Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass: Grant Horvat wins playoff over Chris Solomon, George Bryan IV
Written by Kevin Prise
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – What happens when you take golfers of various skill levels, from sub-scratch to single-digit handicappers (and beyond), and put them on TPC Sawgrass’ back nine on the eve of THE PLAYERS Championship? Notably on the island-green, par-3 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course?
A complete crapshoot.
Wednesday’s Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass, the series’ second event and the first at this iconic Pete Dye venue, brought together 10 golf content creators for eight holes of stroke play, Nos. 10-17, followed by a playoff at the par-3 17th. Grant Horvat won with a 15-foot birdie on the first playoff hole, outlasting Chris Solomon of “No Laying Up” and George Bryan IV of “Bryan Bros Golf.”
Horvat and Bryan each finished regulation at 1-over, while Solomon finished at 2-over. The top three finishers after eight holes advanced to the playoff.
“At the beginning of the day, that was the most nervous I’ve ever been, and I think today I kind of proved something to myself, that I can handle the nerves,” Horvat said afterward. “In the past, I’ve got so tight and kind of guided it, and today I was actually swinging pretty free. It was awesome.
Grant Horvat drains lengthy birdie putt from off the green at Creator Classic
“It was 131, pitching wedge (on 17). Perfect number. That last putt I just made, that was not an easy putt, and I was so happy to see that go in. I’d rather do that than wimp a par in there and win with par.”
The trio of playoff participants each made par at the island-green 17th in regulation play. Others weren’t as fortunate. Barstool Sports’ Trent Ryan – who won a qualifier of Barstool Sports content creators to earn Barstool’s spot in the Creator Classic – made an octuple-bogey 11, en route to a 29-over 61 across eight holes. Despite the struggles at the island green, Ryan soaked in the moment, hugging his caddie and bowing to the patrons after hitting the green on his fifth try. Ryan’s showing also included a quintuple-bogey 10 at the par-5 16th hole.
Trent Ryan cards electric octuple bogey at the Island Green at Creator Classic
“All day, we’re like, ‘It’s an 8-iron.’ All day, we’re like, ‘Hit an 8-iron, hit an 8-iron,’ and we’re going to be alright,” Ryan said afterward. “We gave it three tries and it just wasn’t the club, so we ended up going with the 7-iron. Usually, you aren’t very happy with an 11, but people were rooting me on, so it was fun.”
Fat Perez of “Bob Does Sports” was the only player to make a birdie at No. 17 in regulation, draining a 50-footer from the back of the green to finish at 4-over total. Perez's serpentine putt reminded those of Tiger Woods’ famed “Better Than Most” putt in the third round of the 2001 PLAYERS, en route to victory; Perez celebrated with a raised fist to the gallery and a shimmy of sorts.
Fat Perez sinks Tiger’s “Better than Most” putt for birdie at Creator Classic
Wednesday’s scores were rounded out by Roger Steele (3-over), Kyle Berkshire (6-over), Tisha Alyn (6-over), GabbyGolfgirl (6-over), and Wesley Bryan (6-over).
The inaugural Creator Classic was held at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club in advance of last year’s TOUR Championship, won by Luke Kwon. The series will continue with two events later in 2025: the Creator Classic at Philly Cricket contested on Wednesday, May 7, prior to the Truist Championship, and the Creator Classic at East Lake set for Wednesday, Aug. 20, ahead of the season-ending TOUR Championship.
The Creator Classic series is sponsored by YouTube and broadcast on the PGA TOUR’s YouTube channel and several other media platforms.
