While there is only one winner each year on the course in the PGA Tour’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, there are several winners in the Grand Strand community.
Tournament organizers held a check presentation Monday at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, awarding a total of $225,000 to nine local charities.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand received $50,000 from the event, six charities received $26,750, Help 4 Kids received $10,000, and the Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina received $4,500.
“This money means a great deal to us. We can’t do what we do without it,” said Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach executive director Tracy Gardner. “You look for funding in every corner you can, businesses, banks, you name it. So getting this was huge.
“I never would have thought we would have gotten this type of funding. I was shocked when they called me initially when we first got the grant. I actually started crying because it was much more than I anticipated. I didn’t know what to expect.”
The same nine charities received proceeds from the event last year as well, and tournament director Darren Nelson said the same nine will again receive a total of at least $225,000 next year.
The recipients were:
Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand located in Myrtle Beach, which serves children in the area. The money has allowed the club to help 170 kids with programs from computer learning, basic education skills and recreation.
Project Golf, which has programs for beginners, youth and military veterans, including many who are disabled. The donation has allowed the program to purchase adaptive golf carts and increase classes.
SOS Care, which assists individuals and families who are facing the challenges of autism and intellectual disabilities. The donations allowed the organization to hire a job coach for an employment program and help adults with autism or intellectual disabilities find employment and live independently.
Champion Autism Network, which launched a League of Champions for people with autism or intellectual disabilities ages 13 and older, and helps enhance the quality of life for people living with autism.
Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach is a crisis agency and food pantry that has been helping community members meet their needs and pay bills since 1971, and assists 800 households per month, according to Gardner.
SC Smiles Dental provides dental care for young children throughout the Strand.
Children’s Recovery Center provides services to child abuse victims including free medical exams, and has assisted 120 children over the past year while also hiring a Spanish-speaking counseler in Georgetown.
Help 4 Kids, which is also known as Backpack Buddies, feeds 3,200 children per week from grades K-12 and also provides school supplies, clothing, etc.
Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina allows mothers to send Hero Boxes stocked with toiletries and personal items to men and women in the U.S. military around the world on holidays. Local chapter president Carol Dion said 1,070 care boxes were sent over seven holidays last year.
‘This is an incredible amount of money for us,“ said Louise Carson, executive director of the Children’s Recovery Center. “When I tell people how much help it is to the Children’s Recovery Center they are just blown away. I feel really lucky and we are really honored to be a recipient.”
Representatives of the charities, as well as other area charities, also have an opportunity to volunteer at concession stands during the tournament to raise money for their causes.
Nelson said the receiving charities are selected by a tournament advisory board that consists of local business leaders, and the application process is closed at this time.
Part of the PGA Tour’s business model for its tournaments includes charitable donations to local organizations, and the ONEflight has awarded $450,000 in two years. The tour says donations have totaled more than $4.5 billion to date, which is more than all other major sports leagues combined.
“It’s probably the most fun day of the year to hear their stories and the impact they’re having with their organizations on the Grand Strand,” Nelson said. “Yeah, we run a golf tournament, big deal, right. But what they’re doing is very meaningful.”
The third ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic will be played May 7-10 at The Dunes Club. Tickets will go on sale this winter and volunteer opportunities will become available early in 2026.
Economic impact
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce through Visit Myrtle Beach, the tournament’s primary sponsor, released a study Monday that determined the 2025 tournament generated a total economic impact of $15.8 million, which is up from last year’s $15.4 million.
The study is based on calculations by Destinations International (DI), a standard for measuring the effect events have on communities.
Other findings and information released by the chamber:
With inclement weather on tournament weekend, attendance was down approximately 5,000 to 36,000 over the four days of play.
There was a 6% increase in of out-of-town visitors, which brought more money into the local economy. Local residents attending the tournament are not factored into the economic impact calculation.
More than $400,000 in merchandise was purchased during the event, mostly through local vendor Native Sons, and more than $700,000 was spent on food and beverages.
Viewership of the eight hours of live television coverage and replays on Golf Channel and licensed media partners across 73 countries and territories increased by a million in 2025 to 3.53 million, according to the PGA Tour.
Social media impressions from the tournament and PGA Tour social media channels increased from 20 million in 2024 to 31 million this year, according to the tour.
The Q Myrtle Beach, a unique ONEflight qualifying event featuring social media influencers and content creators, and aspiring pros, generated 541,000 views and 273,000 hours of watch time on Play Golf Myrtle Beach’s YouTube channel, according to the Golf Tourism Solutions agency that promotes the Strand.
