For the first time in 24 years, the PGA TOUR hits the Grand Strand! That’s right, the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic will be played this weekend at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., features beautiful views of the Atlantic and is minutes away from all your favorite tourist traps. This event promises to feature a “Who? Who?” field, as the Wells Fargo Championship is also being played this weekend. With this kind of field, it’s anyone’s ballgame.
William McGirt won the 2016 Memorial Tournament. He hasn’t done much of anything since then. A Monday qualifier for this event, I believe McGirt’s time on the beach will be cut short.
Dark Horse:
A proud Wofford Terrier, Andrew Novak is having himself a nice year on the Tour, with three Top 10 and five Top 25 finishes on the season. Novak ranks 20th in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, which I believe will be a significant factor this weekend. If Novak is able to keep his strokes low, he should be able to find himself finishing within the Top 25 this weekend. With the course being so close to the ocean, you never know about the wind, though, and what it’ll do to the ball.
Erik van Rooyen is having a very nice 2024 season, with a runner-up finish, two top-ten finishes, and nine made cuts through 12 events. van Rooyen is a known in a field of relatively unknowns this weekend, which can be both a good and bad thing. We predict van Rooyen will shake off the target on his back and continue his 2024 success with a nice finish this week at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Through ten events this season, Daniel Berger is split between cuts made and missed. Nevertheless, he’s the odds-on favorite to take the crown this weekend. With only one Top 25 finish on the season, Berger will need to channel his previous success which has enabled him to be a four-time winner on the TOUR. We predict Berger will do just that and will conquer the field this weekend!
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