ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic Wins South Carolina Governor’s Cup Award for Best-in-Class Event
The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic announced today that Myrtle Beach’s PGA TOUR event has won this year’s South Carolina Governor’s Cup Award, a prestigious honor given to an attraction, destination or development that demonstrates extraordinary success in tourism in the Palmetto State.
The 2025 edition of the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic generated $15.8 million in economic impact, saw television viewership increase by more than one million, and delivered over 31 million social media impressions across the week. The tournament also raised $225,000 for nine local charities, directly supporting organizations that serve local families, youth and community needs.
This also marked the first year in which ONEflight International, a private aviation company, served as the co-title sponsor along with Visit Myrtle Beach. As part of the tournament, players who finished among the top 50 received five complimentary flight hours to help with their travel courtesy of ONEflight. Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown recently made headlines as he used this benefit to travel between tournaments. He flew from The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic to Southern California for The American Express this past January.
“We are humbled and honored to receive one of South Carolina’s most distinguished awards,” said Darren Nelson, the Tournament Director for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
“For our tournament to be recognized as the top attraction within South Carolina, a state full of amazing destinations, is a credit to our ability to drive economic impact, support charitable efforts, and lead in innovation.”
Before the tournament, an amateur qualifier that included top digital content creators brought the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic to new heights. “The Q at Myrtle Beach” saw creators compete across an 18-hole shootout in March. The winner received a spot in the field via a sponsor’s exemption. Then, during the week of the tournament, “The Q at Myrtle Beach” aired on YouTube in a drama-filled recap video, drawing over one million views worldwide. Expanded content activations saw younger audiences and fans around the world engage on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook as well as YouTube. Nathan Franks, a senior on the South Carolina men’s golf team at the time, won the qualifier, then took advantage of the opportunity by making the cut and tying for 37th.
In addition, 36,000 golf fans attended the event with almost 10,000 lodging room nights booked across the Grand Strand. The tournament also helped expand golf rounds across the region, with 285,000 rounds of golf played in May 2025, a record for the Myrtle Beach area that is widely regarded as ‘The Golf Capital of the World.’
Overall, winning the South Carolina Governor’s Cup award helps elevate Myrtle Beach as a premier golf destination while delivering substantial economic and social benefits to the community. It sets the stage for future growth in both the event and regional tourism.
This year’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic is slated for May 7-10, 2026, and will return to The Dunes Golf and Beach Club for a third consecutive year.
