The golf sensation of the digital age, Fat Perez, whose real name is Nick Stubbe, is more than just a fad or content producer. He has quickly emerged as a pivotal figure in the last year, changing the way that golf is played, shared, and—above all—enjoyed. Without a PGA card, he has established himself as one of golf’s most prestigious figures thanks to his charisma rather than traditional qualifications. This shift in competitive entertainment was exemplified by his recent appearance in LIV Golf’s highly anticipated “The Duels” event in Miami.
Fat Perez did more than just compete in a nine-hole scramble event; he revolutionized the format by teaming up with 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith. Traditional measures of success were not the foundation of The Duels. Rather, it focused on viewer engagement, chemistry, and connection. Fat Perez excelled in every way. He was incredibly successful at bridging the gap between high-performance sport and low-barrier enjoyment with his laid-back manner, distinctive beer-in-hand charm, and surprisingly consistent performance.
Fat Perez – Bio and Career Snapshot
Real Name: Nick Stubbe
Online Alias: Fat Perez
Profession: Golf Content Creator, YouTube Personality
Known For: Viral golf content, Bob Does Sports series, LIV Golf collaborations
Instagram: instagram.com/thefatperez
Twitter (X): twitter.com/FatPerez33
LIV Golf Role: Played with Cameron Smith at “The Duels” in LIV Golf Miami
Content Platforms: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Podcast Appearances
Notable Collaborations: Bob Does Sports, Cam Smith, Rick Shiels, Grant Horvat, Dustin Johnson
Reference Source: MyGolfSpy – How Fat Perez Became a YouTube Golf Legend
Similar to what happened to Formula 1 with Drive to Survive, golf’s media landscape has changed dramatically in recent months. The fan experience has been drastically altered by the emergence of independent channels and influencers, while traditional broadcasting formats have begun to lose steam. Because of his timing and authenticity, Fat Perez has emerged as one of the most well-known leaders of that movement. He’s the most relatable golfer on the course, not because he’s the best.
By collaborating with someone like Cam Smith, Fat Perez showed that the combination of great performance and everyday relatability can be especially advantageous, in addition to the obvious advantages of being close to the spotlight. They embodied the spirit of LIV Golf, which is to be approachable but elite, entertaining but never gimmicky, with their laid-back energy interspersed with moments of competitive genius.
Joey Demare and Robby Berger, of Bob Does Sports, provided commentary during The Duels that blended humor and wisdom, giving the show a conversational and realistic feel. Instead of merely watching to find out who won, fans were doing so to laugh, feel engaged, and put themselves in the game. Fat Perez wasn’t a wildcard in that situation. The anchor was him.
Perez’s ascent is already having an impact on programming. The competition for viewers’ attention has gotten more fierce since the PGA took over the Creator Classic in 2024. As a result, LIV’s Creator-focused scramble at Miami, which pairs digital creators like Grant Horvat and Rick Shiels with top golfers like Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Phil Mickelson, has shown itself to be an extremely effective format for increasing engagement across platforms.
Fat Perez provides a playbook based on human connection for athletes or early-stage content creators looking to reach a wider audience. He doesn’t preach or pose. He makes jokes. He fails to make shots. Then he quotes movie lines and sinks ridiculously long putts. In today’s attention economy, that kind of unpredictability becomes incredibly resilient when it is encased in relatability.
He currently has more than 567,000 Instagram followers, and his YouTube partnerships frequently surpass the views of more well-known channels. Notably, he has accomplished this without engaging in divisive hot takes or controversial antics. Rather, he capitalizes on a sort of grassroots charm that is both funny and genuine, which is especially novel in a world full of over-made characters.
In recent interviews, including his appearance on Centered on Buffalo, Fat Perez talked about his love for the Buffalo Bills, his unusually rigorous short-game practice regimen, and why he believes that golf is more about community than playing below par. He is a unique figure who is surprisingly approachable in a variety of sports, lifestyle, and humor genres thanks to this type of multifaceted storytelling.
Perez’s brand of humor-driven authenticity is particularly appealing in the context of contemporary sports culture, where content is paramount and attention spans are short. He seizes the moment rather than following trends. And LIV Golf has shrewdly realized this, using him as a genuine means of growing the game’s fan base rather than as a novelty act.
LIV has started to change the way we define success on tour through strategic partnerships, focusing on shared experiences, social traction, and storytelling rather than just scorecards. Perez is leading this change with his anti-professional persona and beer-friendly banter.
Clips from The Duels have taken over YouTube comment sections and TikTok feeds since the Miami showcase. In one instance, Perez hilariously recreates Tiger’s famous putt on the 17th. Another shows him trading jabs with Dustin Johnson and then effortlessly draining a 20-footer. The sport itself has been humanized and LIV’s digital presence has been greatly enhanced by these micro-moments, which have been edited and remixed across platforms.
There are societal overtones to Fat Perez’s success as well. His prominence dispels outdated preconceptions about athleticism and appearance in a society that is increasingly embracing body positivity and mental health transparency. He is not the result of an elite academy or fitness regimen. One laugh and one long putt at a time, he found a community, joined a club, and developed a fan base.
We’ll probably see more people like him influencing golf’s story in the years to come. To supplement the pros, not to take their place. While not all children aspire to be the next Tiger Woods, many now think, “Hey, maybe there’s room for me too,” after seeing someone like Fat Perez. Just that sentiment is a significant change.
The incorporation of content-first personalities into competitive play has significantly raised LIV’s cultural profile among younger audiences. It’s a format that appeals to both golfers and those who have never felt like they fit in. The tee box can accommodate both swagger and silliness, as well as statistics and anecdotes, in this resurgent era.
