“Probably the most influential person” - Wesley and George Bryan on Tiger Woods, USGA ball rollback, playing together on PGA TOUR and more (Exclusive)
Wesley and George Bryan, sons of PGA professional George Bryan III, are, in many ways, picture-perfect examples of the modern-day golf professional - exceptional players who are interesting and innovative. Young golfers who are hip and trendy yet respectful of golf’s traditions and bold enough to try something different in hopes of changing how the game is seen by young golf enthusiasts today.
Wesley, 33, is a PGA Tour playing professional who has had some sort of status since 2016. He has had one win, which came at the 2017 RBC Heritage. George, 35, made his first start on Tour at the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda, where he made the cut and finished T69.
While Wesley and George Bryan are exceptional playing professionals who have had success on many levels of the professional game, they are more known as entertainers in the now booming golf YouTube and social media space. Their YouTube Channel, which was started in 2014, has 303K subscribers with 39,351,067 total views. Their Instagram has 251K followers, and their TikTok has nearly 60k.
The Bryan family has golfing a pedigree. The boy's dad, George III, is the founder of the George Bryan Golf Academy in Chapin, South Carolina, where he is the Director of Instruction. He played collegiately at the University of South Carolina, competed in the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah, and was selected by Golf Digest as one of the Best Teachers in South Carolina multiple times. Their sister Mary played four seasons of college golf at the College of Charleston, where she was a two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team honoree.
Wesley and George Bryan talk LIV Golf vs PGA TOUR, greatest golfers of all time, start of Bryan Bros Golf and more
I recently caught up with Wesley and George Bryan to get a glimpse of their world, get their thoughts on what it takes to be a YouTuber, their feelings on hot topics in golf, and more.
George: What were the highs of your week playing in your first PGA Tour event at the Butterfield Bermuda?
“Obviously, playing my first-ever PGA Tour event kind of checked off a lifelong goal. Throughout the week, there are just a lot of special moments…my family being there, my wife being there, teeing it up in a PGA Tour event with my brother, hearing my name called on the first tee, ‘from Aiken, South Carolina, George Bryan, and then hitting that first tee shot.
It’s also really cool to say I made the cut on the PGA Tour. To go out there and do it, and battling nerves playing the last three holes, knowing you're right there near the cut…birding the 16th, and then making two great pars on 17 and 18 to play the weekend…it was awesome."
Wes: What was it like having George out there with you for the first time?
“Having George out on the PGA Tour for the first time was amazing. It was a dream come true. I guess it's been a dream of ours since we were kids, and to be able to live that out was amazing. And the both of us being able to play the weekend together and have what felt like kind of a competitive battle for the low Bryan was just icing on the cake.”
George: What did you learn the most from your week in Bermuda?
“I learned a lot that week. I learned that I could compete at that level and that my game was good enough to be tested against a PGA Tour field. I always wanted to know how I would handle the nerves in a situation like that, and I feel like I passed with flying colors. It could have been better, but at the same time, I was nervous and uncomfortable. Through all that, I think the biggest thing I learned is I can compete, even when I feel nervous.”
Wes: How important was it having George on the bag at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, your first W on the Korn Ferry?
“It was amazing having a guy on my bag who knew my golf game the best. Who knew my demeanor the best, knew my thought processes the best, knew how I would potentially react to situations, and was able to coach me through a lot of stuff. On the mental side, it was extremely important.”
Wes: Take me back to the 2017 RBC Heritage...what was the biggest takeaway for you from that week and that victory?
“My biggest takeaway from the 2017 RBC was that my good is good enough to win at the highest level. It was also something that gave me a sense of accomplishment…all the hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears that I put into the game all paid off for that one week. Winning on the PGA Tour is something that can't ever be taken away from you. It was definitely one of the proudest moments that I've had so far.”
George: What was the genesis or origin story of Bryan Bros Golf?
“So basically, we were playing on the mini-tours, and in 2014, I ran out of money for that. Wesley was just freshly out there chasing it, so that was still his main goal. The YouTube thing…I guess you could say that we both saw these kids on the internet hit a trick shot, hitting the ball out of midair, and it got a lot of traction…it was number one on Sportscenter Top 10, I think.
