South Carolina Gamecock Nathan Franks Wins “The Q at Myrtle Beach,” Captures Spot in ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic

May 5, 2025

Nathan Franks, 2025 Champion, The Q at Myrtle Beach (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR)

Play-in event featuring aspiring golf professionals and content creators now available on YouTube

Nathan Franks, a senior on the South Carolina men’s golf team, captured the final spot in the 2025 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic with his one-shot victory in The Q at Myrtle Beach, an innovative competition featuring eight aspiring professional golfers and eight influential golf content creators. The Q, which was presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach and PGA TOUR Studios, was played on March 3, 2025, at TPC Myrtle Beach and can be seen on YouTube.

Franks held a two-shot advantage going into the final hole of the 18-hole, stroke-play competition. He was able to hold on with a bogey after hitting his second shot into the water on the par 5 No. 18 to capture a one-shot victory at -3 over Joe Hooks and Tyler Watts. Last year’s runner-up and local Myrtle Beach favorite George Bryan finished T8 at +2.

“Once again, The Q came down to the final hole with an exciting finish,” said Kyle Oland, Director of Marketing, Golf Tourism Solutions. “As viewers will see on the broadcast, this was not an exhibition. These players were truly grinding to gain a spot in the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic. There’s no other competition out there like this.”

Franks will make his PGA Tour debut when he tees it up in the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic on Thursday this week. Following the event, he will go directly to join his Gamecock teammates at the NCAA regional at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington. Offsetting his bogey on No. 18 were two chip-ins during his round and eagles on two of the par 5s.

“To play in a PGA Tour event in my home state is a dream come true,” said Franks. “The Q was a truly unique event with cameras following our every move and playing against guys with millions of followers on social media. It was a little surreal, but I was able to maintain focus and get across the finish line.”

Other highlights of the 2025 Q include:

Sean Walsh was the highest-finishing content creator shooting even par to finish T5.
Creator Michah Morris rebounded from a last place finish in 2024 to T12 at +5.
Watts, a high school junior, was the youngest player in the field.

The Q at Myrtle Beach was designed to build excitement for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic through innovative digital storytelling. All 16 players have their own camera crews documenting their play during the event and have been promoting their participation to their millions of followers. PGA TOUR Studios and Big Bird Agency partnered to produce the event. In addition to creating promotional content for the event, Big Bird Agency also produced player features that add personality and create a deeper connection with The Q at Myrtle Beach players.

The inaugural Q at Myrtle Beach was held in 2024 with professional golfer Matt Atkins (-3) defeating content creator George Bryan IV of The Bryan Bros, in a one-hole playoff. Atkins went on to make the cut in the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic and finished T46.

The debut YouTube release of “The Q at Myrtle Beach” on April 23, 2024, generated more than one million views on the platform and inspired the creation of other creator-centric events such as the PGA TOUR’s Creator Classic. The 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic was honored with the PGA TOUR’s “Best In-Class Element” award for “The Q at Myrtle Beach.” The Classic was one of only 10 award recipients at the TOUR’s year-end tournament meetings in Orlando, Florida, and the sole first-year/dual-field event to be recognized.

2025 |The Q at Myrtle Beach Final Results

1          Nathan Franks              -3
T2        Joe Hooks                     -2
T2        Tyler Watts                   -2
4          Tyler Gutschewski         -1
T5        Jake Albert                   E
T5        Sean Walsh                   E
7          Andrew Swanson          +1
T8        Ben Kruper                   +2
T8        George Bryan                +2
10        Patrick O’Brien              +3
11        Peter Finch                   +4
T12      Drew Sykes                   +5
T12      Micah Morris                +5
T14      Roger Steele                 +6
T14      Kyle Berkshire               +6
16        Fat Perez                      +17

Competitors:

Aspiring Professionals (in alphabetical order):

Jake Albert: Aspiring Pro

From Blacksburg, Virginia.
Ranked 19th in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Finished T2 at the 2024 Junior PGA Championship.
Verbally committed to Auburn University.
Competed in the 2024 and 2025 Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championships.
Earned spot for The Q 2025 as the representative from the PGA of America’s Junior PGA Championship.

Nathan Franks: Aspiring Pro

From Roebuck, South Carolina.
Ranked 82nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Plays college golf at the University of South Carolina.
Won the Puerto Rico Classic and Schenkel Invitational in 2024.
Fractured his elbow in a team bus accident on the way home from the Schenkel.
Golfweek 2024 All American Honorable Mention.
Finished top 16 in the 2022 U.S. Amateur.

