Golf News

Founders Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year

Myrtle Beach’s newest golf course wasted little time rising to the top of the leaderboard. Founders Club, a South Strand gem, has earned 2011 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year honors.

“To be selected the best among the abundance of golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area is a tremendous honor,” said Tommy Smothers, general manager of Classic Golf Group. “Founders Club has only been around for three years and it is always in impeccable condition, so this award is a testament to all of the hard work the staff there has done to earn this award.”
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The Dunes Golf and Beach Club Named one of Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses"

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club has been ranked number 46 in Golf Digest’s 2009-2010 “America’s Top 100 Great Public Courses” listing, published in the April issue. The prestigious “Top 100 You Can Play” list is published biennially and ranks America’s best public access and resort courses. Although a semi-private club, The Dunes Club qualifies for this list of the country’s top public and resort golf courses by allowing limited package play through member hotels and package providers.

Established in 1966, the 2009-2010 Golf Digest ranking is the 24th edition of the ultimate honor paid to American golf course architecture. The rankings are based on extensive play and scrutiny of thousands of courses every two years by a panel of over 900 low handicap golfers. The courses were judged on various criteria: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience. After the panelists submitted their evaluations, Golf Digest averages the scores of the categories and totals the averages to determine the overall rankings. A course must be two years old to be considered for “America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.”

“It's an honor for The Dunes Club to be recognized as one of ‘America's Top 100’ courses,” said Dennis Nicholl, Dunes Club head golf professional. “This Robert Trent Jones’ design continues to stand the test of time as one of the best courses in the United States and I congratulate our staff for their hard work to make sure that our members and guests have a first-class experience each time.”

The Dunes Club golf course was built in 1947 and is recognized as one of Robert Trent Jones’ finest designs. Since its inception, it has proved to be a world-class course, offering the best in golf and member services. A consensus “Top 100” course, the Dunes Club has strived to continually improve the course. In December of 2003, the course reopened after the completion of a greens restoration project led by Rees Jones, the son of Dunes Club architect Robert Trent Jones. The project included the installation A-1 bent grass and changes to the first, eighth, 13th, 16th and 18th greens that allowed them to remain consistent with the design’s original intent and to handle the increased speed of the new grass. The restoration of the greens came on the heels of a $6 million dollar project, completed in 2001 that improved on-course drainage, the practice facilities and tennis center, in addition to enhancing the clubhouse.

Hole 13, better known as “Waterloo” is Dunes Club’s signature hole and has been honored by GOLF Magazine and Sports Illustrated as one of the greatest golf holes in the world. The par 5 challenge runs 590 yards from the back tees and golfers must circumvent Singleton Lake that runs down the entire right side of the fairway.

This summer, The Dunes Golf & Beach Club will host the 97th Carolinas Amateur and qualifying for the Southern Amateur. The club has also been home to the Senior Tour Championship, USGA Women’s Open Championship, PGA TOUR Qualifying School, and the Golf Writer’s Association of America (GWAA) Tournaments, among many other high-profile golf events.

ESPN’S “Mike & Mike in the Morning” to Greet the Sports World from Myrtle Beach, S.C. this Spring

The popular ESPN Radio show “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” featuring hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, will broadcast from the 17th annual Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Club on April 11. The four-hour radio show will also be simulcast live on ESPN2 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The announcement was made today by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.

The live Mike & Mike broadcast will be the culmination of a first quarter promotion that will feature Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday on ESPN Radio and ESPNRadio.com. Mike & Mike is one of the most popular sports talk shows in the nation with more than 11 million weekly listeners on ESPN Radio and viewers on ESPN2.

“What better way to spread the word about a Myrtle Beach golf vacation than with the nation’s most popular sports talk radio show,” Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday president Bill Golden said. “Greeny and Golic have a huge national following and to have them talking about coming to Myrtle Beach for three months leading up to the Masters, when golf is at its zenith, will be great for the destination.”

Mike & Mike in the Morning is a national radio program focused on the world of sports. It is produced by ESPN Radio and is syndicated by ABC Radio Networks on over 130 stations nationwide. In January 2006, it began simulcasting on ESPN2. The show features sports news, analysis and interviews. Guests include big-name athletes, coaches and commentators. Last year, the popular duo published a book entitled, “Mike & Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life” which debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Best Seller List.

A national contest promotion began on January 17 and will award one winner and the guest of their choice a Mike & Mike prize package that includes a trip to Myrtle Beach to meet Greeny and Golic, two Sunday practice rounds at The Dye Club, two player spots in the Monday After The Masters golf tournament, VIP tickets to the “Hootie & Friends” concert at the House of Blues, a behind the scenes meet-and-greet with Mike & Mike, and other prizes.

