Brame Leads After Round One of the 50th Texas State Open
Taylor Coffelt • July 29, 2020
After Round One of the 50th Texas State Open, Grady Brame Jr. of Hammond, Louisiana sits atop the leaderboard after firing an opening round of 63, 7-under par. Brame carded three birdies on the front nine and four on the back. He will tee off of hole #10 tomorrow at 2:27 p.m.
“The last time I played in the Texas State Open was in 2016 at Castle Hills, so it’s good to be back. It feels pretty good to start off in the lead but there are still three rounds left so there isn’t any true sense of satisfaction just yet,” Brame stated after the round. “Today I just took advantage of the birdies when they came. I’ve been struggling up to this point this summer but hopefully this will be a turnaround and I can do something special this week.”
Three players sit one stroke behind Brame at 6-under-par including Jun Min Lee (a) of Bryan, Texas. Lee currently leads the field of 32 amateurs after today’s first round. Low Amateur honors will be awarded at the conclusion of the 50th Texas State Open.
Again in 2020, the Low PGA Club Professional will be recognized at the 50th Texas State Open. Seventeen PGA Professionals are in the field with Ben Kern, 2018 Texas State Open Champion and PGA head professional at Georgetown Country Club, leading. After shooting a 4-under par, 66, Kern has a one stroke lead over Spencer Dillard, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas.
Kyle Pritchard, of Castroville, Texas and defending champion of the Texas State Open, currently is T14 at 3 under, 67. “It always feels good to come back as a champion,” Pritchard said after his round. “There’s a little more pressure, though, because everyone is always watching you. But this course is great and I love coming out here. It’s really just exciting to be back out [competing in the Texas State Open].”
Christian Barber (a), of Spring, Texas, made a hole-in-one today on hole #9. He hit a 7-iron from 209 yards for his ace.
The 72-hole stroke play event consists of 156 players with 123 professionals and 32 amateurs competing. The field will play 36-holes before being cut to the low 55 scores and ties. All four rounds will be contested at The Cascades Club, a 6,882-yard, par 70 layout. For the Championship, hole #10 is being played as a par 4 rather than a par 5.
The purse for the 50th Texas State Open is $150,000,and the champion will take home $30,000.
The Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and Veritex Bank and is supported by Ameriprise Financial Group, Cavender’s, Dobb’s & Porter, Energy Weldfab, Jucy's Hamburgers, Patterson Tyler, The Plato Group and The Property Shoppe. Proceeds from the championship will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Foundation.
Round Two will commence on Wednesday, July 29 at 7:30 a.m. After tomorrow’s round, a cut to the low 55 and ties will occur. Currently, 66 players are at even par or better.
Starting times and groupings can be found at www.ntpga.com.
Please note: (a) denotes amateur, and amateurs will be awarded gift certificates.
Round One results here.
LAJITAS, Texas (December 9) – Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club, won the Duel in the Desert at Lajitas Golf Resort to claim the 2025 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship Open Division title. Rob Shields, PGA member at The Winsford Group, claimed the Senior Division title. The No. 2-seeded Bingaman battled No. 12 Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy, in a 36-hole final match for the title and $10,000. Both players began their run to the championship match back in October at White Bluff Resort, where they battled their way through the 32-player Match Play Championship bracket. “It’s incredible out here,” said Bingaman. “Jon is awesome; we couldn’t have had more fun. It’s hard, because on one hand you want to win and it's stressful, but on the other hand we were just two guys enjoying playing golf.” After playing 18 holes on Monday, their match stood at 2UP in favor of Bingaman. He continued his charge with birdies on holes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, extending his lead to 7UP. Antunes quickly answered back with a long putt on the 9th hole to cut into Bingaman's lead. But, Bingaman drained a birdie putt on hole 13 to end the match. He claimed his first Match Play title 7&5. Bingaman made a putter switch in between the 36-hole match. “I brought two putters with me. I’ve been flipping back and forth recently between a L.A.B Putter and a Scottie Cameron, which did me well last week. Going into this weekend, I had a good feeling [about the latter], and good feelings turned into good playing.” This is the first year that Bingaman has made it to the final match. Antunes has won the title twice, previously in 2021 and 2022. “This was my first time qualifying for [Duel in the Desert], and I was super excited because I’ve heard nothing but great things about Lajitas Golf Resort,” said Bingaman. In the Senior Division, Rob Shields, PGA Member of the Winsford Group, started the day with a 1UP lead over Billy Harris. Harris birdied the 2nd hole to tie the match, and on the next hole, he went 1UP. Shields and Harris battled back and forth on holes 4, 5, 6 and 7 before Shields won holes 8, 9 and 10. His 3UP lead was enough to take the victory on hole 16, 3&2. “I think my putting was good. I hit the fairways today, which is good because if not, you’re playing in the trees, or desert; but, it was fun. I had a good time,” said Shields. He continued by praising his opponent and friend, Billy Harris, “I’ve known Billy for a long time. He’s a good guy.” Shields earned $5,000 for his victory today and his first match play title. This year was the fourth year that the Open Division championship match was conducted in Lajitas and the second year that the Senior Division joined them. “This place is a hidden gem. It’s a great golf course, lots and lots of fun. It was a joy being out here. The elevation changes are awesome,” said Shields about Lajitas Golf Resort. The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship was presented by Adventures In Golf, Lajitas Golf Resort, PGA TOUR, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, TPx Communications and XXIO.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 18, 2025) – The historic 45th Joe Black Cup has concluded, and we proudly congratulate Team NTPGA on securing the victory at BraeBurn Country Club with a final score of 15.5–8.5 over Team STPGA. Team NTPGA established early momentum during Day One, delivering an impressive performance in the Four-Ball and Foursomes matches, where they earned 9.5 points to build a commanding lead. Their strong play continued into the Singles matches, where they successfully held off a determined rally from Team STPGA. Throughout Tuesday’s competition, spectators were treated to a dynamic and engaging battle, with the leaderboard frequently shifting between red and blue as both teams exchanged critical points to tie the session 6-6. This year’s event was elevated by a truly memorable “Evening of Honor,” during which we welcomed and celebrated 29 Past Captains. Their presence underscored the tradition, legacy, and camaraderie that define the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches. The evening served as a powerful reminder of the event’s rich history and the influential leaders who have helped shape its enduring significance. We extend heartfelt congratulations to Team NTPGA for their outstanding performance and to both teams for exemplifying sportsmanship, competitive spirit, and pride in their respective sections. The 45th Joe Black Cup will long be remembered as a fitting tribute to the heritage of golf in Texas, Mr. Joe Black, and the individuals who continue to elevate the game. After 45 years of competition, the Northern Texas PGA now holds a 22–21–2 lead over the Southern Texas PGA in the storied history of the Joe Black Cup Matches. The 46th playing will return to Midland Country Club on November 16–17, 2026, where Team STPGA will look to reclaim the cup and bring it back to Southern Texas. A special thank you to Club Car, Srixon, Cleveland Golf, Peter Millar, and Winston Collection for their outstanding partnership and support in creating a world-class atmosphere befitting this historic 45th edition of the Matches. To view the final results, click here .