World Am Draws Nearly 4,000 Players to Myrtle Beach
 

by BRUCE VITTNER

Imagine — playing a four-day tournament with players from around the world of your own age and handicap. Getting to see what it’s like to see your name on a big screen leader board. Visiting the world’s largest 19th hole each evening for free food and drink. And the best part is meeting some of the nicest and friendliest people who will become lasting friends.

Well, you have the opportunity to do this at the end of August each year in the golf capital of the world, Myrtle Beach. This reporter ventured down to Myrtle Beach for the fourth straight year to play in the 24th World Amateur tournament. It is the highlight of my golfing year, and really gets the competitive juices flowing.

When you hear the words WORLD AM, you might think that is hyperbole, but then you see that there are men and women from 48 states and 196 players from 31 other countries. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday runs the event. They have 85 courses that belong to their association, and this year 58 courses were used for the tournament. You receive your course assignments a few weeks before the event and you pick up your packet on Sunday, the day before the start of the tournament. The Myrtle Beach Convention Center is hopping with people.

PGA TOUR Superstore is the principal sponsor of the event. They are headquartered in Atlanta, but have two stores in Myrtle Beach and set up a mega store right inside the Convention Center for the duration of the tournament. “We certainly are trying to increase our name recognition, but we truly want to make this more fun and entertaining for the competitors and their guests,” said Bill Hamlin from the PGA TOUR Superstore during a press conference last year.

The Convention Center is the place to be each evening. This year Annika Sorenstam was the guest speaker the first evening. The Myrtle Beach Sun had written a story that day announcing her engagement, but she deflected those questions and talked about putting with another golfing celebrity, Dave Pelz. Annika explained her technique and signed autographs. Pelz told the thousand golfers present that most putts are missed because of speed. “You can read the green perfectly, but if you hit it too hard it won’t take the break and we all know what happens when you hit it too short. Work on your pace of putts,” he said. Many of the large manufacturing companies were on site giving players the opportunity to try out new equipment.

Each player must submit a current USGA Handicap index or foreign equivalent and a handicap verification form from their club. For past participants the handicaps have been saved for the last 15 years and the player is given the lower of their current handicap or past results at the World Am. “We want this to be a fair and equitable tournament, so we are diligent in following up with each person’s handicap,” said Handicap Chairman Brad “Greenie” Greenstein. Handicaps are also adjusted down when a player shoots an abnormally low round. Less than ten percent shoot their handicap over a four-day tournament because of the pressure and unfamiliarity of the courses.

The best part of the event is the people you meet. The flights are arranged by handicaps and age groups, with each having about 100 players. This year there were 334 women who participated with an average handicap index of 19.8. All my opponents were within two shots of my handicap. It is truly a match against your peers. The oldest player was 83 and the youngest was 16. Fifteen participants have played all 24 years.

The camaraderie makes the event. I heard some of the best jokes and laughed all week, except for those bleeping shots into the water. The best story this year was Bob Shatto of Myrtle Beach by way of Dayton, Ohio. I noticed he shot 132 the third round. With an 11 handicap? Come to find out his scoring partner put a 44 in the 18th hole box rather than in the total for nine holes box. He left thinking he had a 96, but alas the par on the last hole was registered as 44. Pays to check your scorecard, but we all had a good laugh the last day as he played in our group. The return rate of participants ranges from 70-75 percent each year, a truly remarkable number that shows that the players really enjoy the event.

Plans are already underway for the big 25th anniversary tournament in 2008. To get more information about the World Am visit their website at www.worldamgolf.com or call 800-833-8798. Next year’s event will be held on August 25-28.