The past week on YouTube golf has been centered around the Internet Invitational, a six-episode series featuring 48 of the most popular golf personalities on YouTube.
The tournament, run by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports, is off to a rousing start as more than five million viewers tuned in for the first episode. The second and third episodes have been released as buzz around the event is strong.
A defining part of that buzz centered around Luke Kwon, the ex-Good Good member who now has his own channel.
Kwon, a good player who has toiled on the Asian Tour, slept in past his 9:30 a.m. tee time during the first episode of the Internet Invitational. By the time he showed up for his two-man scramble match, he was assessed a four-hole penalty that doomed any possibility of a comeback in the nine-hole match.
The format for the first part of the event was two teams of 24 battling it out so Kwon’s mistake ended up being a big blow to his side’s chances. He was arguably the best player on his team and many assumed he would cruise to victory, even with high-handicap partner, PFT Commenter of Pardon My Take fame.
Instead, the Purple team trailed 8-4 in the morning session and watched their afternoon comeback bid fall just short. Kwon won his afternoon match alongside famous NFL coach Jon Gruden, but it was too little, too late.
Kwon showing up late to his tee time was just one part of the issue. Had he profusely apologized for the error (who shows up late for a 9:30 a.m. tee time when you are sleeping in a cabin 100 yards from the first tee?), it likely would have been diffused the situation.
The much bigger problem YouTube golf fans had was that many felt Kwon seemed unapologetic and brash to the point of disrespecting PFT—someone who is highly celebrated in the sports entertainment world—and his other teammates.
This included the day before the match when Kwon insinuated PFT wouldn’t even have to play since they would be using all of Kwon’s shots. It continued when Kwon showed up late the following day and appeared to be making fun of his partner’s game.
A few teammates, like Ryan Whitney of Spittin Chiclets, let Kwon have it.
The reaction has been heated
Rarely, if ever, have we seen a reaction like this in the YouTube golf space.
There has been near unanimous agreement that Kwon was a total idiot, both for sleeping in and following it up with a dismissive attitude. He’s not quite on Brian Kelly level—the former LSU football coach is universally loathed in a way that might bring America back together—but Kwon has been taking attacks from all angles since the video aired last week.
This all led to Kwon finally addressing the situation this week on his own channel, talking for a full 18 minutes about how sorry he was to sleep in and not apologize. He said the chirping towards PFT was normal banter he would have with his buddies.
Should Kwon be the most hated guy on YouTube golf?
It’s totally inexcusable for a grown-ass man to sleep through a 9:30 a.m. tee time and it’s even more inexcusable to be a dick to your own teammate once you do show up.
Even in his apology video, Kwon acts like he is above YouTube golf. This was an event with $1.7 million in purse money so I’m not sure why he feels like it was such a throwaway.
Kwon’s personality is nonchalant and cocky, so that’s just part of his brand. It went a little too far this time, though.
Some will say this was all staged. Maybe it was, but I don’t think Kwon would sign up for everyone hating him like this. It’s not great business for his own channel.
With all of this being said, the Kwon hate has jumped the shark. The message has been received and I’m guessing he feels terrible about what went down.
There are other people in the video who come off just as cocky as Kwon. Roger Steele and DOD King are two examples. I’m not sure why they are getting a free pass for being so brash.
Ultimately, YouTube golf has a reality TV element to it where people are watching if they have some emotional response to characters. This is all a show and an entertaining one at that.
Should Luke Kwon be the biggest villain in the YouTube golf world? Is it someone else?
Let me know below in the comments.
Josh Saskiw
8 months ago
Should he have slept in? No. Should he have been more apologetic in the aftermath? Of course. To be as negative towards the guy as this article is, is kind of crazy to me. Portnoy saw an opportunity to milk every ounce of content out of a guy JUST missing the tee time (PFT was still playing out hole 1 when Kwon got to the tee box) and ensure that the majority of the negativity going towards someone not named Dave or on the Barstool staff. The Barstool employees found a way to make sure they got the most viewable content from the situation and continued to fan the flames even when all of the non-Barstool people pushed it to the side. Whitney going so hard after Kwon despite being the fakest scratch golfer on Earth definitely didn’t help the average viewer’s perspective on Kwon either. Such a nothing-burger that kinda ruined the Internet Invitational overall, IMO.