The Monday After the Masters is one of the largest celebrity pro-am golf tournaments in the country and benefits the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.

For more information about the 17th Annual Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After The Masters Pro-Am Golf Tournament, visit HootieGolf.com.

National Golf Foundation Survey Ranks Myrtle Beach as the top US Golf Destination for Course Quality and Overall Value

In a recent survey conducted by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), golfers ranked Myrtle Beach, S.C., as the nation’s best destination for quality of golf and value.

The online survey polled more than 5,000 people and 71 percent of them said the Myrtle Beach area offered a better quality and selection of golf than any other destination. Only three percent of those surveyed felt golf in Myrtle Beach was “not quite as good.” Sixty percent of the respondents ranked the Grand Strand as better in terms of price and affordability.

Just as impressively, more than 60 percent of the people who have visited the Grand Strand in the last two years are considered active promoters of the area. The survey asked golfers to compare Myrtle Beach to destinations such as Orlando, Fla., the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in Arizona, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama and the Fort Myers/Naples/Tampa markets in Florida, among other competitive areas.

The survey also inquired about demographic information, media consumption habits, and golf trip characteristics.

“The (NGF) survey is very encouraging and validates that Myrtle Beach is the most popular golf destination in the country,” said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “It’s about great golf at a great value and Myrtle Beach delivers that better than any other destination. The information gleaned from the report will aid in our efforts to expand Myrtle Beach’s golf travel market share.”

Myrtle Beach area golf courses have received more awards collectively than any other destination in the world. Seven Grand Strand courses were named to Golf Digest’s most recent list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.”

Dunes Club, Caledonia Earn National Honors

The honors keep piling up for two of the most popular Myrtle Beach golf courses – Dunes Club and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

Golfweek magazine, one of the game’s leading weekly publications, released its list of the country’s best Resort Courses and the two Myrtle Beach golf favorites were among the most highly regarded. Caledonia, a Mike Strantz design located in Pawleys Island, was ranked No. 21, and the Dunes Club, a classic Robert Trent Jones layout, was No. 30.

The honors are nothing new for either course. Both Caledonia and the Dunes Club are also ranked among the nation’s top 100 public layouts by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.

Caledonia was Strantz’s first solo design and it’s equal parts art and architecture. Set on the remains of a centuries old rice plantation, the course oozes lowcountry beauty. The half-mile road into Caledonia is framed by soaring live oak trees and is arguably the most dramatic entrance in golf. The course itself is no less stunning, capped by the 18th hole, which plays over water into an antebellum style clubhouse.

The Dunes Club has long been one of the most revered Myrtle Beach golf courses. The course was the area’s first nationally renowned layout, hosting the US Women’s Open, the finals of the PGA Tour’s Q-School and six Senior Tour Championships. The Dunes Club plays in the shadow of the nearby Atlantic Ocean and it’s a superb traditional design.

Read more at GolfHoliday.com

Spirts Airlines adds more nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach

Spirit Airlines will add five more nonstop seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach begining in May.

Five more cities will have seasonal nonstop service to Myrtle Beach International Airport. Visitors from Washington, DC; Plattsburgh, NY; Niagara Falls, NY; Latrobe, PA; and Charleston, WV will begin flying into Myrtle Beach on May 5, 2011.

For more information and flight schedules, visit: SpiritAir.com

David Feherty To Headline 19th Hole Entertainment at World Amateur

David Feherty To Headline 19th Hole Entertainment at World Amateur One of golf's biggest personalities is coming to one of the game's biggest parties. CBS analyst, Golf Magazine columnist and renowned funnyman David Feherty will be headlining the entertainment at the World Largest 19th Hole on Thursday, September 2. Feherty, a newly minted American citizen, has grown into one of golf's most popular television personalities through his keen analysis and sense of humor. He will address Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship participants on the event's final night, sharing stories from his years in the game as a player and an announcer. "We are thrilled that David Feherty will be appearing at the World's Largest 19th Hole," said Dave Macpherson, the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship tournament director. “He is one of the game's most popular personalities and should contribute greatly to the experience of World Am players.” Feherty played on both the European and PGA Tours, winning five times on the European circuit and twice finishing in the top 10 in the Order of Merit. He played two years on the PGA Tour, recording a second place finish at the New England Open. Feherty had three top 10 finishes in the Majors, including a fourth place effort at the 1994 British Open, and he played in the famed 1991 Ryder Cup, scoring 1.5 points. In addition to his golf work, Feherty has become a tireless advocate for American troops wounded in combat (the link takes you to a must-read story), using his celebrity and humor to make a difference in the lives of people who have sacrificed dearly for our freedom. A native of Northern Ireland, Feherty has also authored three best-selling books: A Nasty Bit of Rough, Somewhere in Ireland a Village Is Missing an Idiot, and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup. Feherty will join Annika Sorenstam and Jeff Gordon, among others, who have headlined the entertainment at the 19th Hole.

