This popular Myrtle Beach golf tournament may have to add another course. Here's why

About 2 1/2 months from the start of the event, Family Golf Week, which includes the 21st annual National Father & Son Team Classic, has nearly matched the number of players from last year and is nearing a possible sellout.

More than 620 players have registered for the event, which also features the Parent & Child Team Classic and will be played July 18-21 on at least seven Grand Strand courses.

The event is under new ownership and management this year. Tournament founder Robert Harper of the Southern Dunes Inc. golf management and marketing company sold the event this fall to the locally-owned East Coast Golf Events, a sister company of East Coast Golf Management.

More than 620 players have registered, and the event has room for another 100 players before it sells out for the seven courses scheduled to host tournament rounds.

Participating courses are the TPC Myrtle Beach, Arcadian Shores Golf Club, Rivers Edge Golf Links, Barefoot Resort Love Course, Crow Creek Golf Club, Wachesaw Plantation East and Legends Resort’s Heathland Course.

East Coast president Mike Buccerone said if the event sells out within the next 30 days the company will consider adding an eighth course that would allow for another 50 teams.

“We’re trying to keep the field at a manageable number for each golf course,” Buccerone said. “If we think we’re going to get another 50 teams we could open it up. It could happen. Right now we have seven with the opportunity to add an eighth.”

The Golf Tourism Solutions marketing and promotions agency, which features executives from the Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday marketing cooperative, is assisting with tournament administration and marketing and has helped it grow.

“That has been a great relationship. They have really helped out tremendously,” Buccerone said.

The entry fee for either tournament is $995 per team and includes three rounds of golf, daily lunch, a welcome cookout featuring a putting contest, awards ceremony catered by Logan’s Roadhouse, Family Golf Night featuring equipment demos and Cleveland/Srixon Golf skills contests, and a gift bag valued at $600 per player that includes a $150 gift card that can be used at host courses for merchandise, practice rounds, or food and beverages, or for dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse; a dozen Srixon balls, 2Undr underwear, and an Ahead hat and shirt.

“I think our social media campaign has done well,” Buccerone said, “... and I think reintroducing the welcome package, people are starting to do to the math in their head, how much it costs and what they’re getting back. I think all of that has contributed to the increase.”

“We’re really trying to make a big splash and get people excited. We are very pleased with where we are today.”

Buccerone said 22 percent of the registrants are first-time participants. “”New people coming to the beach is important, that’s what we need,” he said.

The 54-hole events have formats of two-person captain’s choice, better ball and alternate shot.

There are 15 Parent-Child teams and nearly 300 Father-Son teams registered.

Registration will continue into July at www.FamilyGolfWeek.com or by calling 800-833-8798.

Harper moved to Summerville last year to become the pastor there at Knightsville United Methodist Church, but he will still be taking part in the event this year.

He is this year’s tournament honoree as the National Father of the Year, will play with one of his two adult daughters, Maggie, and has agreed to emcee the awards ceremony.

“Robert has brought such a family relationship to this event I think people are excited he’s still a part of it,” Buccerone said.

A solid showing

Smith Knaffle, a 16-year-old junior at St. James High School, and teammate Skylar Thompson, 17, of Buford, Ga., made the cut in the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship but fell in the first round of match play on Monday.

The two high school students, who have both committed to play collegiately at South Carolina, shot a 2-under 70 in Sunday’s second round of stroke play at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Cal., to tie for 27th and earn the 30th seed in match play.

They played their final six holes 3-under par to be among the 32 teams that advanced to match play from a field of 64 teams.

But they fell 4 and 3 to the No. 3 seed in match play, California teenagers Briana Chacon, 16, and Ty Akabane, 17, who shot an 8-under 136 in stroke play. Chacon and Akabane made five birdies in the first 14 holes Monday.

Knaffle's father, Jim Knaffle, the superintendent at International Club of Myrtle Beach, caddied for her at the tournament.

Top players return

The PGA Tour is back in the Carolinas this week for the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte from Thursday through Sunday, and as usual the tournament has one of the stronger fields for a regular PGA Tour event.

In addition to 14-time major champion Tiger Woods, 16 of the top 30 players in the world are committed to the event, including six of the top 10.

Those in the top 30 include No. 2 Justin Thomas, No. 6 Rickie Fowler, No. 7 Rory McIlroy, No. 8 Hideki Matsuyama, No. 9 Brooks Koepka, No. 10 Patrick Reed, No. 12 Tommy Fleetwood, No. 13 Paul Casey, No. 14 Jason Day, No. 17 Alex Noren, No. 19 Phil Mickelson, No. 20 Tyrell Hatton, No. 23 Brian Harman, No. 24 Kevin Kisner and No. 29 Xander Scauffele.

Other notables include former Myrtle Beach resident Roberto Diaz, Vijay Singh, Gary Woodland, Francesco Molinari, Tony Finau, Ross Fisher, Jason Dufner and Si Woo Kim.

The Wells Fargo Championship was held at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C., last year because the 2017 PGA Championship was held at Quail Hollow Club.

This story was originally published April 30, 2018 at 8:52 PM with the headline "This popular Myrtle Beach golf tournament may have to add another course. Here's why."