ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic Wins South Carolina Governor’s Cup Award for Best-in-Class Event

Myrtle Beach, S.C. (February 11, 2026) – The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic announced today that Myrtle Beach’s PGA TOUR event has won this year’s South Carolina Governor’s Cup Award, a prestigious honor given to an attraction, destination or development that demonstrates extraordinary success in tourism in the Palmetto State.

The 2025 edition of the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic generated $15.8 million in economic impact, saw television viewership increase by more than one million, and delivered over 31 million social media impressions across the week. The tournament also raised $225,000 for nine local charities, directly supporting organizations that serve local families, youth and community needs.

This also marked the first year in which ONEflight International, a private aviation company, served as the co-title sponsor along with Visit Myrtle Beach. As part of the tournament, players who finished among the top 50 received five complimentary flight hours to help with their travel courtesy of ONEflight. Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown recently made headlines as he used this benefit to travel between tournaments. He flew from The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic to Southern California for The American Express this past January.

“We are humbled and honored to receive one of South Carolina’s most distinguished awards,” said Darren Nelson, the Tournament Director for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

“For our tournament to be recognized as the top attraction within South Carolina, a state full of amazing destinations, is a credit to our ability to drive economic impact, support charitable efforts, and lead in innovation.”

Before the tournament, an amateur qualifier that included top digital content creators brought the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic to new heights. “The Q at Myrtle Beach” saw creators compete across an 18-hole shootout in March. The winner received a spot in the field via a sponsor’s exemption. Then, during the week of the tournament, “The Q at Myrtle Beach” aired on YouTube in a drama-filled recap video, drawing over one million views worldwide. Expanded content activations saw younger audiences and fans around the world engage on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook as well as YouTube. Nathan Franks, a senior on the South Carolina men’s golf team at the time, won the qualifier, then took advantage of the opportunity by making the cut and tying for 37th.

In addition, 36,000 golf fans attended the event with almost 10,000 lodging room nights booked across the Grand Strand. The tournament also helped expand golf rounds across the region, with 285,000 rounds of golf played in May 2025, a record for the Myrtle Beach area that is widely regarded as ‘The Golf Capital of the World.’

Overall, winning the South Carolina Governor’s Cup award helps elevate Myrtle Beach as a premier golf destination while delivering substantial economic and social benefits to the community. It sets the stage for future growth in both the event and regional tourism.

This year’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic is slated for May 7-10, 2026, and will return to the Dunes Golf and Beach Club for a third consecutive year.

ABOUT ONEFLIGHT MYRTLE BEACH CLASSIC

The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, a dual-field PGA TOUR event hosting 120 players, will be played May 7-10, 2026, at Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World.” Updated information on the 2026 event can be found at myrtlebeachclassic.com. 

ABOUT PGA TOUR

By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.

The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Americas and administers PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry and PGA TOUR University. TOUR members represent the world’s best players, hailing from 28 countries and territories. Showcasing the biggest moments in the sport with history and legacy on the line, the PGA TOUR has long-term domestic distribution partnerships for broadcast coverage on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel and video streaming service on ESPN+. Internationally, PGA TOUR coverage is available across 200+ countries and territories in 30 languages via 39 broadcast and digital partners. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $4 billion.

Fans can follow the PGA TOUR  via: the PGA TOUR app and PGATOUR.COM; social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram (in Spanish, Korean and Japanese), LinkedIn, TikTok, X (in English, Spanish and Japanese); the PGA TOUR Channel on Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) platforms such as the Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, PlutoTV, Xumo, LG Channels, Tubi, Amazon’s Freevee, FireTV and Alexa devices; and WhatsApp (in English and Spanish),  WeChat, Douyin.

ABOUT ONEFLIGHT INTERNATIONAL

ONEflight International is a global private aviation company revolutionizing the luxury private jet travel industry since the company’s founding in 2010. It is the fastest growing market leader developing and implementing technological solutions for non-commercial air travel through BAJit, its proprietary online Book a Jet platform. With over 700 world-class selected aircraft charter operator partnerships and a network of 7,000 private jets worldwide, ONEflight empowers members to seamlessly search, select and book a private flight with a fleet of aircraft at their disposal and excellent customer service from booking to disembarking. Visit www.ONEflight.net for more information.

ONEflight firmly believes you don’t need to OWN; you just need to FLY.

For media inquiries, please contact: Dave Rajyagor – VP Strategic Initiatives, [email protected], 720.575.4303.

ABOUT VISIT MYRTLE BEACH

Visit Myrtle Beach is the destination marketing arm of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, which serves 14 communities that stretch 60 miles along the northeast coast of South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Little River, Loris, Atlantic Beach, Carolina Forest, Conway, Aynor, Socastee, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, and Pawleys Island. Visit Myrtle Beach promotes tourism through various partnerships and initiatives to advance the economic success of the region, popularly known as the Grand Strand and the “Golf Capital of the World.” Along with world-class golf and over 90 golf courses, Myrtle Beach offers fresh coastal Carolina cuisine, vibrant entertainment and family attractions, shopping and more. For more information, go to VisitMyrtleBeach.com.

ABOUT SPORTFIVE

SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that delivers customer-centric solutions based on trust and transparency, deep industry experience and global relationships, digital intelligence, and innovation. SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rightsholders, media platforms and fans to create and enable contemporary partnerships in sports.

While creating and growing long-term value for all, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through innovative digital solutions and strives to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports.

Being at the center of professional sport SPORTFIVE will use its unique position, to make a positive contribution to sustainability and to live up to the social and economic duty and responsibility, which sport and consequently all parties involved, also have. SPORTFIVE operates with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Soccer, Golf, Esports, Motorsport, Handball, Tennis, Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Olympics, and Multi-Sport Events and many more.