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'Almost like I was floating': George Bryan IV reflects on a fairytale week and a pressure he's never felt before
Gregory Shamus
George Bryan IV, one half of legendary YouTube trick-shot artist duo known as the "Bryan Bros," has played in countless high-level professional golf tournaments before. A three-time All-American at the University of South Carolina, big things were expected for Wesley's older brother out of school.
Yet up until last week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, George, now 35, had never teed it up in a PGA Tour event. A combination of burnout early on in his career and the fact he and younger brother became YouTube sensations led to him putting the dream on hold, temporarily. Finally, last week, he played at Port Royal Golf Course on a sponsor's exemption, and he was able to make the cut on the number, just as his brother did.
"I don't think I can fully comprehend what [last week] was, or all that it means," Bryan told us on this week's episode of The Loop podcast.
Standing on the first tee on Thursday, Bryan had felt nerves he'd never felt before. He was no stranger to tournament pressure, but this was something far different. The culmination of a 30-year dream coming to fruition.
"I'm behind the ball, you know 'George Bryan...,'" he said, mimicking the first-tee announcer. "I'm like, dude, I'm on the PGA Tour now.
"I start walking into the ball and I'm like, I haven't felt this before. This is different. It was almost like I was floating watching myself from above. It was the weirdest of nerves, a different nerve. Usually when I get nervous, my eyes will start beating, like I feel my heartbeat in my eyes kind of like, oh, intense pressure. But this one was like a weird, 'where am I?' kind of thing."
Fortunately, George was able to let the body take over from there, ripping a 4-iron down the middle and then starting birdie-birdie. While he wound up finishing in a tie for 69th, there were numerous highlights along the way and even more memories that will last a lifetime. He recalled a moment where his brother was finishing up in the group ahead, and he used him as his line on his approach shot. Special stuff.
"You can't quantify what playing in a tour event with your brother means," he said. "It's one of the coolest—it will be the coolest golf thing that we've ever done."
In our full interview, George recapped the entire fairytale week and told us what's next for him as he prepares for Q-School. Plus, he has an all-time story about Wes making a disastrous 9 on a par 3 back in college that cost the Gamecocks golf team a trip to nationals. Please, have a listen below, and like and subscribe to The Loop wherever you get your podcasts.