The Can-Am Junior Team Matches celebrated their 27th anniversary this past weekend at Wachesaw Plantation Club.
The event that emanated from Myrtle Beach’s annual Can-Am Days is not only enduring, it is thriving as it reaches record heights approaching its fourth decade.
“The membership really gets behind this event. We have tremendous support,” said Ross Desmond, Wachesaw Plantation Club general manager and chief operating officer. “I think it’s just a desire for us to want to make these kids feel as special as we possibly can.”
The matches began in 1999 at the now-closed Bay Tree Golf Club and moved to Wachesaw Plantation after three years.
They annually feature the top eight boys and eight girls junior golfers in Ontario, Canada, facing the top eight boys and eight girls in South Carolina based on the state’s Heritage Classic Foundation junior rankings. The South Carolina Golf Association and SC Junior Golf Association operate the event in cooperation with Wachesaw Plantation members.
The Can-Am matches concluded Sunday with 16 singles matches. They followed Saturday’s two-person team best ball with a boy and girl from each country paired, and a Friday junior-member tournament featuring 32 foursomes comprised of Wachesaw members playing with one Can-Am junior each.
The tournament has about 100 sponsors who are all Wachesaw members, including four businesses that are operated by members.
There are also 50 volunteers for the matches from the club membership, whose duties include hosting South Carolina players in their homes and serving in on-course positions during play. “It’s definitely a team effort,” Desmond said.
“We’ve gotten some corporate members that we’ve engaged, all of which are members of the club, and they certainly have gotten excited and it’s just allowed us to do a few new things,” Desmond said. “I think there has just been a desire to continue to elevate and make this tournament better each year, and build upon the success we’ve had over the last 20-plus years of hosting this event.”
Increasing club support is reflected in the increase in junior-member teams from 16 to 32 over the past couple years, with a record number of participants and sponsorships this year, which organizers believe will result in a record amount of money raised.
The event raises money for the SC Junior Golf Foundation, which largely goes to its Par Grants program through its PAR (Player Assistance Reserve) Fund that provides free entry into events for financially qualifying youth.
“There is a desire to make sure each [Can-Am] party is helped, and with the growth of the event I think we’re going to be able to do more things both in the local community and for both of our organizations to continue to grow the game of golf,” said Alex Hamilton, director of the SCJGF and head coach of Team South Carolina.
“Especially with the additional funds, the additional membership support that has been coming in the past couple years, we’re looking to expand our outreach even further,” Hamilton said.
The SCJGA operates the Hootie & the Blowfish One-Day event series on the Grand Strand.
John Lopez, a 36-year Wachesaw Plantation member and former 24-year South Carolina Golf Association board member, had been the junior matches tournament director since he helped bring the event to Wachesaw in 2002. Club member John Meyer has taken over tournament director duties from Lopez.
The South Carolina team holds a 21-5 advantage in the matches and has won four of five in the 2020s, with Team Ontario’s win coming last year. They weren’t played in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Impressive alumni list
Past participants from Canada include PGA Tour winners Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith, current PGA Tour member Sudarshan Yellamaraju, and current or former LPGA Tour members Brittany Marchand, Augusta James and Rebecca Lee-Bentham.
Past participants from South Carolina include current or former PGA Tour members Dustin Johnson, Bill Haas, Kevin Kisner, Carson Young, Scott Brown, Andrew Novak, Matt NeSmith and Jacob Bridgeman, former LPGA Tour member Lauren Stephenson and U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Jensen Castle.
“For this club to hopefully see a future PGA Tour or LPGA Tour star right here on their home course, I think is phenomenal,” Hamilton said.
Participants this year are committed to colleges that include South Carolina, Clemson, College of Charleston, Wake Forest, Purdue, Loyola-Maryland, Western Carolina, Wofford, UNC Wilmington, Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. Ella Kate Barnett of Galivants Ferry is one of two competitors who are committed to Anderson College.
“For both of our organizations it’s something special for our kids,” Hamilton said. “That’s the reason I have a job is to try to elevate these kids’ experience and encourage them to pursue the game as far as it will take them.”
The Ontario team traveled to the Grand Strand about a week before the matches and played in a junior tournament last Tuesday and Wednesday at Legends Golf Resort that featured 88 players, all from Ontario. Team Ontario members Michael Vivone and Kaprice Park won the boys and girls titles, respectively.
“Our [golf] season is still over a month away at home, so the opportunity to come down here and get some practice in, get a jump start on our season, get an opportunity to play on green grass at good facilities is something special,” said Reggie Millage, head provincial coach of Golf Ontario and head coach of the Ontario junior team. “Then the Can-Am Matches just elevates it even more.”
The entourage includes a mental coach, strength and conditioning coach, and Ryan Finn, the chief sport officer of Golf Ontario.
Because Golf Ontario is a nonprofit, government-sponsored organization, Team Ontario was nearly unable to come to the matches last year due to the political rhetoric and tariffs between the countries initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I think this is such an important event to our athletes and their development, and just something we don’t want to miss, so we’re going to do everything possible to come down here,” Millage said. “We feel the love and support from the club and participants and people of South Carolina, so I don’t think [the political discord] is an issue. As long as we’re able to come we’re going to keep doing it.”
