The PGA Tour separated from embattled ONEflight International as a partner Thursday, a PGA Tour official confirmed, bringing an end to the private aviation company’s sponsorship of the tour’s Myrtle Beach event.
The tournament is reverting back to its original name prior to ONEflight’s involvement as a co-title sponsor over the past two years, and will be played for the fourth time next May 13-16 at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club as the Myrtle Beach Classic.
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, through its Visit Myrtle Beach marketing arm, will again be the sole title sponsor of the approximate $4 million tournament with support from its other primary sponsorship partners of the past three years.
They are the Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS) marketing, technology and events agency that promotes the Myrtle Beach market; Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association; and South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
The Myrtle Beach Classic also has a new tournament director who is familiar to everyone in the Grand Strand golf industry.
Steve Mays has been hired by SportFive, the sports marketing and events agency that operates the tournament through an agreement with the tour, to lead the event.
Mays has been in the Myrtle Beach golf industry for nearly three decades, most recently as the nine-year president of Founders Group International, which owns and operates 21 Strand courses. He left that post in June and said he began his new role last week.
“We posted the job nationally and we had some very strong candidates that had tournament director experience from other tournaments, but Steve’s resume rose to the top,” Myrtle Beach Classic executive chairman Tracy Conner said. “I think really what is going to set Steve apart is working here in the market for the past 25-plus years.”
Undetermined future
The inaugural four-year contract between the tour and the chamber expires following the 2027 tournament, and no extension or renewal has been signed.
Conner, the former interim chamber president who assists the tournament in securing sponsorships, and a tour official said the chamber and other local partners are in ongoing discussions with the PGA Tour about extending the tournament beyond 2027.
A decision could be made as early as January.
A tour source said Myrtle Beach remains an important golf market for the circuit, with a strong host venue in The Dunes Club, significant community engagement and continued local support.
ONEflight had been a significant contributor to the event, adding additional funding that allowed the event to add or upgrade amenities, and involving numerous celebrities in the pre-tournament Wednesday pro-am in each of the past two events.
Celebrity participants included actors Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, Rob Riggle, Greg Kinnear and Jennie Garth, Formula 1 racecar driver Lando Norris, tennis legend John McEnroe, retired baseball player Nick Swisher, Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec, and sports broadcaster Melissa Stark.
But the company abruptly suspended operations on Sept. 16 and posted on its website that it was “pausing all flight activity for the next 30 days, or until further notice, while we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of our current operations and status.”
With the 30 days expiring, ONEflight, which is headquartered in Denver, has not released any information about its future as of Wednesday, and the PGA Tour has moved on.
The Tour said it made repeated attempts to engage ONEflight regarding the suspension of its operations and its ability to meet its obligations going forward.
In addition to the Myrtle Beach Classic, OneFlight has had multiple PGA Tour players as ambassadors, and sponsored the indoor TGL golf league.
No representatives of ONEflight were present for this year’s tournament charity check presentation on Sept. 28 at The Dunes Club.
The tour is reorganizing the structure of its tournaments in 2028 and beyond, and will feature a Championship Series and a Challenger Series, according to PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
The Myrtle Beach Classic would likely fit into the Challenger Series, which will feature purses of at least $4 million – the purse for Myrtle Beach in each of its first three years – or a series of fall events.
Tournament organizers are working to find a sponsor to replace ONEflight, possibly for the 2027 event but especially to continue the tournament.
“We’re actively talking to companies as we speak to become a co-title,” Conner said. “It’s early in the process and this could take many directions over the coming weeks and months. We’re going to work hard to continue this event here in Myrtle Beach. It’s been a great event for our community.
“. . . The conversations are very positive right now with the companies that we’re speaking with, but each of those companies’ objectives are different,” Conner added. “So first, are we able to come together with one of these companies, and then what are their objectives for becoming a title sponsor for our event?”
A local leader
Mays replaces Darren Nelson, who had been the tournament director since the Myrtle Beach Classic’s inception but apparently separated from SportFive in August.
Prior to leading Founders Group International, Mays spent 13 years with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a marketing cooperative that was the precursor to GTS. He held multiple roles including promotions and marketing director, and tournaments and events director overseeing events including the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship, the world’s largest single-site golf tournament that featured 3,000 players in August.
He also held executive positions with the National Golf Management course management company, and the Tee Time Central tee time network – both on the Strand.
The Coastal Carolina University graduate worked as an event manager for Golf Digest in the 1990s, director of travel and tourism sales for Golf Channel in 2010-11, and vice president of marketing and sales for LHWH Advertising and PR in 2011-12.
“I’ve spent my career helping grow golf in Myrtle Beach and being a part of the Myrtle Beach golf community, so it’s a real honor to take on this role,” Mays said. “The Myrtle Beach Classic quickly became an important part of this community and a great way to showcase this destination, so I’m excited to help build on what the tournament has already brought to the Grand Strand and continue to build and make it better for years to come.”
Mays said tournament organizers plan to open both volunteer registration and ticket sales in December for next year’s tournament.
“The first order of business is to deliver an exceptional event for 2027, and really digging in to see what we need to do to make that happen,” Mays said. “We’re excited Visit Myrtle Beach is continuing on as the title sponsor, as they have from Day 1.”
Mays doesn’t envision only holding the position for seven months.
“We’re all actively engaged with the PGA Tour, but the big thing is to review their upcoming schedule and see what that looks like in the future,” Mays said. “I know the tour loves Myrtle Beach and loves our area, and loves the golf course. . . . It’s a popular event on tour and I think it has a bright future.”
