The Myrtle Beach Classic has a new name, and possibly an extended future that includes elevated status and A-list celebrities participating in the tournament pro-am.
ONEflight International, a global private jet service operator, has joined the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce as a co-title sponsor for the next three years, and the new name of the PGA Tour tournament is the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
ONEFlight CEO Ferren Rajput said Tuesday he intends to involve his celebrity ambassadors who use the aviation service, and further leverage his connections to make the tournament’s primary Wednesday pro-am a showcase of luminaries.
The transformation of the Wednesday pro-am could begin with the second playing of the tournament this May 8-11, as Rajput named Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell as celebrities he hopes to bring in this year.
“I’d like it to start off with a big bang on a Wednesday,” Rajput said at a press conference at tournament host The Dunes Golf and Beach Club. “Make the pro-am a powerful launch. Kick it out of the gates on a very high scale and then let them funnel through the rest of the four days. I’m bringing it right now. My objective is this year.”
North Myrtle Beach native Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune fame is expected to participate for a second year, as well.
Rajput said he intends to provide longterm support to the event.
The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic doesn’t have a guaranteed future past the current four-year deal between the chamber, now ONEflight and the PGA Tour that extends through the 2027 tournament.
It is currently a dual-field event with a $4 million purse being played simultaneously with another PGA Tour tournament with a $20 million purse that features the top 70 or so players on the tour.
Though he wouldn’t divulge the dollar amount of his sponsorship, Rajput said his company expects “to spend a few millions to this event” over the next three years, though “there’s bigger numbers being applied from my perspective with us flying people in and out that are going to be involved, too. So I’m committing at a much higher scale than the [sponsorship] number.”
Rajput said he hopes to help the event elevate to a regular, stand-alone PGA Tour event that would require a purse of at least $7 million and up to nearly $10 million currently. Finding a spot on the PGA Tour calendar that would be conducive to Myrtle Beach’s climate beginning in 2028 would also be required.
“Let’s see how the next three years go, and I truly believe we’re going to be continuing way beyond that, because this is just the beginning. I plan on being here for awhile,” Rajput said.
“I want to see this thing moved up to a stand-alone and not a dual, pairing up with somebody else,” Rajput continued. “In fact I’ve been discussing that with the tour and Myrtle Beach to say let’s separate this as a standalone event, because I think that elevates it by itself. That’s what we want to work on going forward. I think that’s on the forefront before anything else. . . . I want this purse to grow tremendously, and I’m here to help with whatever it takes to do that.”
Rajput said he envisions the Wednesday pro-am becoming an event in itself, with at least two paying amateurs playing with a celebrity and PGA Tour pro in each grouping.
“Whether that’s 10 foursomes or 15 foursomes, I don’t know where it goes,” Rajput said. “My objective is to do as much as I can do and bring as many [celebrities] as I can at least to create enough buzz here to where people make the Wednesday a big show, versus let’s wait until what happens on Friday and Saturday and whatnot.”
ONEflight’s brand ambassadors include Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway; actors Costner, Russell, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Jason Bateman; actress Courtney Cox; entrepreneurs Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank fame; political figure and financier Anthony Scaramucci; and winemaker and philanthropist Michael Mondavi.
ONEflight, which was established in 2010 and is based in Denver, has been targeting golf sponsorships.
It is a partner with Myrtle Beach Classic tournament operator SportFive as a secondary sponsor of two of SportFive’s other PGA Tour events – both in California, including the American Express tournament played Jan 18-21.
The company is also heavily invested in the new indoor TGL Golf League featuring many of the game’s biggest names, including founders Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, as the league’s official private aviation partner.
In addition to celebrities, ONEflight’s ambassadors include eight PGA Tour members, such as Akshay Bhatia, Sahith Theegala, Scott Stallings, Patrick Rogers, Denny McCarthy and Adam Schenk.
Though none of those six played in Myrtle Beach last year, other PGA Tour players Rajput spoke to about Myrtle Beach had high praise for the event.
“Speaking to some of the PGA players who played here last year, they truly loved it,” Rajput said. “. . . You come here for the experience and the better weather and the beauty of Myrtle Beach.”
In Myrtle Beach, ONEflight is expected to entertain clients and potential clients through a private hospitality venue on the 18th hole, pro-am participation and a private dinner during the week.
This year, the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic is being played simultaneously with the $20 million Truist Championship at The Philadelphia Cricket Club, which will feature the top 70 or so PGA Tour players.
The tournament opposite the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic will return in 2026 to Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, which is hosting the PGA Championship in May.
Tournament director Darren Nelson of SportFive said the added investment from ONEflight will be used to enhance the tournament experience for all involved in year two and beyond.
Elevation in the event could be as basic as improved signage and will likely include more and elevated food options on the course, including food trucks in the Fan Zone area near the 17th green and 18th tee.
Nelson said more local restaurants and more seafood offerings are likely. “Call it kind of a taste of Myrtle Beach in a way,” he said.
Nelson said the bands playing the post-round concerts on Thursday and Saturday nights will also be more well-known. The Swingin’ Medallions and country duo Thompson Square performed at the inaugural event.
The 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic welcomed more than 40,000 spectators, donated $225,000 to local charities and generated $15.4 million in economic impact, according to the chamber.
“With Ferren’s help we’re going to meet the goal of setting this tournament, and that was to elevate the brand of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but also to enhance the quality of life here for our local residents, and this event I think does both of those things,” said Tracy Conner, interim president and CEO of the chamber and Visit Myrtle Beach.
PGA Tour vice president of tournament business affairs Kelly Jensen said the tour was pleased with the Myrtle Beach Classic’s first year.
“We were thrilled with the first year,” Jensen said. “It exceeded our expectations. We have been playing professional golf in the state of South Carolina for a long time down in Hilton Head where the RBC Heritage has been for over 50 years. They continue to set records with crowds down there, and this event I see on a same type of growth trajectory. Year one was just the foundation.”
The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic was televised for two hours per day on Golf Channel last year. It will again be televised on Golf Channel as well as online on ESPN+ and PGA Tour Live, though the TV schedule hasn’t been released.
Registration for approximately 1,500 volunteer positions are open on the tournament website. Volunteers will fall under 34 committees.
Ticket sales for weekly and daily general admission as well as three shared hospitality venues – Club 17, Club 18 and Clubhouse – opened on Nov. 20. Club 18 tickets quickly became scarce, Nelson said.
Private hospitality and spots in the Monday and Wednesday pro-ams are also available. The 2024 Monday pro-am sold out, and Wednesday pro-am came close to selling out.
To purchase tickets visit myrtlebeachclassic.com.
