Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour to PGA Professional: Spencer Dillard’s Journey to Success

Sarah Jordan • February 11, 2025


Spencer Dillard’s rise from a young golfer to a devoted PGA of America Golf Professional is a story of passion and purpose. His love for the game began when he was gifted a Tiger Wood’s golf video game as a kid. Spencer, who is now an Assistant Golf Professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, reflects on a journey shaped by the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour.


Spencer’s golfing journey began at the age of seven when his parents enrolled him in a small golf camp in McKinney, Texas. A year later, he discovered the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour and started competing in tournaments. These early experiences helped him develop both his skills and excitement for the game.


Spencer’s first experience on the junior tour was memorable. “I think I shot 72 for my very first [Prep Tour] event,” Dillard shares. “By the end of that year, I shot a 46. I was so happy to go from shooting a 72 for nine holes to [shooting] in the 40s.”

From 2008 until 2014, Spencer played on several levels of the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour, including the Prep and Medalist Tours. When asked about how the junior tour prepared him for play later in life, Spencer says that the competition pushed him to be better.


“Regardless of your skill level, there are always going to be people better than you or at least [at] equal [skill] level with you,” he explained. “It’s really easy to look in the mirror and judge yourself on your performance, and that [judgment] helped push me along in golf and in other areas of my life.”


While Spencer did not know entirely what he wanted to do with his future after junior golf, he knew that he was interested in becoming a club professional one day. On a road trip back home from a golf tournament, his mom told him about the PGA Golf Management Program at Sam Houston State University. When hearing about the program, Spencer was immediately interested and committed to pursuing a degree in Golf Management at Sam Houston. The program offered many different career paths in golf.

“I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into,” Dillard said. “I was just like yeah, I’ll go try it out.” 


And in 2015, he headed to Huntsville. During his time in Sam Houston State University’s PGA Golf Management Program, Spencer's perspective of the industry expanded. The program’s blend of networking opportunities and mentorship prepared him for life as a PGA Professional. He was able to explore many internships through the program which led to gaining more hands-on experience in the industry.

“I completed an internship in New York, which was a transformative experience for me,” Dillard explained. “I had a great PGA professional there, Rob Labritz. He kind of paved the way for me and showed me what it is to be a club professional.”


Spencer graduated from the Sam Houston State University PGA Golf Management program in 2019. He then earned his PGA Membership in February 2020, after completing an internship and securing a position at Preston Trail Golf Club. Today, as an assistant professional at Preston Trail, Dillard’s daily objective is to coach and develop the training staff, providing golf instruction, and representing the club at various events. Ultimately, Dillard and the Preston Trail team value their culture and strive to make the club a special place to grow the game.

Reflecting on his journey, Spencer attributes much of his success to the foundational experience of the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour and the mentors who guided him throughout his life.


“Golf [makes] it super easy to compare yourself because it’s just you— you don’t have a team that may win or lose you the game, it’s all on you,” Dillard noted. “It is really easy to look in the mirror and kind of judge yourself on your performance. I learned that all you can do is move forward while embracing the pressure.”

For young golfers considering their own journey, Dillard emphasizes the importance of enjoying the process and having fun while doing so.


“Have fun,” he advises. “It is easy to put too much pressure on yourself. There is a lot of pressure in golf, but the outcome is the outcome. It’s not the end of the world if you play a bad tournament. It's going to be okay.”


“You’re probably going to have a better outcome if you just go out and have fun, and not be too worried about where you finish in a certain event,” he encourages.


Today, Dillard is passionate about the game of golf and promoting opportunities in the sport. In 2024, he earned the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year Award for the Section. Dillard wants young players to know that their golf journey doesn’t end if they don’t pursue collegiate competition. 


“There are so many different avenues that are involved with golf,” Dillard says. “I think the perception is that if you do not play college golf, your golf career is over, and it is not like that.”


Dillard’s story is a story about the power of dedication to the game of golf and love for the sport. His journey from the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour to now is an inspiring example of how the game of golf can shape not only careers, but life ahead.

