Wesley Bryan said he plans to appeal his indefinite suspension on the PGA Tour.
Bryan, who is a member of the Tour and former winner of the RBC Heritage in 2017, participated in a YouTube match with Grant Horvath and major champions such as Phil Mickelson. The match was associated with LIV Golf and shot during the Miami LIV event ahead of the Masters. The Tour deemed it an unauthorized event requiring a release, which was neither sought nor granted.
“We had to jump at that opportunity,” said Wesley, who teams with his brother George. The brothers have become one of the most popular golfers on YouTube. “All we’ve ever wanted to do from the Bryan Bros. is merge professional golf and YouTube and this was one of those opportunities that we’ve been dreaming of since we got into YouTube golf.”
Wesley noted that when he and his brother started their YouTube channel more than a decade ago, all they wanted to do was use it to fund their mini tour golf career in hopes of one day playing on the PGA Tour. But YouTube golf has exploded and as their followers have taken off, it has taken a larger priority in his life.
“It’s been a very difficult road to navigate trying to balance playing competitively and creating content on YouTube,” Wesley said. “We’ve been able to be part of something special in growing the YouTube community and I’m going to continue to do that,” he said in a video released on the Bryan Bros. various channels under the headline “I was suspended from the PGA Tour.”
“Nothing but gratitude for the PGA Tour even amidst the little disagreement we have right now. I wanted to make sure the proper thank yous because again they’ve given us so much,” Wesley said.
Nevertheless, Wesley, who played in the Tour’s Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass ahead of the Players Championship, said he plans to appeal his suspension, arguing that there’s ambiguity in the rules as they were written.
“I don’t think when the rule was written it was meant to cover content creation on YouTube,” Wesley said. “I think it was meant to cover organized, professional, high-end golf events.”
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