For Fran Cohn, the Play Golf Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship has never been just about golf. It’s about friendships. It’s about community. And for Fran, it’s about honoring the memory of someone who loved the tournament as much as anyone.
Learning the Game
Fran didn’t grow up playing golf.
That changed after she and her husband moved to Texas. He joined a golf club for the first time, and Fran quickly realized that if she wanted to spend time with him, she might need to learn the game herself.
“So I took lessons and started playing,” she recalls. “And I loved it.”
Soon they were playing together in couples leagues, enjoying rounds and meeting other golfers along the way. One afternoon after a round, a fellow golfer mentioned a tournament she thought Fran would enjoy.
That conversation introduced Fran to the World Am.
She came the next year.
Then she convinced her husband to join her.
And from that moment on, they were hooked.
A Personality That Lit Up the Tournament
Fran’s husband, David, didn’t just attend the World Am — he embraced it.
He had a personality that fit perfectly with the spirit of the event. Colorful, enthusiastic, and always ready to have fun, he became known for his bold golf outfits.
“Sometimes he would sneak out to play golf,” Fran laughs. “And I’d say, ‘You actually went out wearing that?’ It’d be stripes and polka dots.”
The more attention the outfit got, the happier he was.
One year he even outdid a Rodney Dangerfield impersonator. Another year he was interviewed by golf personality Paige Spiranac during the tournament.
For him, the World Am was the highlight of the year.
The couple planned their vacations around it.
A Week That Changed Everything
One year, David had been dealing with an injury.
Like many golfers, he brushed it off and avoided going to the doctor.
But missing the World Am was never an option.
“He loved it,” Fran says.
So they came.
Tragically, during the first round of the tournament, Fran’s husband passed away.
The Decision to Come Back
In the months that followed, Fran wasn’t sure if she could return.
The memories were everywhere — the courses, the people, the traditions they had built together over the years.
Before making the decision, she talked with her daughters and with her husband’s son. She wanted to make sure everyone felt comfortable with the idea.
But deep down, she knew something.
David would have wanted her to come back.
“He loved this tournament,” Fran says. “He loved meeting people, wandering around with his friends, and showing off his latest pair of pants.”
He was in his element here.
Finding Strength in Friendship
When Fran returned, she wasn’t sure how it would feel.
But something unexpected happened.
Instead of anxiety, she felt calm.
“I was worried about how I was going to feel,” she says. “But it was actually a calming experience.”
Much of that comfort came from the group of women she plays with each year. The friendships she had formed through the World Am had become a powerful support system.
They welcomed her back.
They stood by her.
They helped her continue the tradition.
“I knew they would have my back,” Fran says. “That was the support system I needed.”
More Than Golf
Stories like Fran’s capture the deeper meaning behind the World Am.
Yes, it’s the largest amateur golf tournament in the world.
Yes, it’s a week filled with competition across dozens of courses in Myrtle Beach.
But at its core, the event is about connection.
The friendships formed on the course often last far beyond the tournament itself.
“They all know my story now,” Fran says of the golfers she meets each year. “They didn’t realize it was me at first, but everyone has been so supportive.”
That support is what helped her return.
And it’s why she encourages others to experience the tournament themselves.
A Community That Lasts
Fran’s story is a reminder that the World Am is about much more than a leaderboard.
It’s about the relationships built over years of shared rounds.
It’s about the laughter, the memories, and the traditions that keep golfers coming back.
And sometimes, it’s about finding strength in the very community that first brought you together.
“Please join the World Am,” Fran says. “That’s how these friendships form — and they last.”
