Since joining Good Good Golf three years ago, Brad Dalke has become one of the biggest names in YouTube golf. The former national championship-winning Oklahoma Sooner won Barstool Sports\u2019 inaugural Internet Invitational, launched Good Good Pros alongside co-creator Sean Walsh, starred as a competitor in the comeback season of \u2018Big Break\u2019 and has recently accepted sponsor invites to play in several high-profile professional events, including the BMW International Open, Rocket Classic and the first Good Good Championship this November. On Thursday, however, Dalke surprised fans when he announced that he was stepping away from Good Good Golf.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Brad Dalke beats the field\u2014and the weather horn\u2014to win big payday at the Creator Classic<\/p>\n
As Dalke explains, his decision isn\u2019t due to creative differences, a new offer or the dream of setting out on his own. Unfortunately, Dalke and his wife Abbie are in the middle of ongoing family health issues that have turned their lives upside down. Dalke and Abbie have been very transparent about their struggles, which have included two miscarriages and an ocular stroke in early December that induced temporary blindness for Abbie and left her with permanent 40 percent vision loss in her left eye. After months of uncertainty and tests, doctors determined that Abbie\u2019s stroke was the result of a hole in her heart, for which she underwent successful surgery on June 1.<\/p>\n
Throughout the process, Dalke has attempted to juggle his career, traveling for golf while also trying to be there for his wife. After eight months, he says he finally realized what is most important to him: Family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just feel like I didn\u2019t live up to par when it comes to being a husband for Abbie throughout this whole process, and that kills me inside,\u201d Dalke explained in the raw, emotional video. \u201cIn this life in general, but also in this industry [golf], you can get pulled in so many different directions. You have to film here, you have this obligation here, you got to go golf with someone here. You have to do all these things, and I just want to be centered with Abbie. I want to be centered with our future family. I just want to spend time with my wife and be present with my wife, because if there\u2019s anything these last eight months have taught me, it\u2019s that life can change in the blink of an eye, and I don\u2019t want to let that pass because I was traveling \u2026 She\u2019s my girl. She\u2019s my everything. She\u2019s my rock. I hate the fact that she has to go through all of this, and I hate the fact she has had to go through a lot of this a lot of the time without her husband. I don\u2019t want that to happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n
An update from Abbie and me. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us during this tough time. Abbie deserves all the credit because this week showed me that she is the toughest person in the world. She handled everything with grace and a smile. I love this girl with all my heart pic.twitter.com\/uDi6l3GwTD<\/a><\/p>\n