MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – As the PGA TOUR comes to The Golf Capital of the World for the first time with the debut of the Myrtle Beach Classic, the tournament will feature a one-of-a-kind qualifying tournament with the winner receiving a sponsor exemption into the TOUR event.
Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS) and Visit Myrtle Beach will host “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” a 16-player, 18-hole shootout on March 4 at TPC Myrtle Beach with the winner receiving a coveted spot in the official PGA TOUR event contested at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, May 6-12. The field includes 16 players – many with ties to the state of South Carolina – highlighted by eight of the game’s most prominent golf content creators. All professional and amateur competitors meet PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations for sponsor exemptions, requiring a USGA handicap of 0.0 or better, and are eligible for PGA TOUR competition should they qualify.
While “The Q at Myrtle Beach” will be closed to the public, a 90-minute video will be released on Play Golf Myrtle Beach’s YouTube page on April 23, and the creators will post content on their respective channels documenting their experiences.
“Fueled by our love of golf and belief in the magic of a Myrtle Beach golf experience, GTS is thrilled to host ‘The Q at Myrtle Beach’ and welcome the players to The Golf Capital of the World,” said Ryan Cannon, executive director of GTS.
Since 1990, 12 players have won on the PGA TOUR playing on a sponsor exemption. Most recently, University of Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap won the 2024 American Express on a sponsor exemption and has since turned professional and accepted TOUR membership.
See below for the 16-player field (alphabetical):
Matt Atkins – The USC Aiken alum played six seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour where he won the 2017 Mexico Championship. Among his 25 PGA TOUR starts, Atkins finished T38 at The RSM Classic in November 2023.
George Bryan – The three-time All-American at the University of South Carolina made the cut in his lone PGA TOUR start at the 2023 Bermuda Championship. Bryan has more than 410,000 total subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Jay Card III – The High Point University alum has made 39 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and has three top-10s, most recently at the 2023 Wichita Open (T7).
Morgan Deneen – The former Coastal Carolina University star and 2018 Sun Belt Champion is the assistant pro at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club and has made three PGA TOUR starts, most recently the 2023 Fortinet Championship.
Peter Finch – Based out of the UK, has more than 1.25 million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok and X.
Grant Horvat – Played collegiately at Palm Beach Atlantic University and has more than 1.35 million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Luke Kwon – Member of Good Good Golf, the University of Oklahoma alum has made over 50 starts across PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tours and has one win on PGA TOUR China. Kwon has nearly 400,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok. Good Good Golf has more than 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
Micah Morris – The Texas native made one PGA TOUR Canada start in 2023 and features more than 1 million subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Turk Pettit – The 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Individual Champion played college golf at Clemson.
Dan Rapaport – Member of ForePlay and Barstool Sports, he is known as one of the game’s best playing golf media members. The Northwestern alum was featured extensively in Netflix’s “Full Swing,” and has more than 250,000 combined subscribers and followers on X, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Scott Stevens – The University of South Carolina alum recorded one victory and three additional top-10s on PGA TOUR Canada in 2022 and made 21 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2023.
Nick Stubbe (Fat Perez) – Known as Fat Perez, Nick Stubbe is a member of the iconic group Bob Does Sports. Fat Perez features more than 1 million combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
Tyler Watts – The high school sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama won the Jones Cup Junior Invitational in December 2023.
Jamie Wilson – A former All-SEC golfer at the University of South Carolina, Wilson has made two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Mason Nut or Cole Lantz of BustaJack – The BustaJack duo will compete in a playoff match to determine who earns a spot in The Q at Myrtle Beach. They have more than 350,000 combined subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok.
The final spot in the field will go to a Myrtle Beach-area PGA professional who earns their spot via a local qualifier on February 19.
TPC Myrtle Beach, a Tom Fazio-Lanny Wadkins design, has been ranked among America’s top 100 public courses and has long been one of the area’s premier big event venues. The course hosted the PGA TOUR Champions’ 2000 Charles Schwab Cup Championship and the NCAA Division I Myrtle Beach Regional tournament in 2019, among other high-level events.
The Myrtle Beach Classic will be played May 6-12, 2024, at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club. The tournament will feature a purse of $3.9 million with 300 FedExCup points awarded to the champion.
