What is planned for the World Am and Father & Son golf tournaments in Myrtle Beach
For now, the two largest golf tournaments in the Myrtle Beach area are scheduled to go on as planned this summer, though their social gathering aspects will likely be altered.
The 37th PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is scheduled to be played Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 on up to 60 courses, and the National Father & Son Team Classic is scheduled for July 15-18 on eight courses as part of Family Golf Week.
“We’ve gone through plans A, B, C, D, the works, anything from postponing the event to not having the event,” said World Am tournament director Scott Tomasello. “We feel confident a golf tournament will be held on the dates we initially planned.”
The World Am, which is the world’s largest single-site tournament, has more than 1,000 players registered, while Family Golf Week has surpassed 500 entries.
The coronavirus COVID-19 has led organizers to cancel the World Am’s Largest 19th hole expo that nornally includes food, drinks, vendors, live entertainment and guest speakers at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center after each of the first four rounds.
COVID-19 may also alter Family Golf Week’s welcome party, demo night and post-tournament awards party, which are held outdoors.
“We could play the event today but we couldn’t congregate in a group,” said Bill Golden, president and CEO of the Golf Tourism Solutions technology and marketing agency that promotes the Myrtle Beach market and operates the World Am. “We hope to not cancel the event, so we are doing everything we can do to make sure we can have an event, if we’re able to, and understanding what that event can look like if we need to modify it.”
To avoid players gathering at golf courses in large groups, GTS expects World Am flights to have fewer competitors, players to tee off with tee times rather than shotgun starts, and the current area policy of one rider per cart to be maintained.
“If we’re unable to congregate as a group, how does that event look, if it’s purely just golf without the ability to have a large group,” Golden said. “Those are the options we’re challenged with. What can we do to make that event attractive if it’s golf only.”
The World Am has featured more than 3,000 players from nearly every state and more than 20 countries in each of the past couple years.
“Realizing the fact that we won’t have all the information we’re going to need to understand what the environment is going to be like in August, we’re going to have to hedge our bets and be able to make some educated guesses and be able to put together an event that we’re confident we can pull off when we announce the new plans for the event,” Golden said.
The tournament began accepting entries on March 11 and surpassed 1,000 registered players on May 5, and the majority of registered players are from drive markets so travel shouldn’t be an issue.
“That’s still obviously very good all things considered,” Tomasello said. “I think people are biding their time until we have positive momentum, which we’re starting to see. Year to date is obviously down, but all things considered 1,000 people for any golf tournament is wildly successful.
“We saw a decent amount of numbers over the weekend signing up, and I think it was just in conjunction with the state and other states even opening at the same time.”
A postponement is still a possibility but GTS is hoping to avoid it, and a full cancellation is unlikely.
“A postponement certainly would be a second option before any conversation about cancellation, and that is not something we want to do is cancel this event,” Golden said. “Even if it’s modified and smaller, lets have this event. Our players are so passionate and loyal and love golf so much and love Myrtle Beach so much, let’s do something special for them during this difficult year and we’ll come back stronger for it next year.”
The tournament flights players based on age, gender and handicap and is open to all golfers 17 and older. An early bird entry fee of $435 is available until June 11 and entries by Thursday will be elligible to win randomly drawn prizes from a $10,000 prize pool. Registration and information is available at https://myrtlebeachworldamateur.com/.
The 23rd Father-Son is joined by a Parent-Child tournament during Family Golf Week, which in 2019 featured more than 650 players from 40 states and three foreign countries. It is operated by East Coast Golf Events.
The GTS-operated Veterans Golf Classic has been rescheduled from May 17-20 to Sept. 27-30. The event was sold out at 450 players. The majority have remained registered and spots that open from cancellations will be reopened this summer at veteransclassicgolf.com.
The two-person team event will be played on 12 courses with formats of best ball, scramble and modified alternate shot over three rounds. At least one player on each two-person team must have served in the five branches of the U.S. military including the Coast Guard.
DJ school honored
For the second consecutive year, the Dustin Johnson Golf School at TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet has earned acclaim from Golf Digest. The instruction facility has been named to Golf Digest’s 2020 Editors’ Choice list of the “Best Golf Schools & Academies.”
There are just 24 golf schools listed including renowned facilities such as the Michael Breed Golf Academy in New York, Dave Pelz Golf Schools in Texas and the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
The Dustin Johnson Golf School joins two other Southeast region golf schools in returning to Golf Digest’s “Best Golf Schools” list for 2020: the Tommy Cuthbert Golf Learning Center at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston and the Sea Island Golf Performance Center in St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Earlier this year, Golf Digest included Dustin Johnson Golf School Director of Coaching Allen Terrell among South Carolina’s honorees in the magazine’s “Best Teachers in the State” list for 2019-2020.
FGI makes donation
Founders Group International, Myrtle Beach’s leading golf course ownership group with 21 courses, donated $3,300 to Community Kitchen of Myrtle Beach in March. The money was raised by FGI employees who pledged a percentage of their earnings in 2019 to assist Community Kitchen in its efforts to feed the hungry.
The Community Kitchen of Myrtle Beach nonprofit has fed the hungry for 27 years and serves more than 100,000 free meals annually. It serves the working poor, senior citizens, veterans, children, transients and the homeless.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 2:52 PM.
