Montana is an unlikely hotspot for Golf.com World Am participants, but distance has rarely been a deterrent in attracting players to golf’s greatest amateur event, making it an oasis of sorts.

Just ask Roy Brown.

The Billings, Mont., native first attended the World Am in 2010 with his brother, who lives in Virginia, and immediately became a believer. He returned in 2012 and vowed not return without a couple more players from Big Sky Country.

“This year I made a push to get a whole bunch of guys I golf with (to come to the event),” Brown said. “When you start telling them what a great deal Myrtle Beach golf is, and they all thought, ‘this is exactly what I want to do.’ I had to twist very few arms to get this done.”

Brown got it done to the tune of six golfers making the 2,100 mile trek to Myrtle Beach from Billings.

“Last year, he was saying, ‘you have to got to go, you have to go,’ but I had to go to the Olympics,” said Jay Strever, who would win any Gary McCord mustache contest in Billings. “So (the World Am) is this year’s Olympics. I’ve been looking forward to it since January.”

After playing a practice round at Caledonia and the Dye Club (you have to love their confidence!) on Saturday and celebrating long into the night, this fun-loving group was ready to begin play with a simple goal.

“Finish,” Strever said of his primary objective with a laugh.