Worth Watching: 3 Pro Golfers with Prominent Myrtle Beach Ties Tee It Up This Week on PGA TOUR

As the 2025 PGA TOUR season makes its mainland debut Thursday at The American Express in Coachella Valley, California, three of its many storylines feature very recent, prominent ties to “The Golf Capital of the World.”

Defending champion Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win on TOUR since 1991 when he notched his first-ever TOUR win at this event – less than three years removed from hoisting the trophy at the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship at TPC Myrtle Beach. Dunlap’s victory accelerated his transition to full professional status in 2024, where he earned his first win as a pro later in the year.

Dunlap’s victory at the 2021 DJ World Junior was earned against a star-studded field, including the current top three in the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Luke Clanton, Jackson Koivun and Ben James. Clanton was runner-up to Dunlap in 2021 and has already competed in nine PGA TOUR events as an amateur with staggering results, making seven cuts with two runner-up, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. James and Koivun would go on to capture DJ World Junior titles in each of the next two years, respectively.

Dunlap draws Thursday’s 11:41 AM ET tee time at La Quinta Country Club with Sam Burns.

Teen phenom Blades Brown makes his professional debut two hours later at La Quinta (1:42 PM ET), mere months after two prominent Myrtle Beach showings in 2024: a T-4 at the DJ World Junior, and earning a sponsor exemption to compete as an amateur in the PGA TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, where Brown made the cut and finished T-26 at 10-under par.

Wesley Bryan, who along with brother George IV enters year two of The Bryan Bros’ promotional partnership with Play Golf Myrtle Beach, resumes his PGA TOUR duties this week with a 1:20 PM ET Thursday pairing with Ben Silverman on the Pete Dye Stadium Course. Wesley made 18 TOUR starts in 2024 that included the Myrtle Beach Classic and earned five top-25 finishes, including two top-10s and a runner-up at the Corales Puntacana Championship.

To track their progress and that of the entire field, be sure to tune in to The American Express at Golf Channel and ESPN+.