How did a Youtuber make the field for the PGA Tour's Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic?

The Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic, like the other opposite-field events on the PGA Tour, has to scrap and claw for some attention.

One way this three-year old event is getting some pub is by the addition of five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who's still making his back to full status on the PGA Tour after returning from LIV Golf in January.

Koepka is joined in the 121-man field by, among others, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Eric Cole, Joel Dahmen, Cam Davis, Nick Dunlap, Billy Horschel, Tom Kim, Max McGreevy, Marco Penge and Aaron Rai.

Then there's Ryan Ruffels. He's played in 120 events across the PGA Tour-sanctioned tours but found a unique way to gain entry in this week's tournament.

Ryan Ruffels at the 2018 ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in United Kingdom.

Ruffels won The Q at Myrtle Beach, a two-round event at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club in South Carolina. He outlasted seven other content creators in the golf space to earn the final sponsor exemption, of which there are 10. Ruffels, who has 60,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, beat Grant Horvat in a stroke-play shootout to clinch the title.

"This is what you dream about when you start creating content, the chance to bridge the gap and prove you can still compete at the highest level," Ruffels said after the event. "Playing against competitors like George [Bryan IV] and Grant with a PGA Tour spot on the line is a massive adrenaline rush. I’m honored to represent the creator community next week at the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic."

The other nine sponsor exemptions went to Grayson Wood, Wells Williams, Trent Phillips, Nicholas Marchese, Thriston Lawrence, Casey Jarvis, Evan Harmeling, Grant Haefner and Blades Brown.