Charlie Rymer, Kelly Tilghman Tee It Up in Myrtle Beach to Benefit First Tee

Tilghman and Rymer, both South Carolina natives, were at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, a consensus top 100 public course, for the third consecutive year in support of the Todd Welden Future Generations Invitational in Memory of Carolyn Cudone.

Golf Channel filmed a segment about the Future Generations tournament, a First Tee event, that will air Wednesday morning on Morning Drive. The network’s morning show airs from 7-9 a.m. and is re-aired from 9-11 a.m.

Todd Welden was the head pro at Caledonia from the course’s opening in 1994 until he passed away after a bout with cancer in 2013.

The Golf Channel segment focused on the First Tee’s efforts to grow the game, and featured Jackson Cole, a local junior who earned a spot in Nature Valley First Tee Open, which will be played at Pebble Beach September 25-27.

The tournament is one of the local First Tee chapter’s primary fundraisers, and Tilghman and Rymer, who both played in the event, are vital to its success.

The duo’s ties to the Myrtle Beach golf scene run deep.

Tilghman was raised in North Myrtle Beach, and her family owned Gator Hole Golf Club and was an investor in Surf Club. She has spoke often of her affinity for the area and her commitment to the game is unquestioned.

Rymer grew up in Fort Mill, S.C., but vacationed and played along the Grand Strand as one of the most accomplished junior players in state history, getting to know Tilghman along the way. Rymer remained connected to the area after his time on the PGA Tour ended as the host of the hit Golf Channel show “Road Trip Myrtle Beach” and as a spokesman for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.