Golfweek Ranks Myrtle Beach Courses Among The Elite

Golfweek magazine’s team of raters fan out across the nation each year, playing America’s best golf courses and filing ratings reports. Out of those reports spring the magazine’s rankings of the country’s top 100 classic and modern courses, in addition to a breakdown of the best layouts in each state. Golfweek’s 2010 rankings reaffirmed what most already knew: a Myrtle Beach golf trip offers unparalleled quality. Myrtle Beach’s two most decorated courses – Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and the Dunes Golf & Beach Club – claimed top 100 honors, completing their version of the triple crown. Caledonia and Dunes are Top 100 courses according to three of the game’s leading national publications – Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek. The Dunes Club is ranked No. 99 on Golfweek’s list of the Top 100 Classic Courses (pre-1960).The list includes both public and private courses, putting the Dunes Club in the company of Pine Valley and Augusta National. A Robert Trent Jones design, the Dunes Club has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, the finals of the PGA Tour’s Q-School, and the Senior Tour Championship. Caledonia is No. 98 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Courses (1960-present) list, taking its place among the best layouts the game has seen over the last 50 years. The Top 100 Modern Courses list included public and private layouts as well. Caledonia is built on the grounds of an old plantation and the views are stunning. The centuries old oak trees and landscaping reminiscent of a botanical garden make the Mike Strantz design one of the area’s most popular courses. The number of quality courses Myrtle Beach has was revealed in the magazine’s best in state rankings. South Carolina is one of America’s most golf-rich states, but Myrtle Beach dominated the Palmetto state rankings. Seven of South Carolina’s top 10 courses reside along the Grand Strand, according to Golfweek. Caledonia (No. 3) and the Dunes Club (No. 5), were followed by No. 6 Tidewater, No. 7 True Blue, No. 8 TPC Myrtle Beach, No. 9 Love Course at Barefoot Resort, and No. 10 Heathland at Legends Resort. On the North Carolina side of the border, Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation was ranked as the Tar Heel state’s fifth best course by Golfweek. The recognition from Golfweek adds to an impressive run Myrtle Beach golf courses have enjoyed in national rankings. In its biennial rankings, Golf Digest ranked seven Myrtle Beach golf courses among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.” Golf Magazine ranked four area courses among its Top 100 You Can Play.

Spirit Air Now Offering Flights from $69

Actor Craig T. Nelson and Former Chicago Bear Dan Hampton Latest Celebrities to Join the Know Your Score Fight Prostate Cancer Event

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday announced today that the celebrity field for the second annual Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer Golf Tournament and Gala continues to grow as more celebrities have committed to the August 29th charity golf tournament at Long Bay Club in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Actor Craig T. Nelson, well known for his role on the television show “Coach”; Dan Hampton, a 12-year member of the Chicago Bears, including the 1985 NFL Championship team; Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore; former member of the Big Red Machine and an 11-year Major League Baseball veteran, Doug Flynn; and GOLF Channel personality Charlie Rymer will be in attendance. Also scheduled to compete are three celebrities who participated in the inaugural tournament in 2008: Bobby Cremins, current College of Charleston head basketball coach who also led the Georgia Tech program for 19 years; Wes Matthews, a member of the 1986 and 1987 Los Angeles Lakers World Championship teams; and Tony Womack, a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Championship team. Previously-announced celebrities include 2009 Know Your Score National Spokesperson and Syracuse University head basketball coach, Jim Boeheim; 2008 Honorary Chairperson Ken Griffey, Sr.; world-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis; ESPN billiards commentator and prostate cancer survivor Mitch Laurance; and Ewa Mataya Laurance, 2008 World Trick Shot champion and World 9-Ball champion. At the gala, cocktails and bidding on the silent auction items will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner to begin at 7:30 p.m. After dinner, a “Locker Room Chat” with Boeheim and the celebrities will be hosted by ESPN personality Mitch Laurance, and guests will have the opportunity to ask questions of some of their favorite celebrities. Foursomes for the celebrity golf tournament and gala are still available by visiting KnowYourScoreMB.com or call (843) 477-8833, ext. 296. Golfers can purchase a foursome in the celebrity golf tournament with eight tickets to the gala with a $900 donation to the “Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer” campaign. Participants can register a foursome in the golf tournament for $400 or purchase a table of eight at the gala for $750. Individuals seeking to join the fight against prostate cancer can buy a single ticket to the golf tournament or the gala for $100 each. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday also announced the launch of Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer’s redesigned Web site, knowyourscoremb.com. In 2008, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday teamed ZERO – the Project to End Prostate Cancer up with the Myrtle Beach golf community to launch Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer, a national campaign to help raise money for prostate cancer research and awareness that men need to be tested regularly. Golf Holiday began redesigning Know Your Score’s inaugural Web site in 2009 and improved the site with many new features. Site visitors can learn about the deadly threat of prostate cancer and the importance of early diagnosis; find out about 2009 Know Your Score events; read about national spokesperson Jim Boeheim’s personal battle with prostate cancer; review a gallery of photographs and videos of celebrity interviews and highlights from events; see the list of celebrities who participated in the 2008 Golf Tournament; find out how to volunteer in the fight against prostate cancer; and enter the 2009 Golf Tournament and Gala. “Assisting ZERO in raising money for prostate cancer research and helping educate men of the importance of early detection is a cause that the entire Myrtle Beach golf community strongly supports,” said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “The Grand Strand area hosts more golfers every year than any other golf destination in the world and the majority of those golfers are the ZERO target audience. If we can contribute and play a small role in preventing prostate cancer, we feel that we’ve succeeded. We are excited about the celebrities scheduled to visit next month and look forward to helping raise more money for ZERO.”

