PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship Honored

Tournament Named Champion of Economic Impact by Sports Destination Management Magazine

(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) – The PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship has been named a Champion of Economic Impact by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market.

The world’s largest single site golf tournament, more than 3,200 players participated in the 35th annual World Am, which was played August 27-31. The economic impact of the event was estimated at $14,300,000.

The World Am is always held the week before Labor Day, historically a soft spot in the Grand Strand’s tourism calendar, providing a late summer economic surge.

“The World Am was founded in 1984 to help stimulate the local economy and that remains a primary goal of the event,” said Scott Tomasello, the tournament director for Golf Tourism Solutions, the company that manages the event. “We are honored to be named a Champion of Economic Impact. The award and the financial impact the event has on the area is a byproduct of the tournament’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for our players, who are incredibly loyal to the event.”

After 72 holes of competition, all flight winners and ties advanced to the Flight Winner’s Playoff at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Club, where Greg Williams became the first South Carolinian in 21 years to be crowned World Champion. The World Am featured 66 flights and 55 of Myrtle Beach’s best courses hosted the event.

As appealing as the competition was, it was only half the fun at the World Am. Each night players gathered at the World’s Largest 19th Hole, which consumed all 120,000-square-feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, to enjoy free food and drinks, a 70-exhibitor golf expo, live entertainment, demo areas, celebrity appearances and more.

The World’s Largest 19th Hole also featured a jumbotron that displayed the scores from each flight, allowing players to see their name on the leaderboard.

For more information on the tournament, visit MyrtleBeachWorldAmateur.com.