NI golfer becomes social media sensation after racking up millions of views

Photo showing Timmy Jordan
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A Northern Ireland golfer has become a viral sensation after charting his golfing journey on social media.

Timmy Jordan has over 60,000 followers across both, and averages 70,000 views for each of his videos.

The Dungannon man - whose handicap currently stands at +2.6 - attracted 1.9 million views for one of his best performing pieces of content.

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He has become a hugely popular figure for documenting the trials and tribulations of being a competitive golfer. It is a no holds barred insight into the good, and bad, of his game.

“My main goal with the page is to try and improve myself and help others. It’s very transparent," Jordan told Golf Ireland's 'A Slice of Life' series.

"A lot of people have come to me and said I love that you are relatable, if you have a bad day you put it up. There is a lot of pressure to perform well in it but at the end of the day it’s a bit of fun too.”

He added: “There was a couple of videos that went viral but I went away from that content. Golf is a niche on social but I am a niche within a niche. I am more serious content. It’s documenting a journey, trying to get better at the game.

“I want to be playing in elite amateur tournaments and documenting it. If the day goes bad, I will tell people where it went wrong, I am not afraid to. I am open to a lot scrutiny now as well.

“There is a bit more pressure on me in these events but that is all part of it.”

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Jordan started off by uploading videos of his swing, but then he started documenting his own playing career. It involved him stepping out of his comfort zone, doing voiceovers and talking in front of the camera.

But it quickly became evident it was content his followers wanted.

“The first real hurdle was doing a voiceover in a video because I wasn’t used to that, putting myself out there, it’s just all these hurdles,” said Jordan.

“Another one would have been me talking to the screen. It’s obviously difficult but then I have had a lot of people say, the way I commentate, the voiceovers, it’s as if I am commentating on a sporting event. It really adds to it.

“People mightn’t even look at the content they are more interested in me talking over the video. I have gained a lot more confidence doing that.

Photo shows Timmy Jordan
Timmy Jordan -Credit:Golf Ireland

“It’s amazing, I will go into the pub and there will be people there asking did I get to +3. I will be going to different golf courses and there will be lads there who follow me on TikTok. It’s a new world.

“People are messaging me to say that I have inspired them to get back into golf, they have been out for five years and I have inspired them to get back into it.

“I always say it’s my journey and I use this as a journal, I am trying to get better. I document the good, the bad, we have a lot more bad days than good. People can relate to the bad days.

“Even if the North of Ireland doesn’t go my way I will still put it up and say where it went wrong because it can help others.”

At the start of the year Jordan wrote down three goals; to get to 25k followers on Instagram, video in six countries and play a match against a DP World Tour professional.

When Tom McKibbin touched base before the NI Open it provided the ideal opportunity to cross off another huge goal.

“It’s been a good year, it’s amazing that Tom knew each video that I had done. He had been following the journey to +3,” said Jordan.

“He reached out to me about six or seven weeks ago. I played at the Pro-Am with him in Galgorm. It was good to get out for a three-hole match with him.

“It’s really starting to get noticed now. Working with a couple of brands as well. It all adds to the pot too. It can be expensive, I reinvest a lot back into it, whether it be buying cameras or playing golf courses or even going up to Portrush staying over for a couple of nights to get a bit of content.

“Me and my girlfriend, she helps me a lot with the videos and stuff, we are going to Australia at the start of October. We are spending the winter there trying to grow the channel.

“I am going to be playing in the big events out in Australia, the Australian Amateur Championship, trying to document that progress.

“I have goals with the channel, get it to 50k followers is next and trying to progress on.”

Photo shows Timmy Jordan hitting a drive in one of his videos
Timmy Jordan hits a drive in one of his videos -Credit:Timmy Jordan

The 30-year-old is an experienced golfer, having played the game for 26 years. His love of the sport grew from his father Brian who encouraged him to play as a youngster, and that's where a blossoming career on the fairways was born.

He has represented Ireland and underage level and won an Ulster Boys’ Championship in 2012. The former St Patrick’s Academy student was 17 when he took home the biggest prize of his early career beating future professional, David Carey, into second place.

That paved the way for a golf scholarship at Wichita State University, an NCAA Division 1 team, but Jordan never settled Stateside.

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“They had a very good roster, there is a couple of guys on the Challenge Tour and stuff like that. They were a very good standard but I only lasted a year. I was probably a bit naïve at the time. My mates were at University in Belfast and I was missing the fun.

“I wasn’t playing my best golf when I was there. Came back home and tried to give it a go for a year or so and then gave up on that dream.”

Jordan went on to graduate from Ulster University in Jordanstown and now works as a chartered surveyor, a consultant for a commercial real estate company who are based in Dubai.

On his days off he has been preparing for the North of Ireland at Royal Portrush which starts on Wednesday, September 18.

“It would be insane to win the North,” said Jordan.

“I suppose because I have won the Ulster U18 championship and played in the North. I made the cut when it was in the old format when I was 16. I got to the last 32 that year.

“I have good memories from it. I remember beating Dermot McElroy, he was the leading qualifier that year, and I qualified 64th and I beat him in the last 64.

“I love it up there. It would be amazing, for the channel as well, it would be big.”

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