George Bryan IV embraces PGA TOUR debut with support from Bryan Bros' community

George Bryan IV had some semblance of what this week could look like, but after making the cut in his PGA TOUR debut, how he might feel for the third round was totally uncharted territory.

“Was I going to shoot 62 and get into the tournament?” Bryan said. “Just barely break 70? I didn’t know what my expectations would be. It’s been interesting because I haven’t really been able to grasp how this week means for me personally or professionally – probably not until next week.

“But today was cool. I feel like I didn’t really have ‘it,’ but I still managed a 69 at a PGA TOUR event, which is pretty crazy.”

Bryan is one half of the successful YouTube channel the ‘Bryan Bros’ with his brother, Wesley – who also made the cut this week at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The duo has more than 225,000 subscribers on YouTube. This week marked George Bryan’s PGA TOUR debut, at 35. Wesley Bryan, meanwhile, won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2016 and won his lone TOUR title a year later. He’s currently No. 192 on the FedExCup standings and is eager for a good final round to earn him some valuable points. Wesley shot a 3-under 68 Saturday and will be tied for 46th heading into Sunday.

The elder brother, George, has taken the last 54 holes in stride. He’s happy to be here, of course. Happier that he’s played well. Pleasantly surprised, actually – less about the golf, but about rising to the moment.

“I was playing good coming into the week so I thought I could compete. But at the same time, I haven’t played a TOUR event, I didn’t know where the nerves would be so, just, playing solid golf for two days was the goal. Whatever that looked like I didn’t know. But when I got out there and continued to play like I had been in Q-School and other tournaments, it was really cool,” Bryan says. “It showed that my game can perform at the highest level.

“I made the cut on the number but still that was like, amazing.”

George Bryan couldn’t have asked for a better start Saturday at Port Royal Golf Course. He started on the back nine and went 3 under through his first four holes. He ended up making back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 and added two more bogeys on the card before making an eagle on the par-5 seventh.

He closed with a 2-under 69 and sits tied for 54th going into the last round.

Alex Noren leads at 19 under.

Bryan says he “didn’t have the same game” for Saturday as the nerves began to hit, especially after his sizzling start. He realized he had moved up about 10 spots on the leaderboard and was keen for more.

“Then you start trying too hard and you make some pars and bogeys, but then there was that insane eagle on 7. I moved up the leaderboard on Day 3 of my first PGA TOUR event, and I think that’s more insane to me than anything else,” he says. “To me, I’ve never done it on this stage. So, this is really cool. It’s surprising to myself.”

With just 18 holes left in his PGA TOUR debut, George Bryan says brother Wesley gave him a nice pep talk after his third-round effort. Don’t settle for a score on Sunday, try to go out and shoot a number. George says he’ll try to tee it up in the final round and be “a little less nervy and a little more relaxed.”

“Whether it’s 65 or 75 or 85 I don’t know. But my goal is to play not less nervous but freer and move up the leaderboard and see what happens,” he says.

Golf is a lonely pursuit, but Bryan says he’s been buoyed by the support of the Bryan Bros’ community – both in person and online. He’s on social media this week. That’s his job, he says. He sees the comments. Thankfully they’ve been overwhelmingly positive this week.

And now he’s got one round to go as he lives out his dream in Bermuda.

“Everyone who has watched videos, supported, commented, and messaged… they’re the reason why I’m here. Yes, the game is good, but the support these last three years is the reason why I’m standing here playing a PGA TOUR event and walking my dream,” he says. “That’s something I’m forever going to be grateful for.”