Reinventing golf for a new generation

Golf is on the verge of changing as young fans get used to consuming it as a media sensation

- Meraj Shah

It's the third day of the $2 million International Series (IS) India golf tournament and a 15-year-old amateur is on the verge of making the "cut", to earn a space amongst the top half of the field that will play the final 36 holes. "Lamb among wolves," whispers his coach, Deepinder Singh Kullar, and adds, "...but he's holding his own," as Kartik Singh launches another impeccable drive straight down the middle of the fairway. The crowd erupts in applause. Kartik goes on to make the grade—an astonishing achievement for a lad who's technically still a junior.

The DLF Golf & Country Club is Kartik's home course, and he's got plenty of support in the gallery from his peer group. There are more children and teenagers following the golf at this event than adults, shooting Instagram Reels, and doing live feeds on social media; over the next four days over 15,000 people attend the tournament. For those of us oblivious to this demographic shift in golf, the event is an eye-opener: a clear indication that golf's future is louder, younger, and unapologetically Asian. The game is reverse-ageing: a sport once synonymous with hushed country clubs now has Gen-Z's attention.

And the one player this young viewership adores is unquestionably Bryson DeChambeau. With 1.7 million followers and 270 million views on his YouTube channel, DeChambeau is credibly the most popular golfer on the planet, beaming content directly to fans who aren't interested in tuning into hours-long tournament broadcasts. Instead they tune into entertaining content like DeChambeau's viral Break 50, series in which he tries to break 50 (a never-achieved score in golf) by partnering with people from across the spectrum; one of his popular episodes features US President Donald Trump. He's not alone either: golf influencers like Paige Spiranac, Grant Horvat and Rick Shiels have millions of followers, sponsor deals, and sway that most playing professionals don't.