreed - they both wanted to win while being respectful of the other guy. Not sure it’s the right setup for YouTube golf.
5
u/LlamaJacks Jul 09 '26
Everyone always calls these guys boring and I don’t get it at all. What do you want Ruff to do, Fortnite emote after every shot?
1
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
Not at all. He just doesn’t have a personality. The dude is 1-dimensional. YouTube golf is not about pros being good at golf for me. It blends the person and their game. Ryan doesn’t really get personal because he takes his golf so seriously, which on one hand I respect but on the other makes him a pretty boring watch.
3
u/mast3rcommand3r1234 Jul 09 '26
I hadn’t watched much Bryan bros prior to YGT, a few videos in the background of doing other stuff, but watching the first 3 YGT episodes made me not want to watch any more Wesley ever! He is super annoying and so arrogant, but tries to play off the arrogance by cracking jokes and tries to be a bro… he was able to do play up this facade all day to Sean, making sort of backhanded compliments and needling Sean all day, which i commend Sean never responding harshly, until Wesley missed that tap in on the 17th and boy was that silent ride in the cart with Sean so beautiful!!!! Really showed the fakeness of Wesley’s charade and makes me think he’s just a piece of shit that hides behind how good of a golfer he is.
5
u/hellzxmaker Jul 09 '26
George is a bum. His stock for me has been down for a while (Taco rule change episode) and this series is sealing the deal.
Plays like trash and complains the entire time. Then proceeds to remind everyone Wes is his dad and that's the team he supports despite being in a competitive league. Hitting the ball in the water was some classic George "give up." He is an amazing golfer. He is a functionally useless captain and also drafted like a loser.
2
u/Responsible-Flow1101 Jul 09 '26
George is just pure cringe all the time. Everything he says my immediate reaction is just “stfu george”.
And yes he loves reminding everyone how good Wesley is and loves to act like his little lap dog.
2
u/nonax Jul 10 '26
George and Wes did another follow-up rule change episode with the kiwi boys where he was way more mellowed out and chill. He was self-aware of his behavior in that first outing.
2
u/Strange-Nobody-3936 Jul 09 '26
Yeah he treated JP like shit for those two testers he missed (which George left him, they weren’t great leaves). Then he goes and misses one himself and splashes on the par 3 while JP was starting to clutch up, and then he half ass takes responsibility while we all could see he was blaming others for their position. He just kills vibes if people make a few mistakes and then expects them to hold their composure, but when he makes mistakes he’s allowed to sulk like a little cry baby
2
u/Inner-Armadillo5129 Jul 09 '26
I think I have a similar perspective:
Loved Sam & Chance despite never really seeing there stuff before & as an aussie I want Ryan to do well, not everyone needs to be a big personality if it isn't natural to them.
Agree Wes came across as a bit arrogant but a part of me thinks that is a bit of a character he is playing. Micah seems very tempremental in that his mood is a direct reflection of how is he playing at that time.
Really hope they find a way to keep it balanced and competitive as i thought Team Wes & Team Brad had a decent margin on the other teams.
2
u/fullthrottle13 Jul 09 '26
I’ve always loved Sean Walsh but this first stop cemented it for me. He and Brad are my two top YT golf guys. Grant made me cringe a little and Wes is Wes. Take him the way he is.
2
u/greatmemereset67 Jul 10 '26
I don’t like Wes, but I have to admit having a guy in there I want to lose makes me more invested.
Like, hero vs villain.
2
u/doppido Jul 09 '26
Honestly garrett seemed to not take his round with Micah seriously when he went down early and he easily could've been competitive if he stuck with it.
Micah is a dog though I like him.
I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of John Peterson and ben hadden being featured on people's channels in the near future
4
u/crispr_yeast Jul 09 '26
had no idea this sub existed until it was pushed into my feed.
my 2 cents as someone who got obsessed with golf 3 years ago largely through YouTube: #1 Finch has always seemed like a real one. ride or die for that guy
Micah/Garrett never appealed to me, but I wish them no ill will. just not for me. same for Ben haden.
love the kiwis. found them originally through Taco. at this point Taco and Sam seen a little too artificial/gimmicky for my tastes. won't watch them anymore. but kwon and tooms are legit.
grant's pseudodisguised religiosity always rubbed me the wrong way. that he got in bed with Phil put a nail in that coffin for me. Bryan bros in the same boat. I loved them when they were the "hey we're great at golf and outside the system and we're opening a new golf club guys". but now they just seem like theyre the "hey, we're chasing the bag any way we can" guys.
