The former Sooners standout traded content creation for the leaderboard in Munich, firing a second-round 66 to sit just one stroke off the lead in his professional return
Former Oklahoma golfer Brad Dalke is making some noise in his DP World Tour debut this week at the BMW International Open in Munich.
Dalke shot a second-round 66 on Friday and is currently just one shot back of the lead at 9-under. He’s tied for fourth behind Paul Waring, Carlos Ortiz, and Michael Hollick.
Dalke was born in Yukon, Oklahoma and played golf at the University of Oklahoma. He led the Sooners to the 2017 NCAA Championship at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
In 2015, he won the Junior PGA Championship. He previously played in The Masters and U.S. Open in 2017, but didn’t make the cut.
Dalke received a sponsor invitation to play this event and stuck to the commitment after backing away from Good Good Golf, which has 2.1 million followers on YouTube. He is a YouTube star with 418K subscribers himself.
Dalke talked about his experience after the round: "Obviously, I didn't have a goal coming into this week," said Dalke.
"I just wanted to have some fun and enjoy it. And obviously, shooting 66 is pretty fun, so that helps the cause. Yesterday, that first tee shot, I was shaking like a leaf. Coming down the last few holes, too. ... I try not to look at leaderboards, but it's hard to miss them out there and I see my name up there for the first time."
"It's very nervy, but I also love these moments. I love playing in front of big crowds and big opportunities," Dalke said.
"It's been fun."
He was well aware he’s carrying the flag for all his fellow YouTubers.
"Ryan Ruffles played in the Myrtle Beach PGA Tour event a couple months ago, and he said it really well," Dalke said.
"It's like a weird mixture of there's no stress because I'm not out here fighting for points and I'm not grinding every week and on the season, but also I do kind of represent YouTube golf in a way. 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."
Dalke is making the most of his opportunity on the DP World Tour and representing Oklahoma well. He has always been a talented player, and now he's making the most of his chance on the professional stage.
Shooting a 66 in the second round and being just one shot back of the lead is impressive. The nerves were there on the first tee and coming down the stretch, but he handled it well and put himself in position to contend.
Dalke’s journey is unique. From winning the Junior PGA Championship to leading OU to a national title to now playing on the DP World Tour while also building a big YouTube following, he’s done a lot in his career already.
Backing away from Good Good Golf to take this opportunity shows he’s serious about competing at this level.
Dalke played for the Sooners and helped bring home a national championship in 2017. Now he’s out on the big stage again.
Whether he wins this week or not, this is a great experience for him. He's getting to compete against some of the best players in the world and carrying the flag for YouTube golf is special.
Dalke is showing that you can build a following online and still compete at a high level on the course.
