MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – Over 80 players are making their way down to the Grand Strand as part of this year’s Mini-Golf Masters event.

The event, put on by the ProMiniGolf Association, will feature a record 84 players competing across three mini-golf courses.

The Mini-Golf Masters draws competitors from around the world – including Canada, Sweden, and Austria – and has a $25,000 purse. The winner after 12 rounds also gets a green jacket just like the Masters played at Augusta National.

Rainey Statum has already won the Mini-Golf Masters once – but said the relationships he’s made with his playing partners over the years keep him coming back.

“It’s going out to eat afterwards. It’s teaching new people the shots, just meeting everybody. It’s a lot of fun,” said Statum.

Statum, who’s from Houston, is an avid golfer and has played in plenty of amateur tournaments over the years. But since putting is the best part of his game, mini-golf made sense as he got older.

“Everybody just hits it so far on the golf course these days, I don’t hit it that far and I don’t have time to practice as much as you need to get really good at golf. I’m past my prime,” said Statum. “[Mini-golf] doesn’t take as much time.”

Bob Detwiler, President of the ProMiniGolf Association, said the Mini-Golf Masters has grown significantly since it was first played in 1997.

“When we first started we only had 17 people show up. The next year I told them to bring a friend and we could double the field, and they did. The whole idea is to promote putting,” Detwiler said.

The Masters concludes Saturday morning with two rounds at Hawaiian Rumble in North Myrtle Beach. Following play, Detwiler said there is a Pickle Festive at Aloha Mini Golf to raise money for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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