Walking the Line: How Grant Horvat Is Playing Both Sides of Golf’s Great Divide

Suspensions, lawsuits, and a fractured pro golf ecosystem haven’t stopped Grant Horvat from doing what no one else seems able to: compete in both LIV and PGA-affiliated events.

When news broke that PGA Tour player Wesley Bryan had been suspended for appearing in The Duels: Miami a LIV Golf-affiliated exhibition featuring content creators and LIV pros—most observers shrugged it off as another skirmish in the sport’s cold war. But one name stood out in the field that day, and it wasn’t Bryan or even Bryson DeChambeau.

It was Grant Horvat.

The YouTube content creator-turned-golfer teed it up in the same event, promoted it to his massive online following, and posted recap videos to hundreds of thousands of viewers. Weeks later, rather than facing sanctions, he was invited to compete in the celebrity division of the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am an official PGA Tour-sanctioned event.

What gives?

Why is Grant Horvat allowed to navigate both worlds—PGA and LIV—when actual pros can’t?

The Answer Lies in Golf’s Shifting Power Structure

To understand Horvat’s unique position, you have to understand the evolving definitions of who holds power in golf. Ten years ago, access was defined by your ability to shoot low scores, qualify through Q School, or earn status through tour performance. Today, attention is its own form of access—and Horvat has it in spades.

With over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and hundreds of thousands more across TikTok and Instagram, Horvat isn’t just a golfer. He’s a digital media brand, and that gives him leverage that transcends traditional rules.

Why Grant Can Do What Pros Can’t

1. He’s Not Bound by PGA Tour Membership

This is the big one. Because Horvat isn’t a PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour member, he’s not subject to their participation restrictions or player conduct codes regarding unsanctioned events. Wesley Bryan, by contrast, was a Tour member—and under the new framework, playing in a LIV event (or even an event affiliated with LIV) without clearance remains grounds for suspension.

Horvat is playing under a different rulebook—one written for amateurs, celebrities, and media figures. And he knows it.

2. The Duels Was a Content Play, Not a Sanctioned Tournament

“The Duels: Miami” wasn’t a 72-hole competition. It was a nine-hole scramble featuring a mix of content creators and LIV pros. Think of it more as “golf entertainment” than professional golf. That may seem like semantics, but for governing bodies, intent and optics matter. The PGA Tour saw a member (Bryan) using his status to give legitimacy to a rival product. Horvat, however, was simply doing what he always does—creating content.

3. He’s an Asset to Both Tours

Whether or not they’ll admit it, both the PGA Tour and LIV need what Grant Horvat provides: young eyeballs and digital relevance. LIV’s efforts to capture a new generation of fans have been aggressive, from team-based formats to mic’d-up rounds to creator events like The Duels. The PGA Tour, meanwhile, has been slower to adapt, but they understand that inviting creators like Horvat to events like the BMW Charity Pro-Am brings attention, engagement, and—importantly—future fans.

Horvat doesn’t need to choose sides because both sides benefit from his presence.

The Bigger Picture: The Rise of the “Content Golfer”

Grant Horvat isn’t the only player walking this line. The golf world is experiencing the rise of a new archetype: the content golfer. These are players who build communities before careers, amass millions of views before earning OWGR points, and generate partnerships based on reach, not rankings.

We’re seeing a power shift in real time. LIV Golf recognized it early by embracing creators, social-first storytelling, and outside-the-box formats. The PGA Tour is catching up, now offering Netflix deals, behind-the-scenes access, and more player-generated content than ever before.

What Horvat represents is the future hybrid: not just a golfer, not just a creator, but a new kind of golf professional. One that can move fluidly between traditional and disruptive platforms because their allegiance isn’t to a tour—it’s to the audience.

What This Means for Traditional Pros

This evolution presents a challenge for the average Tour player. In a world where brand value and visibility drive opportunity, many pros are still relying solely on performance. But with so many players ranked 100–300 in the world essentially interchangeable in terms of scoring average, the ones who stand out on social or in storytelling have a clear edge—even if they haven’t won anything yet.

If you're a college golfer right now, you have two paths:

• Try to grind through qualifiers and hope to Monday into a few events.

• Or build a loyal online audience, create value for sponsors, and earn invites based on influence.

Both are valid. One might be faster.

What Grant Horvat is doing isn’t just clever—it’s emblematic of where golf is headed. He’s not breaking any tour rules because he doesn’t belong to one. Instead, he’s creating a new path—one where your swing, your story, and your screen presence all carry weight.

And while legacy media still debates whether LIV or the PGA Tour will “win,” Horvat is already winning. He’s playing in events. He’s building his brand. He’s earning both exposure and income. Most importantly, he’s connecting with the next generation of golfers on their terms.

In a divided golf world, Grant Horvat may be the rare unifier—a player who proves that the game’s future isn’t either/or.

It’s both.