Organizers of the Myrtle Beach Classic wanted to be creative to drive interest in the inaugural event, and they’ve been recognized for it.
The tournament in May at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club has received the PGA Tour’s 2024 “Best-In-Class Element” award for its innovative feature, The Q at Myrtle Beach.
The honor recognizes the tournament for creativity, audience engagement and impact on the game.
The award was one of 16 presented at the Tour’s annual tournament meetings held in Orlando this past week, which were attended by tournament director Darren Nelson and representatives of tournament sponsors the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Golf Tourism Solutions marketing and technology agency that promotes the Grand Strand market.
The Myrtle Beach Classic was one of 10 tournaments to receive awards out of 41 eligible events, and was the sole first-year event and dual-field event to be recognized.
The $4 million Myrtle Beach Classic was held simultaneously with the $20 million Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte.
The Q at Myrtle Beach was an innovative 16-player qualifier for the tournament featuring social media golf influencers and content creators as well as aspiring professionals that was won by touring pro and South Carolina native Matt Atkins over influencer George Bryan.
It was created by Golf Tourism Solutions and the chamber’s Visit Myrtle Beach, in partnership with the tour, and held on March 4 at TPC Myrtle Beach. Results were kept secret for a month before they were publicized and shared on the creators’ social media platforms.
A 90-minute recap video featuring the competition and behind-the-scenes moments was released on Play Golf Myrtle Beach’s YouTube channel on April 23, which drew over one million views worldwide, according to GTS.
Atkins tied for 46th in the tournament with a score of 6-under-par 278.
“This award underscores how the Myrtle Beach Classic brings fresh energy to the landscape of professional golf,” said Nelson in a press release. “The groundbreaking Q at Myrtle Beach blends the worlds of digital creators and aspiring professionals to redefine the future of the game through innovation and engagement.”
The Q is making a return in 2025 and will again feature a 16-player field comprised of eight influential content creators and eight aspiring professionals. The 18-hole shootout will again be played at TPC Myrtle Beach.
More details about the 2025 participants and schedule will be announced in the coming months.
The Myrtle Beach Classic will be held on May 8-11.
To purchase tickets and for tournament news, visit myrtlebeachclassic.com.
