It was a tough week to be a pro golfer with ties to the Palmetto State.
At least eight natives of South Carolina enjoyed some home-cooking at the Myrtle Beach Classic at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club, but they were still sent packing on Friday.
Not all the South Carolina boys came up short. Let’s hear it for William McGirt, technically a native of North Carolina but the pride of Wofford College, who birdied his final two holes to shoot 69 and make the weekend — with his son on the bag, no less — right on the number. It took 2-under 140 for 69 pros and one amateur to make the weekend at the debut of this Tour stop. PGA Tour rookie Trace Crowe, 27, of Greenville, S.C., shot 63, his career-low 18-hole score on Tour and the low round of the tournament to make the cut by a comfortable margin as did Matt Atkins (-4), who won the sponsor exemption via a competition dubbed “The Q,” and Matt NeSmith, who eagled 15th to make the cut on the number.
But Wesley Bryan, born and bred in Colombia, S.C., wasn’t so lucky. He finished with a pair of bogeys to miss the cut by one. Here’s a look at some of the other South Carolina natives who had plenty of local love but couldn’t give the faithful enough reasons to cheer this time around.
Bill Haas
Bill Haas of the United States and his father and caddie Jay Haas look on during the first round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 09, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Another South Carolina native failed to make the weekend in Myrtle Beach. Haas, 41, had his dad, Jay, on the bag but he still missed his fourth cut in five PGA Tour starts this season. Haas posted rounds of 70-71 to miss the cut by a stroke.
Haas of Greenville, South Carolina, hit just 13 of 28 fairways and lost nearly a stroke to the field on the greens in each round. He made a double at No. 18, his ninth hole of the day on Friday, and managed just one birdie on his second nine.
The former FedEx Cup champion has slipped to No. 869 in the world.
D.J. Trahan
D.J. Trahan plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the Barbasol Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
The Clemson product shot 70-71 to miss the cut by one. He’s missed the cut in both of his starts this season on the PGA Tour.
Trahan, 43, who hails from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and now calls Kiawah Island home, struggled off the tee. He hit just five of 14 fairways and Friday and a bogey at 17 sealed his fate.
George Bryan IV
George Bryan IV of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 10, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Bryan, who played this week on a sponsor’s invite, carded rounds of 71-70 to miss the cut by one.
Bryan, a former South Carolina Gamecock who hails from Columbia, South Carolina, and now calls Aiken home, made four bogeys in each round. The 36-year-old YouTube star was making his first PGA Tour start this season. His short game let him down. He was five of 12 in scrambling and lost more than three strokes to the field on the greens over two days.
Wesley Bryan
Wesley Bryan of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 10, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Bryan missed the cut for the second straight week and third time in four Tour starts this season.
This one had to sting as Bryan, who hails from Columbia, South Carolina, made bogey on the final two holes to miss the cut by one.
The 34-year-old Bryan, who won the 2017 RBC Heritage in his native state, was wild off the tee on Friday and just one of four in sand saves.
Kevin Kisner
Kevin Kisner of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 10, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Kisner, 40, missed the cut for the third straight week and kept his seat on the struggle bus: he’s played the weekend in just two of 11 starts this season, and one of those was a no-cut event.
Kisner shot 73-68. He rallied with an eagle and two birdies on the front nine on Friday but settled for nine straight pars coming home when he needed to make a couple of birdies.
On Thursday, the Aiken, South Carolina, resident hit just 12 of 18 greens and lost more than two strokes to the field in SG: Approach the Green.
Ben Martin
Ben Martin of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the first round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 09, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Martin, 36, from Greenwood, South Carolina, and a former Clemson Tiger, shot 73-70.
Our favorite Martin missed the cut for the fifth time in nine starts this season. He has just one top-25 finish all season, a T-7 at the Valero Texas Open. Martin made just three birdies over 36 holes this week.
Jonathan Byrd
Jonathan Byrd of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 09, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
The 46-year-old Byrd shot 72-71 to miss the cut and is 0-for-4 this season on the PGA Tour.
The Anderson, South Carolina, native and former Clemson Tiger has missed 14 straight cuts dating back to last season. He last earned a paycheck on Tour at the RBC Canadian Open in June.
Tommy Gainey
Tommy Gainey of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Myrtle Beach Classic at Dunes Golf & Beach Club on May 09, 2024 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)
Gainey, 48, the pride of Darlington, South Carolina, and a resident of Bishopville, shot 73-71 to miss the cut.
Gainey, who attended Central Carolina Technical College, didn’t make a par in his first five holes on Friday – three birdies and two bogeys – and his fate was sealed by a double bogey at No. 11.
He’s missed the cut in two of three Tour starts this season.
