The PGA Tour will be inaugurating the Myrtle Beach Classic at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina. The event is the third opposite-field event of this season and will be played at the same time as the Wells Fargo Championship. Unlike the signature event, the Myrtle Beach Classic or the additional event would have a large field with low-ranked players.

The field has at least 38 PGA Tour winners, including Brandt Snedeker and four-time winner Daniel Berger. The field was first headed by Billy Horschel; however, he is now removed because he has qualified for the Wells Fargo Championship. Golfers will be giving it their all to win the inaugural edition of the tournament and win a good chunk of the hefty prize money.

Top 5 contenders at the Myrtle Beach Classic

1. Erik van Rooyen: Because of his victory at the World Wide Technology Championship, Erik van Rooyen could start his 2024 season at the Sentry. He did that with a T22 finish at the Kapalua Plantation Course. His first top 25 was shot in Hawaii. He followed that up with two more top 25s at the American Express and the AT&T Pebble Pro-Am.

So far, van Rooyen has come close to tasting the third victory of his career at the Cognizant Classic. However, a three-shot deficit broke his dream, and now he will try to get it again at the Myrtle Beach Classic, as the field would be relatively easier to beat.

2. Ben Griffin: The 88th-ranked golfer on the Official World Golf Rankings is still chasing his breakthrough maiden victory on the PGA Tour. In 2024, Ben Griffin saw some spark in his talents at American Express when he finished T9, the only top 10 in the 2024 season.

Nonetheless, the 28-year-old has had six top-30s. In the last three starts, Griffin had two top-15 finishes, T14 at the Corales Puntacana Championship and T13 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, while he missed the Zurich Classic’s cutline. If Griffin follows a similar pattern, he might not be just in the top 15 this time, but he might as well bring home his first PGA Tour silverware.

3. Beau Hossler: Aged 29, Beau Hossler is probably the only one who missed the cut only three times, which is less than even Jordan Spieth. In the first six starts of his season, Hossler accomplished four top-30 finishes; the last came at the Cognizant Classic. Then, at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, Hossler started pretty strong.

After the opening round, Hossler was leading the Houston Open field. However, he tumbled down in the last three rounds and finished T57. There was a glimpse of what Hossler could achieve, and it might show up at the Funes Golf and Beach Club once again!

4. Troy Merritt: At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Troy Merritt‘s name was all over the headlines. The 38-year-old was placed second after the 36 holes concluded at the TPC Craig Ranch. Although he could not salvage his last two rounds and finished T9, which was still better than any of the last six events he played. He missed the cut five times and was T67 at the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Coming to the Myrtle Beach Classic, Merritt now has boosted confidence and motivation from his previous performance and will try to improve it to be in contention once again.

5. S.H. Kim: The 25-year-old South Korean has been trying to pull out his best finishes in recent days. At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Kim shot four rounds of 68-64-68-64, finishing 20 under 264 and tied for fourth on the leaderboard. After playing 11 events and missing the cut five times, this was Kim’s first top-10 finish of the season.

Slowly and steadily, the South Korean pro is gaining control over his game and form. At the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, where a new Myrtle Beach Classic will be debuting, Kim too might showcase his all-new gameplay.

Prize money and the defending champion of the Myrtle Beach Classic

The Myrtle Beach Classic, as said, will be making its debut on the PGA Tour. Thus, there is no defending champion, and this year, the first-ever winner will be announced. How much the winner will take home? Comparatively less than what is offered at the Wells Fargo Championship. However, it is still a hefty check.

The Myrtle Beach Classic has a prize purse of $4 million, out of which the winner will receive the standard 18% cut. This comes out to $720,000. On top of that, there will be 300 FedExCup points given to the winner. The 132-player field will be teeing up at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club on May 9th, and the winner will be announced on May 12. Who will win the First Myrtle Beach Classic? Share your predictions in the comments below!