PGA Tour Superstore World Amateur Championship Concludes in Myrtle Beach

Four thousand golfers, 72 holes of intense stroke play competition, an 18-hole championship playoff, nightly parties and entertainment. It may sound like the U.S. Open from qualifying to conclusion, but that actually describes the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship - a golf event unlike any other. Golfers from all 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries flock to Myrtle Beach, S.C., every year to participate in a tournament that provides the ultimate golf experience. Now in its 25th year, the World Amateur allows everyone from scratch golfers to 30+ handicappers to test their nerves and competitive resolve. The winner of this great event was crowned today at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, where the final round of the week long tournament has been traditionally played. Paula Morton of Greenbrier, TN hoisted the trophy as the World Amateur Handicap Champion after holing out a pitch from 75 yards on the 18th hole. Paula is the fourth woman champion of the event and her win also marks the first time that women have won the event in consecutive years.

Caravelle Resort Partner Course Wins 2008 Golf Course of the Year

The Grande Dunes Resort Club, a golf course partner of the Caravelle Resort, was recently chosen as the “2008 Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year” by the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association (MBAGCOA). Grande Dunes is now eligible for the state and national “Golf Course of the Year” awards to be announced later this fall.

For the “Golf Course of the Year” award, the MBAGCOA judged and evaluated area courses on golf course conditions, quality of ownership and management, contributions to the community and efforts to improve the growth of the game. Grande Dunes was chosen for its strength in each of these areas. The Grande Dunes Resort Club has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Conway Medical Center, Victory Junction Gang, Special Olympics and Patriot’s Golf Day. The Grande Dunes Resort Club is also committed to introducing the game to golfers of all ages through their active participation in Play Golf America and The First Tee of Myrtle Beach program.

The Dunes Golf Club Celebrates 60 Years as One of America's Greatest Courses

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary as one of the United States’ most renowned golf courses on Saturday, May 31st. On that spring day back in 1948, a group of prominent Myrtle Beach area business leaders met for the second time at Chapin’s Cabin, a small building formerly located on the property near what is now the 11th tee, and formally decided to proceed with the incorporation to build The Dunes Club, the area’s second public golf course.

After selecting Robert Trent Jones to steer the design, course construction began shortly after the May 31, 1948 meeting. After 18 months of arduous construction required due to the course’s proximity to the ocean, The Dunes Golf and Beach Club opened the first nine holes for play on October 22, 1949, followed by the second nine holes in December of 1950. The Club was the first Myrtle Beach area golf course to feature views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Since opening, The Dunes Club has developed into one of the area’s most exclusive golf clubs with more than 650 social and golf members. Tee times are reserved for the members with the remaining times open to guests of the Club’s hotel and resort accommodation providers. The Dunes Club has been a consensus “Top 100 Course” selection, according to Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine and Golfweek. “Waterloo,” the famed 13th hole, was selected by Sports Illustrated as one of the “Best 18 Holes in America.”