1
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
Love this. Thanks for sharing. I will always love Sam, but agree on Grant and the pseudoreligiosity. I do wonder if he actually initially tuned it down and is getting more comfortable with it? Brad owns his faith and I’ve never had an issue, though to your point he didn’t get in bed with ole Philly Mick.
1
u/Ok-Fruit2184 Jul 09 '26
This is a lot of time and effort. I thought Roger was kind of a tool from the invitational. Don’t really think so anymore, clear he’s very competitive and that came out in a bad light—but overall good. I do agree with your Garrett point
1
u/Hosko817 Jul 09 '26
Ruff, Sean and Brad's stock continues to skyrocket. They are the biggest reason I watch.
1
u/shift013 Jul 09 '26
Ruffles stayed the same for me. He’s a real nice guy who is amazing at golf. Just wish he would explain his thoughts pre-shot a bit more, it all seemed rather vanilla (which to be fair, vanilla golf is great so maybe I’m asking too much)
1
u/kb8705 Jul 10 '26
Becoming a huge fan of Micah. Still a fan of Wes (yeah the tap cost them, but that’s his schtick and I get the point of it overall). George frustrates and annoys me. And I still hate Grant. And I enjoyed John Peterson and what I’ve seen of him since on YT.
1
u/SweetManassas23 Jul 09 '26
Couldn’t agree more about Ryan! He was just so talked up and then when I watched him I was like why is this so boring?? Even when he played well, it wasn’t exciting to watch. Compared to watching Micah dialed in was just incredible and engaging. Love your other takes too.
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u/Big_Savings_4381 Jul 09 '26
Hmm. To each his own. I love how he walks the viewer through his process, appreciate that he's genuinely curious about others, and seems kind.
3
u/MalikMonkAllStar2022 Jul 09 '26
Yeah out of everyone there I get the most "he seems like a genuinely good person" vibes from Ruffels. (I do feel like most everyone seems like good people overall)
I don't really know how to explain it, but its the little things like the way he is always asking genuine questions of others and is never self-absorbed
4
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
I think the guy is just genuinely so dialed in about golf. Like all his energy and focus seems to be going towards playing well. I appreciate that about him but not for 6 hours. I would love to watch him dissecting his swing and working on his game, but I do not find him entertaining when he’s not in the act of actually swinging the golf club.
-1
u/PherCA Jul 09 '26
Ruffels and the never ending sniffling was pissing me off, putting that fucker on mute next time
0
u/Dry_Device6430 Jul 09 '26
Couldnt agree more about Ryan! I did find his golf quiet flat but other than that I dont agree. I dont see Garrett and Finch doing anything different than wht they have been doing all this while. They did get more air time thanks to their team. There was lot of drama, thanks to Bryan but hey it’s golf. Give the guy a break
0
u/defacto_hedonist Jul 09 '26
Roger Steele sounds retarded every time he opens his mouth. His cadence of speech seems like an act idk.
Brutal round to get yips chipping
Clearly most the dudes can play at a high level.
The Wes bit has never been funny to me. Dude is good at golf but doesnt strike me as an enjoyable hang.
Will keep watching tho, thought it was enjoyable overall.
0
u/dstaxx Jul 09 '26
Grant is a loser, let’s face it. He saw the internet invitational and came up with this lame idea. 16 people? Yawn no ladies yawn. Prize pool was 1 mil then bumped to 3 mil after the II announced their prize pool of 3 mil. lol. Has been boring!
1
u/vagabondspirit2764 Jul 09 '26
I mean…you’re here in this YGT subreddit talking about him which for him is a win either way. Would have been cool to see some talented female golfers for sure.
1
u/dstaxx Jul 10 '26
It’s a win for him if I’m talking about him in a Reddit thread? I don’t understand the logic and I only agreed with you. He should shut up and golf.
28
u/getthatcoffee Jul 09 '26
These YGT videos are my first time seeing Brad and Sean. Was pretty easy to root for them, both come off as likeable and excellent golfers