Inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic to boast field of 132 golfers

Adam Benson
·3 min read
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic will boast a field of 132 players all competing for a FedEx Cup win when the tournament tees off in May, organizers said on Monday.

“You get to hear a lot of really great storylines from the younger guys, and the talent pool on the PGA Tour is fantastic,” five-time tour winner and South Carolina native Jonathan Byrd said at a news conference that unveiled more details about the event slated May 9-12 at Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

The tournament arrives after 18 months of talks between city leaders, economic development officials and the PGA. $225,000 worth of proceeds from the tournament will be designed to benefit nine nonprofit organizations in many different areas.

“April is Autism Awareness Month and it’s going to lead up into this wonderful tournament, so we’re really excited about being in attendance there to raise awareness and support the golfers and, you know, any of the organizations to the best of our ability,” said Becky Large, the executive director of Champion Autism Network.

One of 36 events on the FedEx Cup regular season schedule for 2024, it’s the first major professional golf tournament to call the Grand Strand home in the past 24 years.

“The level of excitement and enthusiasm since we announced this last May has just been off the hook,” said Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Karen Riordan. “Why can’t the golf capital of the world host a PGA tournament here in Myrtle Beach? And the answer is, of course we can do that.”

Riordan said a portion of tournament proceeds will be split between nine area charities:

  • Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina University

  • Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Strand

  • Champion Autism Network

  • Children’s Recovery Center

  • Classy Smiles

  • Help for Kids

  • Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach

  • Project Golf

  • SOS Care

Officials in December said more than 8,000 tickets had already been sold for the tournament, which is slated for May 9-12. Up to 10,000 spectators are expected. There will also be 1,500 hand picked volunteers from more than a dozen states.

“Our history book is filled with major tournaments from all the various golfing associations and organizations, so the club is accustomed to holding big events,” said Dunes Beach and Golf Club president Blair Anderson. “But the Myrtle Beach Classic will be the biggest one to date.”

In addition to a new guest house set to open in April, the course has undergone major renovations to prepare it for play by some of the world’s best golfers. Upgrades include:

  • Expanded putting green

  • Expanded and re-sodded tee boxes

  • New tee box on the 8th hole to play it as a par 4

  • Reconstructed practice chipping area

  • Renovated first tee

  • New tee box and resurfacing on the 14th hole

  • Parking lot and maintenance facility renovations

Tournament director Darren Nelson said on Monday that North Myrtle Beach native Vanna White is set to play in a May 8 pro-am event.

The Golf Network and Peacock will have live coverage of the tournament from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on May 9-10 and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 11-12.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

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