Rainy day washes out attendance at Myrtle Beach Classic PGA Tournament
Attendance on the final day of the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic PGA Tournament waned as a storm hit the area and soaked the golf course.
Workers and attendees noted that the number of people showing up to watch the golf tournament was far below that of previous days.
Food truck workers Kalyn Raber and Kendall Neely said their shift started slow Sunday morning. Neely said they opened around 11 a.m. and by noon they had made only two orders.
“We’re waiting for people to come by. If they come by,” Raber said.
There was on-and-off rain Saturday night, leading into steady precipitation Sunday morning. Scattered showers continued Sunday afternoon and are expected to last through the beginning of the week, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Ian Boatman.
The storm caused the golf tournament to start several hours late, with tee times beginning at 10:40 a.m. compared to 6:50 a.m. on previous days, The Sun News reported.
“With Mother’s Day, I think it was almost a blessing in a certain way because we did push tee times back,” said tournament director Darren Nelson. “People can be with their mothers and their families in the morning.”
As golfers hit the putting green in the morning, crowds of 10 or so people would gather, depending on the golfers. Covered areas had more people, even if there was no golf to watch.
Mary Wallace said the tournament was empty compared to Saturday. She attended the PGA tournament with her husband, Denny Wallace, both weekend days.
Despite the smaller crowds, those in attendance said they were having fun. Ashley Thompkins brought her elementary-age son Austin Rhodes to the tournament. Rhodes, who said he started playing golf three months ago, looked ready to join the competition while dressed in his golf shirt, Myrtle Beach Classic hat and shorts.
Thompkins said she wanted to spend time with Rhodes for Mother’s Day and he wanted to attend the PGA tournament. Rhodes practiced his swing with an invisible golf club while watching the professionals.
“If he’s not practicing, he’s watching golf videos,” Thompkins said.
In the rain, Thompkins walked around with an umbrella while Rhodes trotted ahead, looking happy to be damp as long as he got to watch golf.
The wet weather also caused Dunes Golf and Beach Club staff to stay on top of the course. Employees were seen trying to disperse puddles by digging up the ground to give the water more areas to flow.
Despite a wet Sunday, the tournament as a whole was a success, said Tracy Conner, the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce interim president.
“The tournament and event has been a huge success, more so than last year,” Conner said. “It’s disappointing we’re having some rain. Very excited about the success of the tournament.”
This story was originally published May 11, 2025 at 2:39 PM.
