Nick Voke heads into the Webex Players Series Sydney this week with plenty of momentum and a distinctly different outlook on the game.
The 30-year-old Kiwi won last year's Castle Hill Country Club event by one stroke, going 25-under to edge out Jake McLeod in a nail-biter. Now the defending champion is back on the same course, fresh from a tie for third at the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
"It's an honour to be here; there was an opportunity for me to be in the Philippines and start my campaign on the Asian tour, but I said, you know what? I'm coming back to Castle Hill and we're going to give it another run," Voke tells Golf Australia magazine.
He downplays his win in 2025, saying "luck" was the best part of his game that week.
"I got pretty lucky. I kept on hitting it towards the trees, and then my ball was just in the fairway. There were a few moments where my ball was in the hazard, but still on grass, just on the other side of the red line."
On paper, Voke is a rising star, tour champion and the best of the New Zealand contingent in recent Australasian tournaments. In person, he's something else entirely, a self-described "half pro" who blends serious golf with a devil-may-care personality and is at home in front of a camera.
Speaking to the Aucklander for this feature, what you see on camera is what you get. A funny, light-hearted, mana-waving Kiwi who doesn't take himself too seriously. But boy, can he play golf, even if tournament action might not be his primary focus.
"Actually, I wouldn't say I'm a half-professional golfer, but I'm definitely not a full-time guy," he laughs from Castle Hill's clubhouse.
His real passions lie equally in YouTube, social media and competing on tour.
He explains that his goals these days are a little different from when he started his pro golf journey.
"To be honest with you, it is more to do with my side stuff [goals]; more to do with the YouTube space and 'light the candles'.
"It's just a bigger look and perspective on life and where I want to be in a few years. And as a result, I've been playing really well, so I'll just keep that going."
He wasn't chasing becoming a content creator or YouTuber like his famous friends; the opportunity came about because, as he laughs, he had run out of cash.
Voke received a call from YouTube phenomenon – and good mate – Luke Kwon.
"They called and said, 'Do you want to come to Switzerland, and we'll pay for you?'" he says.
The 30-year-old readily agreed, and from there he was the "plus one".
He downplays any form of stardom.
"By no means am I famous. I have a profile. I've just got high-profile and famous friends. And I'm just the plus one that when someone withdraws from their group, I'm the guy that they call," he explains.
Having a camera around the golf course is now a feature of Voke's routine.
"I see it more as a long-term plan and something that I enjoy doing," he says of the dual roles.
He'll squeeze filming into a tournament day without batting an eye.
"For example, yesterday it was about 5:00pm, and I went to the 17th tee. I got to film a reel.
"I have a few things that I have to try to get out here shortly. I don't mind at all. That side of the golf has started to treat me really well. So, I'll just continue going in both," he grins.
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In tournament mode, he used to lock up a touch; a feeling that has disappeared since he started filming content. He is a unique guy; he admits he is different to the majority of professional golfers.
"It came down to me being a different person," he says.
"Golf isn't serious. It's fun. It's enjoyable. You hit the shots you want to hit. You don't feel like you have to play a certain way.
"Whereas, when you compete, you push yourself into this narrow space.
"I've just said, screw that. I'm going to try to be the same guy I am when I compete, when I am with my friends. And the last couple of years have been really good."
He has gained a good following, too – 37.7K on Instagram and counting.
There is more popularity lingering around him than the humble Kiwi likes to make out.
At the Australian Open last year, the crowds were flocking to watch him play. It wasn't quite Rory-mania, but there were plenty of "light the candles" being directed towards him as he made his way around Royal Melbourne.
"One of my good buddies on tour here, Tom Power-Horan, was around for that week.
"He came up to me after the round and said the crowds that came to watch me play golf were the next in line after the Rory, Min Woo and Adam Scott group.
"He said that they're rowdy, they're chatty, they knew our language, our catchphrases, and the interaction I had with them was amazing.
"There were a couple of really cool moments where I got the tingles inside.
"These kids, young adults, are here to support and watch. They feel like they know me because they spend a lot of time watching my YouTube videos. And it was just really cool to see that all come together."
This new breed of spectator is exactly what Voke's world of golf content is built for. He's seen the explosion of online golf and has thought hard about why it resonates. To him, it boils down to production value and accessibility. If you watch a PGA Tour event live, you just see what happens there and then.
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Voke and his peers, like Kwon or Luke "Tooms" Toomey, can edit highlights, throw in memes and narration, and shape a story for each round online. It's a different product from live golf. There is an opportunity to build and drip-feed a narrative to fans.
"You can watch YouTube golf wherever you are, anywhere in the world. It's free, as long as you have good Wi-Fi. It's a really good product," he says.
This fits with what industry leaders observe. The growth of online and social platforms is clearly changing how younger fans find the game. YouTube creators have brought prominent, colourful personalities into golf, offering something more accessible and authentic. Trying to break 90 is more relatable than trying to shoot under par for most mere mortals, although this doesn't apply to Voke and his former pro mates. But those videos are online, and they are great, too; there is something for everyone in the world of YouTube golf.
For all the light-heartedness, Voke clearly takes his golf seriously, too.
He's more than good enough to win at the pro level. As he prepares to defend his crown at Castle Hill, he's giving fans the best of both worlds: an honest Tour pro and an entertainer.
He is carving out a unique path in golf, a genuine tour pro with all the trappings of an internet personality. A great storyteller with personality and charisma, you can see straight away why he is popular online.
He tells a great story about missing out on a football career because he lost his selection letter back home in Auckland, so he chose golf.
"There was a point there where I didn't know whether I was going to pursue soccer or golf.
"I was waiting for this letter to come in the mail. I'm 100 years old. Back in the day, instead of an email, you just got a letter in the mail to invite you to represent Auckland.
"I got it the previous two years. I was waiting for it in the third year, and I didn't get it.
"I'm like, 'Oh, I must not have been selected. I must not be very good.'
"That's why I went towards the golf route and really started going after golf. About six months later, we received the letter. We had just moved house, and it didn't get to me in time.
"The reason I now play golf instead of soccer is that we moved house," he laughs.
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