It was purportedly W.C. Fields who first said “All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” That largely fictitious sentiment – the legendary comedian supposedly proposed it for his epitaph in 1925 – might find a few proponents at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, this week’s second-year PGA Tour event at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club.

Consider the differences between this tournament and the Truist Championship, one of the PGA Tour’s “signature” events, being played this week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. There you’ll find the Rory McIlroys and Scottie Schefflers of the golf world – as opposed to, say, Myrtle Beach first-round leader Mackenzie Hughes (top photo), or the trio of Ireland’s Seamus Power, Tour rookie Will Chandler and Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen (pictured right) tied a stroke behind Hughes’ 8-under par 63 Thursday.

If money’s the main motivation, the Truist’s field is battling for a $20 million purse with $3 million-plus to the winner. The Myrtle Beach Classic pays out $4 million – one fifth that of its “big brother” – with $720,000 to the champion.

So absolutely, most players, given the choice, would be in Philly this week. But don’t waste too much time bemoaning the “plight” of Mackenzie, Power and Co.

It’s still the PGA Tour. Winning is still winning. And there are other rewards here that are considerable.

“Everyone is trying to get in the elevated events,” said Power, playing with Hughes and 2018 Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari for the first two rounds. “Obviously I get that, but (The Dunes Club) is a good golf course, and at the end of the week, I will say (the winner) is going to be someone with a two and a half year exemption” – another reward for being a Tour champion.

“That’s going to be the big thing. You (also) have a ticket to Maui,” where 2025 winners will compete in January 2026 at The Sentry, with its own $20 million payday. “I guess everyone here would prefer to be playing in Philly, but (in the Myrtle Beach Classic), you have a great course and a great tournament. Hopefully it’s here to stay.”

Hughes pointed to another incentive this week: next week’s PGA Championship, set for Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club. The native Canadian, who made a late run last month at Hilton Head’s RBC Heritage, another “signature” event, cited that as a big reason he’s here.
“Some of the stuff I’m working on this week is actually in preparation for next week,” he said. “Actually this golf course, the way it’s presented to us, isn’t a whole lot different than Quail. The way the rough plays, the way it plays into the greens, is actually quite similar.

“I thought as soon as I got here, this is a great prep for Quail Hollow,” where Hughes is a member and considers it a “home game” for him. “Obviously I have that one on my mind a little bit, but my job here this week is to kind of get some feels and some thoughts organized for next week. (And I’m) off to a good start.”

Not to mention a red-hot finish. Hughes had four birdies vs. a single bogey to make the turn at 3-under 32, but went into overdrive down the stretch, with five birdies in his final six holes including a four-birdie finish.

“It was great playing with Mackenzie there,” Power said. “Obviously, seeing a lot of birdies go in is also a good thing.”

Power had his own highlight in a round that included five birdies. At the par-4 eighth hole, the Irishman holed out his 9-iron shot from 160 yards for eagle.

“It was a funny one,” he said. “It was right between clubs. With the greens being firm and that pin once you got past it, it’s just not going to stop. I just tried to lean on a 9-iron and came out perfectly.

“It landed right where I wanted it, and obviously it was very lucky to go in. It’s a bonus. I haven’t holed out too many shots this year, so it’s nice to see one go in.”

Chandler, who recorded six threes on his back nine, is playing only his 14th PGA Tour event after a college career at Georgia. His claim to fame so far: for the first time since 2012, the Tour elevated the top-five-and-ties finishers from its qualifying school to go directly to the “big” Tour. Chandler tied for fifth among that group.

Olesen, whose last previous round at The Dunes Club was a course-record 10-under par 61 in the Myrtle Beach Classic’s debut, couldn’t quite match that Thursday, but did have a bogey-free round. “I thought that was a really good round (in 2024), so I looked forward to coming back here,” he said.

With 13 players within three shots of the lead, the weekend figures to be a wide-open horse race. That kind of excitement should diminish any “what-if” thoughts among the contenders about what’s happening in Philadelphia.

Hughes admitted he would’ve preferred the big-payday field, but said he always had Myrtle Beach on his radar. “After Hilton Head, I was kind of on the fence for Truist, and I ended up being a few out for that one,” he said. “(But) I wanted to play the week before the PGA.”
He’s happy to be here, and Power was on the same page. “My experience always with these (alternate) events has been fantastic. It’s a good feel around it,” he said. “You see guys are happy to be playing, happy to do all that stuff, and I think it’s a good feel around this.”

Philadelphia? What did W.C. Fields know about golf, anyway?

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