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.

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
By Molly Rawlins February 23, 2026
Dallas, TX – (February 23, 2026) The Northern Texas PGA held their President’s Dinner on Sunday, February 22, at Royal Oaks Country Club. The dinner celebrated the 2025 NTPGA award winners, which included Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the Section's highest award, won by Cameron Doan, PGA director of golf at Preston Trail Golf Club. This is the highest honor given annually to a Northern Texas PGA Member, and is awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the NTPGA as well as the game of golf. The complete list of award winners can be found HERE . Congratulations to all. On Monday, February 23, the NTPGA staff then conducted a Professional Development Seminar and the 58th Annual Business Meeting at Dallas Country Club. During the Professional Development Seminar, the PGA of America golf professionals learned new communication skills from Tim Novak, increased their rules knowledge with Jon Drago, PGA, and David Price, PGA, and learned leadership lessons from a group of golf's top PGA golf professionals, including Cary Cozby, PGA, Bill Eschenbrenner, PGA, Bob Ford, PGA, and our very own Cameron Doan, PGA, and Ronny Glanton, PGA. After lunch, the 58th Annual Meeting consisted of the recognition of many professionals including the playing award winners honoring Matt Lohmeyer, Todd McCorkle, Rob Shields and Kim Paez. The 2026 Eva Williams A.C.E. Scholarship recipient, Sean Kim was also recognized. The meeting included comments from the Northern Texas PGA Past Presidents, current officers as well as from Executive Director, Kelly Gilley, PGA and CEO Mark Harrison. New Officers to the Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors were elected by acclamation. They include Ira Molayo as President, Jeremy Langdale as Vice President and Eric Hunt as Secretary. Two At-Large Directors were also elected by acclamation, Trish Holt and Neil Lockie. All were sworn in alongside East Texas Chapter President Tim Lawson and West Texas Chapter President Adam Headley. The current Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors can be found HERE . Before the meeting adjourned, the newly elected President, Ira Molayo, the PGA General Manager at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas, addressed the membership. He stated that it is an honor to serve as the 32nd President of the Northern Texas PGA, using the word ‘serve’ intentionally because this position, like every role in our profession, is not about title. It is about stewardship. He then gave four notes about his commitment in these next two years – to represent all Members, across facilities, across classifications, across backgrounds, to listen carefully, to communicate clearly, and to support the staff and volunteers who carry this Section forward every day. He finished his comments by saying, “I do not intend to reinvent what is already strong. I intend to build on it.” Thank you to all of the PGA of America Golf Professionals in our Section who attended these special and important events over the past few days. Our Board and our staff look forward to a successful 2026.
By Erik Anderson February 17, 2026
The brand will sponsor competitive junior events, serve as the official apparel provider to staff, and provide exclusive merchandise, prizes, and more at events as part of their effort to encourage and develop the next generation of golfers
By Molly Rawlins December 17, 2025
Paez, McCorkle, Shields also honored with Playing Awards