Ewing Charity Classic Benefits NTPGA Foundation & PGA of America Golf Professional Wins Mercedes-Benz Car in Closest to the Hole Shootout
DALLAS, Texas (December 2) – The 19th Annual Ewing Charity Classic, a fundraising golf tournament conducted by the Northern Texas PGA for the benefit of the Northern Texas PGA Foundation, was held today at Brook Hollow Golf Club. This year’s event raised $303,000 for the Northern Texas PGA Foundation.
The Ewing Charity Classic, formerly the Westcott Pro-Am (from 1996-2005), is widely considered one of the most special and unique pro-am events in the country with $5,946,500 raised during the past 30 years for the benefit of the Northern Texas PGA Foundation's broad-based community outreach programs. The money raised helps to further the Foundation’s mission to positively impact lives and communities through golf.
The Ewing Charity Classic featured 22 teams consisting of three amateurs, a PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour or LPGA Tour player and a PGA of America golf professional. Past and present tour players that participated in this year’s event included Si Woo Kim, Pierceson Coody, Ally Ewing, Kevin Tway, Chad Campbell, Ryan Palmer, Hayden Springer, Todd Hamilton, Kelly Kraft, Mac Meissner, Paul Stankowski and others.
The 18-hole format this year was as follows: The tour player and club professional played a modified alternate shot and the amateurs played their own ball with full handicaps (maximum of 28). The team score was the professional team score plus the low net score of the amateurs.
The winning team was led by PGA Professionals Nic Ishee and Ben Swaffield and included amateurs Bill Duvall, Bill Hickey, and Cary Newman. Together, they shot an impressive 24-under par, 116, to claim victory in the competition. Ishee and Swaffield, both golf professionals at Preston Trail Golf Club, entered the evening prior to the event due to Cameron Doan, director of golf at Preston Trail Golf Club, and his partner Rich Beem not being able to play. For full event results, please click HERE.
Following the competition, PGA Professionals participated in the highly anticipated Closest to the Hole Shootout, where the winner would drive home in a brand-new 2025 Mercedes-Benz C300, generously provided by Ewing Automotive. This year’s shootout took place on the Brook Hollow Golf Club tenth tee box from 125 yards under the lights.
As the evening settled into a cool, brisk Texas night, the air was filled with the lingering scent of cigar smoke, adding a touch of tradition and camaraderie to the PGA Professionals' Closest to the Hole Shootout. Ben Swaffield hit an incredible approach and landed just 7 and a 1/2 inches from the hole, a distance no one could best. Despite strong competition from the field, Swaffield’s shot held up, securing him the grand prize—a brand-new Mercedes-Benz C300.
“I got the 125 yards with a perfect pitching wedge in the cold, kind of embraced it while everyone watched on,” said Ben Swaffield, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, after receiving the keys to his new car. “It wasn’t do or die, I just wanted to hit a good shot and it turned out great.”
After 25 more professionals hit, no one had bested the Australian native. The second-place prize was claimed by Sean Hanson, PGA head professional at Pinecrest Country Club, who put his shot 10 feet, 9 ¾ inches from the hole, earning a $5,000 prize. Chad Moscovic, PGA director of instruction at The Ronny Golf Park secured third place and $3,000 with a shot of 11 feet, 8 inches.
The closest to the hole contest was Mr. Ewing’s idea as a way to not only help raise funds for the Northern Texas PGA Foundation but also to say a special thank you to the PGA of America golf professionals who participate in the event. In 2012, it was so well received that Mr. Ewing decided to keep the shootout going and has given away a car to a PGA of America golf professional each year since.
