Myrtle Beach’s PGA Patriots, a group 21 golf industry professionals, launched a modest event in 2014 to raise money for Folds of Honor, a charity that dedicates 86 cents of every dollar raised to providing scholarships to children of America’s fallen or disabled service members.
Five years later, on Veterans Day 2019, the team of Patriots presented Folds of Honor with a check for $131,066, meeting an ambitious fundraising goal set at the beginning of the year. The donation pushed the total amount of money the group has raised to $400,000.
Patriot Golf Day, which has grown into an annual Labor Day weekend fundraiser, is a passion project for Myrtle Beach’s PGA Patriots and the check presentation was a reminder of the value of the initiative. Folds of Honor awards scholarships in $5,000 increments, so the money raised means 22 children will receive scholarship money as a result of the effort.
This year’s event included a banquet on Friday, Aug. 30 at Barefoot Resort, the “Battle for Glory,” a match-play event the public competed in on Aug. 31 at Thistle Golf Club, and the 100-hole marathon at Long Bay Golf Club on Sept. 1. The event was again one of the top 5 Folds of Honor fundraisers in all of America.
Nineteen of the 21 Myrtle Beach PGA Patriots competed in the 100-hole marathon, making 408 birdies and 15 eagles while raising $26,265 via performance based pledges.
Members of the 2019 Myrtle Beach PGA Patriots were: Matt Biddington (Legends Resort), Jimmy Biggs (Pine Lakes), Michael Benson (Crow Creek), Matt Daly (Founders Group International), Brad Crumling (World Tour), Jeff Davis (Crow Creek), Casey Cook (Founders Group International), Corey Bowers (Aberdeen/Long Bay), Jason Corneau (Prestwick), Dustin Powers (Myrtlewood), Jeff Diehl (Myrtle Beach Golf Trek), Joe Dipre (Grande Dunes Resort Club), Doug Donner (International Club/Thistle), Jarrin Josue (Compass Cove Resort), Jennifer Lundberg (Blackmoor), Eric Morgan (Lockwood Folly), Ted Panaretos II (Pine Lakes), Brian Stefan (iNet Golf), Scott Thrailkill (Brunswick Plantation), Mike Binder (Ahead/2UNDR), Mike Buccerone (East Coast Golf).
In all, the Myrtle Beach PGA Patriots received 822 donations, with Biddington ($25,233) and Biggs ($21,275) leading the way.
The amount of the money the group has raised his increased by more 300 percent in the last three years.
