The gross divisions at the PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship will be recognized as official World Amateur Golf Ranking events for the first time in 2018, allowing players to accrue rankings points. You can find both the Gross Division and the Senior Gross Division Events on the WAGR website: Gross Division, Senior Gross Division.

The recognition is another step forward for the World Am’s two gross divisions – one for men of any age, the other for senior men (50+ years old). There will be 100 golfers competing in the two gross divisions as players test themselves against high level competition over 72+ holes while enjoying the World Am experience.

After a 72 holes of play, the top 3 players advance to the championship round at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course, where a champion is crowned.

Medalists of the each gross & senior gross divisions will receive an all expenses paid trip to compete in the Hainan Amateur in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in China in November.

The exemption isn’t the first time World Am gross division players have earned the right to compete in Asia. The top 10 finishers in the inaugural gross division event in 2014 were invited to participate in a Ryder Cup style event in China.

The 35th annual PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship will be played August 27-31 on more than 60 of Myrtle Beach’s best courses. In addition to the 100 players competing in the gross divisions, 3,100 additional players from 48 states and 26 countries will be playing in this year’s event.

While the competition is initially what lures players to this bucket list event, it’s only part of what keeps them coming back. At the heart of the World Am’s appeal is the camaraderie among its participants and much of that kinship is fostered at the World’s Largest 19th Hole.

Each night of the event, the 19th Hole overtakes all 120,000-square feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, providing participants with free food and drinks, live entertainment, celebrity guest appearances, a golf expo and more.

Among the big names that have appeared at the 19th Hole in 2018 are Golf Channel stars Charlie Rymer, Damon Hack and Chantel McCabe and media personality Paige Spiranac.

Players will also receive a gift bag that perennially includes a logo’d hat, shirt, PGA Tour Superstore gift card and an assortment of other goodies.