Grand Strand’s Dunes Golf and Beach Club to host annual FedExCup event
A new PGA TOUR tournament, the Myrtle Beach Classic, sponsored by Visit Myrtle Beach will debut in 2024 along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. A four-year agreement establishing the event was announced today during a ceremony at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, with South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Duane Parrish in attendance along with representatives from the PGA TOUR, Visit Myrtle Beach, Golf Tourism Solutions, the City of Myrtle Beach and Horry County, South Carolina.
The Myrtle Beach Classic will be part of the PGA TOUR’s 2024 FedExCup Regular Season as a Full-Field additional event played the same week as a Designated event. The tournament will feature a purse of $3.9 million with 300 FedExCup points awarded to the champion.
Tournament dates for the Myrtle Beach Classic will be announced at a later date along with the full 2024 FedExCup schedule. The 2024 PGA TOUR schedule season begins in January with the FedExCup Regular Season, followed by three FedExCup Playoffs events in August and the FedExCup Fall starting in September.
“We are thrilled to announce the debut of the Myrtle Beach Classic, an exciting new playing opportunity for our members in one of our country’s most recognized and visited destinations,” said PGA TOUR President Tyler Dennis. “With its incredible passion for golf, the Myrtle Beach community is a natural fit to bring this tournament to life. We look forward to partnering with Visit Myrtle Beach for a first-class tournament at a championship venue in Dunes Golf and Beach Club.”
The Myrtle Beach Classic will be one of two stops in the Palmetto State for the PGA TOUR in 2024, along with the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, an event that made its debut in 1969.
“South Carolina is known for our beaches and golf, and generations of visitors have enjoyed both in Myrtle Beach,” said Duane Parrish, director, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “The Palmetto State has the weather, the landscapes and the variety of courses that make us the perfect destination for every kind of golf vacation. Hosting PGA TOUR events gives us an unparalleled opportunity to share that allure with golf viewers around the world. This four-year partnership is a huge win for Myrtle Beach golf and for the greater tourism industry, and it will undoubtedly inspire countless trips to ‘The Beach’ and to South Carolina as a whole.”
“Visit Myrtle Beach is excited to serve as title sponsor of this amazing new PGA TOUR event,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO, Visit Myrtle Beach. “Myrtle Beach has long been described as the golf capital of the world with over 90 courses for golf enthusiasts. We see the Myrtle Beach Classic as a great opportunity to show the world what an incredible destination we have. With top notch golf, 60 miles of gorgeous beaches, over 2,000 great restaurants and dozens of fun attractions and amusements, the Myrtle Beach area is a great vacation choice.”
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, a Robert Trent Jones-designed course, was incorporated in May 1948 and hosted the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on PGA TOUR Champions from 1994 to 1999, with winners that included Raymond Floyd, Jim Colbert, Jay Sigel, Gil Morgan, Hale Irwin and Gary McCord.
The Dunes Club was also the site of PGA TOUR Q-School Finals in October 1973, with three-time defending NCAA champion Ben Crenshaw taking medalist honors. The following month, the future World Golf Hall of Fame member would become only the second player ever at the time to win in his first start as a PGA TOUR member.
Additional comments
Brenda Bethune, City of Myrtle Beach Mayor: “The Myrtle Beach Classic at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club will showcase all that Myrtle Beach has to offer for our visitors and residents. This oceanfront course is in the heart of the Grand Strand, and Myrtle Beach is excited to welcome the PGA TOUR’s players and fans to what we know will be a fantastic event on next year’s schedule. Myrtle Beach is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country as more people discover our year-round amenities and activities. This will put Myrtle Beach on the world’s golf stage.”
Johnny Gardner, Chairman, Horry County Council: “It’s no secret that Horry County is a premier destination for golf and sports tourism as a whole. The Myrtle Beach Classic highlights our area’s continued prestige as a top destination for tourism and investment, and we gladly welcome this new PGA TOUR event to Horry County.”
Tracy Conner, President, Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association and spokesperson for Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS): “We’re thrilled to join in celebrating an unprecedented day of achievement for the Myrtle Beach golf market. It is fitting that the Grand Strand’s flagship venue for 75 years, with its strong roots in championship golf, will help usher in a new era of competition at the highest level. GTS and Visit Myrtle Beach are eager to work with the PGA TOUR and all our event partners in getting this process rolling in earnest.”
Collins Wakefield, President, Dunes Golf and Beach Club: “We’re proud to partner with the PGA TOUR in hosting the Myrtle Beach Classic and are extremely honored to have been selected as the host course among the many high quality championship venues offered along the Grand Strand. In every phase of the competitive and spectator experience, TOUR players and fans alike will see firsthand what our members and visiting golfers have known for decades – that the Dunes Golf and Beach Club takes extreme pride in representing the ultimate Myrtle Beach golf experience. We are excited to showcase it on the global stage.”