Brad Dalke played bad, bad golf at the Rocket Classic in Detroit.
The former amateur golf star turned YouTube golfer was unable to take advantage of a sponsor exemption for the tournament, shooting 11-over par on Thursday.
Dalke’s card included seven bogeys, one double bogey and one triple bogey against 1 birdie.
“That round was nightmare fuel my goodness,” Dalke wrote on X.
“Goes without saying I played very very poorly… but everything that could’ve gone wrong seemed to go wrong. Nothing I can do now except go play some more golf tomorrow.”
Dalke improved slightly on the second day, shooting five-over par, but finished 16-over and dead last amongst those that didn’t withdraw.
He explained on Instagram that when he’s playing his best golf, he can “play with anybody,” but his bad golf has to improve.
For the most part, this has been true. Dalke was one of the most hyped up golf prospects in recent memory.
After committing to the Oklahoma Sooners as a 12-year-old, Dalke became a five-time AJGA First-Team All-American.
Once on campus, he won the NCAA Championship with the Sooners in 2017 and qualified for the 2017 Masters and 2017 U.S. Open through the 2016 U.S. Amateur.
His career took a turn, though, when he developed the driver yips after turning professional in 2019.
Dalke struggled his way through four years on the tour, talking about the frustration, embarrassment, and the isolation that came with playing badly before taking a step away from the PGA in 2023.
Shortly after, Dalke joined popular YouTube group Good Good Golf, quickly becoming a fan favorite and winning the Internet Invitational last summer.
However, in June, Dalke announced he was leaving the group in order to spend more time with his wife, who had recently gone through two miscarriages and a PFO in her heart that needed surgery.
“I hate the fact that she has had to go through all this,” Dalke said on his YouTube channel. “And I hate the fact that she’s had to go through all this a lot of the time without her husband, and I don’t want that to happen again.”
Dalke has since taken another swing at professional golf, competing in the BMW International Open in the DP World Tour.
The former Good Good man started hot, finishing his second round tied for second, but eventually cooled off and ended up tied for 30th.
It’s safe to say ending five-under par and competing through Sunday felt a little better for the YouTube star than his performance in the Rocket Classic, though.
“I do kind of represent YouTube golf in a way,” Dalke said after his second round at the event.
“There’s a lot of YouTube fans and a lot of people love YouTube, and they love watching me, and they vouch for me, so I’m trying to prove for them as well.”
