Actor Anthony Michael Hall and several former members of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball have committed to play in a new Myrtle Beach celebrity golf tournament.
The Champions Fore Autism Celebrity Classic will be held at Legends Golf Resort’s Parkland Course this upcoming April 24, with several other affiliated social events.
The event is expected to include more than 30 celebrities.
Former NFL players who have already committed include Brad Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings), Bernie Kosar (Cleveland Browns), Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens), Mike Tolbert (CCU, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers), Yancey Thigpen (Pittsburgh Steelers), Adrian Murrell (NY Jets, Arizona Cardinals), Darryl Byrd (Los Angeles Raiders), Frank Garcia (Panthers, St. Louis Rams), Connor Barth (Buccaneers), Shaun Draughn (Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers), Lardarius Webb (Ravens), Eugene Robinson (Seattle Seahawks), Koren Robinson (Seahawks), James Anderson (Panthers), Walter Rasby (Detroit Lions, Panthers), Evan Oglesby (Dallas Cowboys, Ravens), and Mike Dempsey (Buccaneers).
Former NBA players who have committed include Chris Duhon (LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls), Dale Davis (Indiana Pacers), and Gerald Henderson (Charlotte Hornets).
Former MLB players who have committed include Otis Nixon (Atlanta Braves), Trot Nixon (Boston Red Sox), Tony Womack (Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates), and Jeff Juden (Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals).
Other commitments include WNBA player Ivory Latta, wrestler Ernest “The Cat” Miller, magician/mentalist Carl Michael, former Clemson basketball player Wayne Buckingham, and actor/director Justin Wheelon.
Cost of the tournament is $2,000 per foursome and interested players and teams can register at https://birdease.com/33583/register. It is being conducted by SEU Promotions, which operates several tournaments on the Grand Strand.
The tournament benefits Champion Autism Network, which helps create judgment-free experiences for people with autism and supports more than 900 Strand families, according to the organization’s executive director Becky Large.
“I’m excited because it provides awareness and highlights the need for more services to the autism community, especially as they transition into adulthood,” said Dempsey, whose 23-year-old daughter Kellie is autistic. “People always focus on autistic children when they’re young. Then when they go into adulthood that’s when the challenges really happen. My daughter has had a lot of challeges. The transition process is not that easy for those kids: getting real jobs, the employment challenges, all those things.”
Tournament chairman Don Emery said the City of Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce are expected to support the event.
Horry County, Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach have all been designated as “autism friendly” by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) through CAN.
The tournament’s affiliated events include a Meet And Greet from 6-9 p.m. on April 23 at PopStroke followed by a pre-tournament party beginning at 9:30 p.m. at Crocodile Rocks Dueling Piano Bar; a rooftop dinner at Riptydz Oceanfront Grille & Rooftop Bar after play from 6-9 p.m. on April 24 followed by a party at Vizionz Lounge & Live Music Bar beginning at 9 p.m. featuring The 100 Grand Band; and a 10 a.m. breakfast at Beachfront Kitchen & Bar on April 25 for celebrity participants.
The breakfast is being called The Breakfast Club in honor of Hall’s performance in the movie of the name. Hall’s many other film credits include Sixteen Candles and Weird Science. Recently, he held the main role in the Amazon Prime Video series Reacher.