I said to Wesley, ‘Man, we can do that, and maybe better.’ So we gave it a try, recorded a video, and put it out there. It started getting some love…first within our friend group, then our church group liked it. Then, it started to get a lot more views. Wes and I were like, ‘Huh, more people are starting to watch this than we're friends with. So let's do another one. And we did another one. And that one kind of went viral again.
It was not really expected at first, but people were actually liking these videos, so we just kept going. At that time, nobody was doing golf trick shots or posting them consistently. We just said to ourselves, let's just do this, let's see what happens.
That seemed to have spawned the trick shot era, which only lasted about a year and a half. It grew and blew up into this brand. It was something that we never dreamed was possible. From that point, we saw it as something that would hopefully be used to fund our PGA Tour dream or mini-tour life. It was crazy…it was an actual business and brand. It was pretty cool, for sure.
But then Wesley made it out on the PGA Tour, and things kind of stopped. Wesley had to stop doing it. So, I was, like, well, crap, I guess I'll play golf now too. Then, January 2020 came, and people told me to get back to posting videos. I've got a compelling story. They said my game was pretty good, and we should get back into posting YouTube videos again. Not with trick shots, but doing real golf. That's where Bryan Burrows 2.0 spawned.
Shortly after, when the world shut down because of COVID and forced people inside to watch YouTube videos…I mean, you could not have drawn up a better time for me to get back into YouTube. It's been cool to have Wesley get back in the mix, too. He wanted back in the mix. It's honestly been a better version of what we started in 2014. We're doing what we love in playing golf, but also telling people our story. Wesley is on the PGA Tour. I'm chasing it a little bit and trying to make it maybe professionally, too, but I’m not sure. Either way, it's cool that we get to tell the story of two professional golfers playing some good golf and also just having some fun along the way.”
George: With golf in such a great place on the recreational side but in a bit of turmoil on the professional side, what are your hopes for the game in 2024 and beyond?
“I love golf, and I hate seeing it being fractured like it is. It just stinks because I want to see all the best players play against each other. But with LIV and PGA Tour kind of battling it out, it's like, damn, this stinks, as a fan, because it's making people almost pick sides, and I don't want to do that. Golf is the best sport in the world, so my goal, our goal, with the channel, is to push people towards the game and show them how fun golf is, regardless of the craziness going on on the professional side. My hope is that they can figure things out because I just want to see everyone compete, and I'm tired of seeing all this drama play out.”
Both: Thoughts on USGA & R&A decision on the golf ball rollback?
Wes:
“My thoughts on the rollback. I think it's stupid. I think that Mike Whan just wants to leave his mark on the game of golf. All this data and research and all their rational arguments seem like a bunch of hot garbage to me.”
George:
“Honestly, I have no opinions on it. I mean, everyone's gonna be playing the same golf ball, and that's not until 2028 or 29. So honestly haven't even looked much into it.”
Rapid Fire Round for Both…
What is your favorite part of doing what you do for a living?
Wes:
“That I get to spend time with my brother around the game of golf, a game which we both love.”
George:
“My favorite part is it allows us to have lots of fun playing golf together, but more importantly, we have something where we can make an impact on the game for the good, for the positive, and show people how fun it is. It is very, very humbling, and I am very appreciative of that.”
Who is the most influential person to you along your golf journey?
Wes:
“I would say Tiger Woods. Watching him dominate and transcend the game of golf and make it a relevant sport was pretty cool. Probably the most influential person for me, for sure.”
George:
“G3…Dad introduced us to the game and has been there every step of the way.”
Top three best golfers of all time?
Wes:
“I think you got to go…Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson.”
George:
“Top three best golfers of all time…Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and, I don't know. Couldn't even tell you after that…Phil Mickelson? I don't know…Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer. The only two I know for sure are Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.”
Lowest round ever?
Wes:
“58. The Country Club of Lexington.”
George:
“59.”
Number of aces you have had?
Wes:
“I've had 12.”
George:
“The number of aces fluctuates between six and eight, maybe even nine. I've got six confirmed with people. I’d have to think about it, but I have some other ones by myself that I really don't really don't count.”
Favorite course you've played?
Wes:
“Augusta National.”
George:
“Augusta National.”
Course you most want to play that you haven't yet?
Wes:
“It's a tie between Cypress and Pine Valley.”
George:
“Cypress or Royal Melbourne. Those are my two.”