Ewing Charity Classic Benefits NTPGA Foundation, PGA Professional Takes Home Car Thanks to Ewing Automotive Group
The 14th 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 Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. This year’s event raised $250,000.
The Ewing Charity Classic, formerly the Westcott Pro-Am, is widely considered one of the most special and unique pro-am events in the country with $4.55 million raised during the past 24 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, 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 include Paul Barjon, Rich Beem, Chad Campbell, Harrison Frazar, Hunter Haas, Blaine Hale Jr., Paul Haley II, J.J. Henry, Harry Higgs, Charlie Holland, Cheyenne Knight, Edward Loar III, Stephen Osborne, Ryan Palmer, Gerina Piller, Martin Piller, Scottie Scheffler, Conrad Shindler, Austin Smotherman, Robert Streb and Lanny Wadkins.
Professionals Blaine Hale Jr. and Troy Denton, who teamed with amateurs Mark Godvin, Gregg Hammer and Chris Halaska, carded a 13-under par, 131, to capture this year’s Ewing Charity Classic by one stroke.
Robert McMillan, PGA director of instruction at McMillan Golf Academy, took home a black 2020 Mercedes Benz C300 after hitting an 54” sand wedge, 80 yards, reaching 6 ½ inches from the hole. Britt Patton, PGA director of golf at Vaquero Club, finished in second place hitting his ball 1 foot, 7 inches to take home $2,500.
“I hit a shot and it went to six inches,” said McMillan. “I got very fortunate and lucky. I’m blessed to have a chance to do it. Huge thanks to Fin Ewing and all the guys at the NTPGA. I love you guys. I’m still in a little bit of shock, but this is awesome!”
The 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 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 each year since.
Ewing Automotive Group, a dealership group consisting of Mercedes-Benz of Plano, Ewing Buick GMC and Ewing Subaru of Plano, located north of the George Bush Turnpike and South of Highway 121, in one of the fastest developing business corridors in the country. A special thank you goes out to Mr. Ewing and all he has done for the Northern Texas PGA, our local PGA Professionals, junior golfers in North Texas and the game of golf. Earlier this year, Mr. Ewing was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame for all he has done for the game of golf.
Also during the shootout, PGA TOUR rookie Scottie Scheffler, an NTPGA Junior Tour Member from 2002-2010 made the announcement that $50,000 of the $300,000 he won through RSM Birdies Fore Love program he is donating to the NTPGA Foundation to be directed toward the Foundation’s Junior Golf pillar.
Final results follow. The scoring format was the low net-ball of the three amateurs added to the professional team (listed in bold) score playing a modified alternate stroke.
1 Blaine Hale Jr. & Troy Denton
Mark Godvin
Gregg Hammer
Chris Halaska 131 (-13)
T2 Ryan Palmer & Dow Finsterwald Jr.
James Edmondson
Jeff Bookout Mike Biggs 132 (-12)
T2 Conrad Shindler & Britt Patton
Lou Paletta
Ralph Searfoss
Bobby Beck 132 (-12)
T4 Paul Haley II & Todd Balkin
John Carver
Marc Goldman
Grant Callison 133 (-11)
T4 Harry Higgs & Bryan Nicholson
Harold Carter
David Martineau
Jay Dyer 133 (-11)
T4 Edward Loar III & Robert McMillan
Bill Nardiello
Mike Backlund
Scott Munro 133 (-11)
T7 Paul Barjon & Brett Beaty
David Kelton
Hayden Godat
John Baldridge 134 (-10)
T7 Chad Campbell & Chad English
Mark Griege
Shawn Spieth
Doug Hickok 134 (-10)
T7 Martin Piller & Philip Bleakney
Kyle Brooks
Chris Pezoulas
Taylor Brooks 134 (-10)
T10 Rich Beem & Cameron Doan
Peter McKenzie
Clark Ansel
Tommy Echols 135 (-9)
T10 Scottie Scheffler & Todd Harbour
Mike McKinley
Jon Drago
Patrick McKinley 135 (-9)
12 J.J. Henry & Courtney Connell
Ryan Galligan
Joe East
Lucas Boyd 136 (-8)
13 Hunter Haas & Carl Worley Jr.
Jerry Ransom
Keith Bonham
Scott Wagoner 137 (-7)
T14 Cheyenne Knight & Ronny Glanton
Eric Oliver
Kline Oliver
Holt Lunsford 138 (-6)
T14 Austin Smotherman & Simon Buckle
Finley Ewing IV
Harrison Holmes
Andrew Lawson 138 (-6)
16 Gerina Piller & Dean Larsson
Bill Blair
Katie Manor
Neal Feibel 139 (-5)
T17 Harrison Frazar & Richie Hare
Jonathan Price
Daniel Traylor
Maxime Blandin 141 (-3)
T17 Lanny Wadkins & Jeff Barton
Ernest Horany
Frank Borgsmiller
Scott Bedunah 141 (-3)
19 Stephen Osborne & Jake McCullough
Homer Daniels
Brian Madison
Heath Bailey 142 (-2)
T20 Tony Romo (a) & Tim Cusick
Howard Moore
John Adams
Lew Friedland 143 (-1)
T20 Robert Streb & Clif Nelson
Dean Woodward
Keith Moyes
Joe Bob Joyce 143 (-1)
22 Charlie Holland & Gilbert Freeman
JJ Gomez
Steve Pezanosky
Jeff Kesler 144 (E)