The Dunes Club has hosted many professional and amateur golf tournaments during the last six decades. The Dunes Club played host to the finals of the 1973 PGA Tour Qualifying School, the 1962 USGA Women’s Open Championship, the 1960 Southern Golf Association Championship and Senior Championship, the 1957 South Carolina Women’s Amateur and the 1953 Carolinas Golf Association Championship. The PGA Senior Tour Championship began its six-year run at The Dunes Club in November 1994. The first Golf Writers Association of America held its initial tournament at The Dunes Club in 1954 with the event held at the club each year through 2005. For 17 years, The Dunes Club has served as the host site of the championship round of the World Amateur Handicap Championship, the world’s largest amateur golf tournament.

The Caravelle Resort is a resort member of The Dunes Club which allows our guests member privileges during their stay. Please call for more details on how you can experience this fantastic golf course yourself.

Six Grand Strand Courses Named as One of "America's Best Courses"

Six Grand Strand area golf courses have been honored in the 2008 Golfweek Magazine “America’s Best Courses” ranking. The annual Golfweek ranking is comprised of three separate lists that name the top 100 classic courses built before 1960; the top 100 modern courses built after 1960, and the state-by-state list of the top courses. The criteria used by Golfweek raters to evaluate golf courses included the ease and intimacy of routing, integrity of design, quality of feature shaping, natural setting and overall land planning among other categories.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club was named to Golfweek’s “America’s 100 Best Modern Courses” ranking at No. 100, while The Dunes Golf and Beach Club was ranked 94th in Golfweek’s “America’s 100 Best Classic Courses” list. Both Caledonia and The Dunes Club have made the magazine’s annual rankings for the last 10 consecutive years.

Golfweek Magazine also recognized the top 10 golf courses in South Carolina with six Grand Strand area courses making the “Best State-by-State Public Access Courses” list. Caledonia led all Grand Strand courses in third place with The Dunes Club just behind in the fourth spot. Tidewater Golf Club and Plantation was ranked as the sixth-best course in the Palmetto State while True Blue Plantation was ranked seventh. The TPC at Myrtle Beach was recognized in eighth place while the Love Course at Barefoot Resort was ranked 10th.

Hootie and the Blowfish Return for the Monday After the Masters celebrity event

The annual Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament makes its return to the Dye Club at Barefoot once again on April 14. Benefiting the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation supporting education and music programs for kids, the event has been a hit since relocating to Myrtle Beach in 2003, in fact Golf for Women magazine recently named it one of the top 20 celebrity golf events in the country.

Past celebrities to join all four members of Hootie and the Blowfish by playing in the event have included Dan Marino, Samuel L. Jackson, Marcus Allen, Alice Cooper, Brett Favre and many more.

Spectator tickets to the event will be available for $10 in February through the House of Blues at (843) 272-3000, but are generally readily available on a walk up basis the day of the event.

Dunes Golf and Beach Club Named as One of America's Top 100 Classic Courses by Golfweek Magazine

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club has been named one of Golfweek Magazine’s “Top 100 Classic Courses” in its annual “Golfweek’s Best” rankings. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, The Dunes Golf and Beach Club was ranked No. 94 in 2008, and was one of two South Carolina courses to make the list (Yeamans Hall Club, #40).

Golfweek defines a classic course as being built prior to 1960, and rates courses based on criteria that includes the ease and intimacy of routing, integrity of design, quality of feature shaping, natural setting and overall land planning among other categories. The Dunes Club was first named to Golfweek's list of "100 Best Classic Courses in 1998, and is the only Myrtle Beach area course to be named among the top 100 each year. Among countless other accolades, the Dunes Club as named as the #28 best public course in the United States by Golf Digest earlier this year.

The Caravelle Resort is a resort member of this famed golf club and you can be a Member for the Day when staying with us. Call our Golf Director at (800) 507-9145 for more details on how you can reserve your place on this amazing golf track.

Local Product Dustin Johnson Off to Stellar Start on the PGA Tour

Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson is finding life on the PGA Tour to be pretty simple compared to your typical tour rookie. Johnson, a three time All American from Coastal Carolina, qualified as a full time member of the 2008 PGA Tour by finishing T14 in the 2007 PGA Q School and has immediately proven himself to be a capable competitor amongst the stars of Tiger, Phil and the host of other mainstays on the tour.

After only five events, Johnson finds himself 19th on the tour money list and 18th on the Fed Ex Cup standings with two early top 10 finishes and a third finish in 12th place. Johnson's 70.10 scoring average places him 13th on the tour list and his remarkable ability has stood out most off of the tee, with his booming drives averaging well over 300 yards, placing him 3rd in driving distance on the tour.

While Johnson won't be found in this week's World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, don't expect him to be excluded from these elite fields for long. After only six career events Johnson has not accumulated enough world ranking points to qualify for this event, but it's a safe bet that he won't be left behind by the cream of the PGA Tour's crop for long.