Top golfers are unlikely to play in Myrtle Beach, SC’s first PGA tournament? Here’s why
As the Myrtle Beach area’s first PGA Tour tournament nears, interest is high.
Myrtle Beach Classic organizers expect around 40,000 spectators and about 10,000 people a day to attend the tournament, which will occur May 9-12.
Myrtle Beach Classic Tournament Director Darren Nelson said the occasion has already sold more than 18,000 tickets and will probably sell 50 percent of its general admission tickets the month before the event.
The question now is who those spectators will watch tee off at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, one of the most historic golf courses on the Grand Strand. While some might expect top-ranked golfers to participate, the Myrtle Beach Classic field will probably not feature many of those individuals.
Nelson said the golfers who finished in the final top 50 of the PGA Tour’s fall 2023 FedEx Cup rankings are not eligible to play in The Myrtle Beach Classic. That means Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy and others will probably not tee off on hole one at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club May 9, 2024.
Instead, players ranked 51 through or lower are qualified. Indeed, most who finished in the top 50 will instead play at the Wells Fargo Championship, a PGA Tour signature event in Charlotte, NC, hosted concurrently with the Myrtle Beach Classic.
As a PGA Tour signature event, the Wells Fargo Championship’s purse is $20 million, five times larger than the Myrtle Beach Classic’s total amount. It also offers 700 FedExCup points, more than double the points the Myrtle Beach Classic does, as more points help players qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.
“The title sponsor looked at several options. They looked at a PGA Tour event; they looked at PGA Tour Champions; they looked at LPGA options,” Nelson added. “They felt like this type of event was the best fit this time for Myrtle Beach on the investment level.”
Nelson also said it was important to successfully execute the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic before looking to the future. He added that the purse could increase in the future, too.
“We’re setting the foundation,” He added. “Maybe this is a different type of event in the future.”
Nelson said he’ll know the final line-up for sure May 3, 2024.
In fact, the tournament will offer interested parties an up-close experience as part of one of their pro-ams before the tournament. Spots are still available for the May 8, 2024 version, where three amateurs play a full round of golf with two pros and attend an evening after-party.