Trevor Gutschewski: Aspiring Pro

From Elkhorn, Nebraska.
Signed to play golf at the University of Florida.
13th ranked player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Defeated Tyler Watts in the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Has a good tweet after the victory
His brother, Luke, and father Scott, are both professional golfers
Father, Scott, played in the inaugural ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic last year
All three Gutschewskis played in the same group for the first two days of a Korn Ferry Tour event in 2024.
Earned spot for The Q 2025 as the representative from the USGA’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

Joe Hooks: Aspiring Pro

Played golf at Wayne State University.
Grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
Trying to make it in the professional golf world.
Competed on the APGA Tour.
Has never made a start on the PGA TOUR.
Completed a 100-hole hike last year and set the scoring record that day.

Patrick O’Brien: Aspiring Pro

Got in the Q thru the Myrtle Beach Professional qualifier. Holed a chip on the last hole to win. Shot a 69 (-2) at Thistle Golf Club to earn the spot.
Was one of the top players in Connecticut.
Worked for the First Tee of the Carolinas.
Father to a 6-month-old son.
Attended Coastal Carolina University.
Does not buy new clubs unless one breaks.

Andrew Swanson: Aspiring Pro

College golfer at Clemson University.
From Bluffton, South Carolina.
Ranked 267th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Finished 2nd at the Steelwood Collegiate last year.
Received the NCAA’s “Elite 90 Award for Men’s Golf” in 2024.
Had a top 10 finish in first collegiate tournament.

Drew Sykes: Aspiring Pro

From Littlehampton, England.
Plays college golf at Coastal Carolina University.
Ranked 304th in the European Golf Rankings.
Brother plays college golf at University of Idaho.
Named Sun Belt Conference golfer of the week in 2024.

Tyler Watts: Aspiring Pro

From Huntsville, Alabama.
Ranked 6th in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Finished 3rd at the 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship at TPC Myrtle Beach.
Finished top 5 at The Q at Myrtle Beach last year. During the event he was paired with George Bryan, Matt Atkins and Grant Horvat.
Verbally committed to the University of Tennessee.
2023 Jones Cup Invitational Champion.
2024 U.S. Junior Am runner-up.
Earned spot for The Q 2025 as the representative from the 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship.

Content Creators (in alphabetical order):

Kyle Berkshire: Creator

From Crofton, Maryland.
Played college golf at University of North Texas.
Three-time World Long Drive Champion (2019, 2021, 2023).
Owns the world record long drive of 579.6 yards.
Has 221,000 subscribers on YouTube.

George Bryan, IV: Creator

From Aiken, South Carolina.
Dad and brother are both golf professionals.
Lost a lead on the final hole of The Q at Myrtle Beach in 2024, finishing runner-up in a playoff to Matt Atkins.
Has played in three PGA TOUR events, making one cut.
Played in the 2024 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
Loves playing in matches against his brother Wesley on YouTube
Lost money trying to make it as a pro years ago, which led the creation of Bryan Bros. Golf on YouTube.

Peter Finch: Creator

From England.
Began YouTube as a teaching pro on a driving range.
Was a part of the $100,000 skins game at Solina Golf Club.
Has 719,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Played in the 2024 Q at Myrtle Beach, finishing T6 (+1, 73). He had the second-best finish among creators behind George Bryan.

Ben Kruper: Creator

From Woodbridge, Virginia.
Known as “The Pause King.”
Has been in videos with Grant Horvat, the Bryan Bros, Good Good, Micah Morris, and more.
Won the Good Good Dessert Open with Ashton Gaulin.
Started Ben Kruper Golf on YouTube golf about a year ago.

Micah Morris: Creator

From Kansas City, Kansas.
Looking for redemption in The Q at Myrtle Beach after finishing 16th (+14, 86) in 2024.
Has more than 500,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Competed in the Creator Classic last year.
Recently signed with Titleist.
Played one PGA TOUR Canada event.

Fat Perez: Creator

From Virginia.
Viewed himself as the “underdog” coming in golf and last year at The Q at Myrtle Beach.
Finished 14^th (+9, 81) at The Q in 2024.
Played a few years of collegiate D3 golf.
Father and grandfather were a part of Ryder Cups, U.S. Opens, and more.
Was an accountant in a past life but started golf content creation during COVID.
A huge fan of doing Q&As on his Instagram story.
Participated in the 2024 Creator Classic at East Lake.

Roger Steele: Creator

From Chicago, Illinois.
In-venue host of TGL.
Part of the Creator Council.
Scratch Handicap.
His dad, Roger Steele Sr., a Chicago police officer, introduced him to the game.

Sean Walsh: Creator

From Keller, Texas.
Played college golf at Gonzaga University.
Part of YouTube golf group Good Good.
Has played professionally on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Caddied in The Q at Myrtle Beach in 2024.
Competed in the Creator Classic.
Has played golf in South America, China, Canada, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic.