Kurt Russell to Vanna White: Everything & everyone we saw at Myrtle Beach’s PGA
Golf carts, shuttles and helicopters descended on South Carolina on a sunny Wednesday morning as the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic kicked off with a celebrity pro-am round.
This year’s Professional Golf Association tournament in the Grand Strand will run Thursday through Sunday at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, but Wednesday’s Pro-Am event was a more laid-back affair that brought actors, athletes and influencers out on the green.
Action on the green started soon after sunrise. North Myrtle Beach native and “Wheel of Fortune” TV star Vanna White returned as an honorary ambassador to tee off Wednesday, with plans to appear on the golf channel Thursday. Meteorologist and local celebrity Ed Piotrowski also represented the Grand Strand in the Pro-Am.
“I’m honored to be ambassador because I was born and raised here, and this is home to me, and it just is so special to be part of this,” White said.
Squirrels darted across the course and the occasional alligator surfaced in the water hazards, spectators milled around the course, pausing for plays. Crowds gradually grew through the clear morning, gathering at vendors and leisure areas. Visitors also had the opportunity to head over to the beachfront for an ocean view.
A host of actors teed off, Michael Chiklis, Matt Corboy, Jennie Garth, Galen Gering, Carmine Giovinazzo, Greg Kinnear, Michael Pena and Academy Award winner Kurt Russell.
“When you make a bad shot, it gives you a chance to make a great shot, and I think that’s kind of what’s fun to watch out here,” said Russell. “You get to watch the pros be really, really good at it, and then the celebrities – the amateurs – come along, and if they make a really bad shot, it gives them a chance to make a really good shot, and if they do, the crowd really appreciates that.”
It wasn’t all television stars. Brooks Koepka, winner of five major golf championships swung Wednesday, as did Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris, tennis great John McEnroe and former Major League Baseball player Nick Swisher.
Norris was joined by McLaren team CEO Zak Brown, as Formula 1 promoted a partnership with the Myrtle Beach Classic. Racing fans could find the McLaren Mastercard Formula by the first tee.
Other high-profile amateurs included Shark Tank entrepreneur Robert Herjavec, golf influencer and long drive competitor Cass Marie, comedian Andrew Santino and Sunday Night Football broadcaster Melissa Stark.
Some local leaders, like Myrtle Beach city manager Jonathan “Fox” Simons, also played. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Jimmy Gray joined in, as did Greater Myrtle Beach Collaborative CEO Matt Pivarnik.
As morning players finished the course, a flyover jet streaked over the course around 2 p.m. to signal the opening ceremony. Although celebrity play wraps Wednesday, the real competition has yet to begin.
For dozens of competitors, the Myrtle Beach Classic offers a $4 million purse, including a $720,000 winning prize. For everyone else, the tournament offers a weekend outdoors at the beach.