The Godfather of YouTube Golf, Rick Shiels was on the YouTube Golf bandwagon long before it had even left the station. Having launched his channel way back in 2011, the Englishman has been the long-time owner of the largest subscriber base in YTG, boasting over 3 million loyal followers. With such a big following, inviting Shiels t the first edition of the Internet Invitational was a no-brainer, and it’s no surprise to see him back for the sequel.
Why is Rick Shiels famous?
Shiels is a good golfer and became a qualified pro in his early 20s, but his rise to fame began when he started posting videos to YouTube in 2011. He did this in an attempt to gain more customers, but ended up getting a hell of a lot more than he bargained for.
No longer does Shiels need customers at Trafford Golf Centre, because with over a billion total views on his YouTube videos, 3 million subscribers on that channel and plenty more on various other forms of social media, Rick Shiels is a walking, talking brand of his own.
Shiels has collaborated on his channel plenty in his time, but he’s something of a black sheep in the way he goes about things these days. While he does post your typical ‘Rick vs Player X’ videos, he also does a lot of promotional work testing new equipment and such.
What can we expect from Rick Shiels at the 2026 Internet Invitational?
There will be a few better players out there than Rick at Big Cedar Lodge, but not a huge number. As mentioned he’s a qualified pro and plays off a plus-handicap, so he’ll be a reasonably early pick.
Shiels was eliminated reasonably early last year but it was through no fault of his own - he won his two matches playing alongside Andrew Santino.
Rick Shiels Player Profile
Check out all the details of the 2026 Internet Invitational including roster, location, release info and more.
