The PGA Tour will debut its first edition of the Myrtle Beach Classic on May 6th, 2024 at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club. Before this tournament, the Tour hosted an 18-hole shootout qualifier on March 4 to determine who would be granted the sponsor’s exemption. It had a 16-player field consisting of several pro golfers and YouTube personalities such as Peter Finch, Micah Morris, Grant Horvat, and George Bryan IV. On April 23, Play Golf Myrtle Beach released an 82-minute video of the entire event on YouTube.
Famous YouTuber Grant Horvat shot a 7 over 79 to finish 10 strokes higher than the winner Matt Atkins. He went on to share his experience of playing in the first-of-its-kind 18-hole shootout qualifier,
“I haven’t felt these emotions and I haven’t felt this amount of pressure in a long time. You know, I’m very lucky to film with some really cool people like Jon Rahm and Bryson. I get nervous, of course, but not to the level that I felt in this and that is something I haven’t felt since college or playing in a tournament and the second it gets serious,”
The YouTube video of the event has already reached over 600K views. Thus, it seems quite evident that the PGA Tour’s tactic to bring in famous YouTubers and media personalities in a qualifier match might have slightly worked in their favor.
Grant Horvat Reacts To Matt Atkins Winning The Qualifier To Secure A Spot At The Myrtle Beach Classic
After the end of 18 holes, Matt Atkins and George Bryan IV had the same 3 under 69 score. They headed to compete in a playoff hole on par-5 18th to decide the winner of the 18-hole shootout. Atkins eventually shot a blistering birdie to earn a sponsor’s exemption ticket at the inaugural PGA Tour event.
Meanwhile, Horvat reacted to Atkins’ sensational win and called the latter an “unbelievable guy.” He praised the Korn Ferry Tour pro for his consistent efforts to get a start on the PGA Tour and was happy for him.
“Huge shout out to Matt. Great guy. And I didn’t even think Matt truly had a chance. Because George had a two-shot lead. I was like, there’s no way this is even in the equation. So I’m rooting so heavily for George. But Matt is an unbelievable guy. And I’m so happy to see him make it past the stage. And you know, get a start on the PGA Tour. He’s been grinding for years. Great golfer, great guy.”
The Korn Ferry Tour pro has enough skills and experience to outclass the entire field and make history at Dunes Golf and Beach Club. But, will the 33-year-old Atkins win the upcoming Myrtle Beach Classic? Only time will tell.
