Three-time major champion admits to watching YouTube to prepare for golf’s biggest events
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One of the favorites for the U.S. Women’s Open says she’s turned to YouTube to help prepare for action at Erin Hills.
Lydia Ko has never been one to follow convention. Whether it was winning her first LPGA event as a 15-year-old amateur or becoming the youngest World No.1 in golf history at just 17, the New Zealand superstar has always done things her way. Now, at 28, she’s added another quirk to her preparation routine: scouting major championship venues on YouTube.
Speaking ahead of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, Ko admitted she turned to content creators rather than course architects or caddies for a first look at this week’s Erin Hills test.
“Yeah, in all honesty, I watched some YouTube golf before coming here,” she said. “Just [to] kind of get an idea of what the golf course is like.”
Specifically, Ko watched the Bryan Bros – Wesley and George Bryan – and their recent collaboration with Grant Horvat. The videos, which often involve tackling famous courses, have become a hit with golf fans and, clearly, a few of the game’s elite players.
“I think Wesley Bryan was trying to get his revenge from 2017,” Ko said, referring to the year the men’s U.S. Open was held at the same venue and Bryan finished second-last. “I think it’s the series where they do it with Grant Horvat. I got into YouTube golf because of my husband, and I won’t be shy to say I watch it on my own now.”
It’s not the traditional prep most might expect from a three-time major winner and one of the LPGA’s all-time greats. But for Ko – who has been on an upward trend after a quiet patch in her mid-20s – it’s about getting used to the course however possible.
“It was just a good way for me to kind of see the golf course. It’s probably not the preparation that many of the other players did.”
Ko arrives at the U.S. Women’s Open having already won in 2025, with her victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March following on from a 2024 that saw her win four times, including the AIG Women’s British Open and a Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics.
That Olympic glory also secured her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame, making her the 35th player to be inducted, and the youngest under the current criteria.
But Ko is looking forward, not back, as she seeks major number four.
“The course is difficult. It’s fun. I think you need a lot of creativity,” Ko said of this week’s major test. “I don’t think it’s for one type of player, which is something that I tend to really prefer because it kind of brings the whole field into it. Hopefully I can hit some good shots and get a few good lucky bounces and kind of go from there.”
Ko may be one of the first to openly credit YouTube as part of her major championship prep, but she’s not alone in embracing digital tools. Players like Max Homa and Tommy Fleetwood have previously spoken about watching YouTube swing videos or flyovers for insight. Even Tiger Woods has admitted to reviewing drone footage and slow-mo swing clips during practice.
As golf becomes more connected and content-driven, it’s perhaps no surprise that players are blending old-school preparation with new-school resources. And if Ko lifts her fourth major trophy come Sunday, the Bryan Bros might just have to add “major prep consultants” to their résumés.
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George Bryan and Grant Horvat have helped one of golf's greats prepare for a major championship.