2026 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open Set to Return to Grapevine Golf Course

By Molly Rawlins • April 8, 2026
GRAPEVINE, Texas – Registration is now open for the 2026 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open and its qualifying events. The Championship will take place Wednesday, May 27, through Friday, May 29, at Grapevine Golf Course. This 46th year of the Championship marks another chapter in the event’s rich history, continuing its tradition as one of the premier women’s tournaments in Texas. The projected overall purse is $80,000. For the third consecutive year, Grapevine Golf Course will serve as host, reinforcing the City of Grapevine’s commitment to supporting and growing women’s golf. Known for its hospitality and spirited community, Grapevine looks forward to building on the success of previous Championships while delivering a first-class experience for players and spectators alike. The 2026 Championship continues its partnership with the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT). Thanks to the support of the ANNIKA WAPT, this Championship allows the top two finishers to receive exemptions into the Epson Tour’s Island Resort Championship, June 22–28 in Harris, Michigan. Additionally, ANNIKA WAPT members will earn points toward the Callaway Race to Q2, with all earnings counting toward the 2026 ANNIKA WAPT Official Money List. A total of 144 players will compete in a 54-hole stroke play format, with a cut to the low 50 players and ties after 36 holes. New for 2026, players shall gain access to compete in the Championship through qualifying events unless they are otherwise exempt. Exemption categories for the 2026 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open include: Past Champions Top 10 professionals and ties from the 2025 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open Top five amateurs and ties from the 2025 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open First five LPGA Tour Members First 10 Epson Tour Members ANNIKA Top 80 through third event ending April 24 Five amateurs ranked within the Top 500 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking Six All American Tour Exemptions Two Legends Junior Tour Exemptions Two Prestige Exemptions One Host Exemption Two Sponsor Exemptions Three NTPGA/WAPT Exemptions Three Good Good Golf Exemptions Eligibility for the 2026 Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open is open to professional and amateur golfers. Amateurs are encouraged to hold a USGA Handicap Index of 6.4 or lower. Additionally, the Championship is recognized as an official Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and World Amateur Golf Ranking event, further enhancing its prestige and competitive significance. Registration for the 2026 Championship can be found HERE . Qualifying information can be found HERE . For more information about the Destination Grapevine Texas Women’s Open, visit www.ntpga.com/texas-womens-open . For those wishing to attend the event, admission is complimentary, allowing fans to enjoy top-tier women’s golf in an accessible public setting at one of Texas’ top-ranked public courses. With more than 20 hotels to stay at, it is an easy weekend getaway while you catch the action or play a few rounds of your own. Grapevine offers a wide range of accommodations from luxury resorts like the Gaylord Texan to family-friendly stays like Great Wolf Lodge, plus a variety of select-service hotels. For more information, visit www.grapevinetexasusa.com/texaswomensopen . ###

Reynolds and Roberson Secure the 2026 GT Golf Supply Pro-Pro Championship

By Erik Anderson • March 31, 2026
Golding and Walden win Senior Division

Norman and Massa (a) go Back-to-Back at the Srixon / Cleveland Golf Pro-Scratch Championship

By Erik Anderson • March 25, 2026
Brown and Gibralter (a) claim Senior Division

Bruns And Walts Win 2026 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship After Two Hole Playoff

By Erik Anderson • March 3, 2026
THE COLONY, Texas (March 2) – The team of Robert Bruns, PGA Head Professional at Trinity Forest Golf Club, along with partner Chase Walts, PGM Student at Methodist University who currently works as an assistant at Trinity Forest Golf Club won the 2026 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship after a two hole playoff. The two carded a bogey-free, 12-under-par, final score after shooting 64 on Old American Golf Club and a 31 on the back nine of Tribute Golf Links. They bested the team of Spencer Dillard and Alastair Jones from Preston Trail Golf Club. The 27-hole, Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship was hosted at Golf Clubs at The Tribute for the sixth straight year. Teams played Old American Golf Club and the back nine of Tribute Golf Links. Bruns and Walts both had looks inside 10 feet on the second playoff hole, though it was Bruns who poured in the winning putt. “I knew he had it in the bag, so I think that made it much easier for me to just be free and let it go,” said Bruns. Walts recently became an assistant professional at Trinity Forest, and said, “Robert is such a huge mentor to me and my career already. I hope to learn from everything he knows and that goes for golf as well.” “It makes it much easier when you’re in the mix coming down the fairway and you have a great relationship with each other. At the end of the day you’re just having fun,” Bruns said after their victory. This is the first win for both Bruns and Walts in Section Major Championships. The pair earned $3,200 ($1,600 each) out of the record $32,000 total championship purse. The KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship was presented by Callaway Golf, Club Car, Evolve Golf, Landmark Golf Course Products, Range Servant, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, and Winston Collection. View the final results HERE . Old American Golf Club Par: 35-36–71 Yardage: 6,770 Tribute Golf Links (Back nine) Par: 36 Yardage: 3,368