Ewing Charity Classic Benefits NTPGA Foundation & Two PGA of America Golf Professionals Win Mercedes-Benz Cars in Closest to the Hole Shootout

November 28, 2023

The 18th 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 Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco. This year’s event raised $275,000.



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 $5,643,500 raised during the past 29 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 21 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 Parker Coody, Pierceson Coody, Ally Ewing, Gerina Mendoza, Chad Campbell, Ryan Palmer, Rich Beem, Todd Hamilton, Mark Brooks, Brad Faxon, J.J. Henry 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. 

PGA Professional Britt Patton, teamed up with celebrity Tony Romo (a) and amateurs Jeff Stiltner, Dean Woodward, and Joe Bob Joyce to shoot 13-under par, 131, to win the competition.  For full event results, please click HERE.


As is tradition after play, the PGA of America golf professionals who played in the tournament competed in a closest to the hole shootout to win a car, provided by Ewing Automotive. However, for the first time, the shootout took place on the campus of the Northern Texas PGA’s new home on The Ronny Golf Park. 22 PGA of America golf professionals took aim at a hole on the Golf Park from 86 yards under the lights and with their sights set on a 2024 Mercedes-Benz C300.


Hitting first was Randy Smith, PGA director of instruction and golf professional emeritus at Royal Oaks Country Club. He confidently stepped up and hit his shot to 10 feet, 9 inches with an approach wedge. 


After 20 more professionals hit, no one had bested Smith. The final PGA Professional to hit was Jake McCullough, PGA director of golf at Odessa Country Club and the Northern Texas PGA Section President. Hitting a 54 degree wedge, McCullough hit a knock down that checked up to exactly 10 feet, 9 inches. 


The first tie in the history of the competition was settled in spectacular fashion when Fin Ewing III, owner of Ewing Automotive and the event's namesake decided to give a car to both professionals! “I’d rather see these guys win a car than anybody else. They’re the local celebrities that get forgotten,” said Ewing.


“I thought Randy was closer, and I was happy that he was going to win, I thought that was awesome. Then they announced that it was tied and Fin said he would give cars to both of us. I was in disbelief, you just can’t make a guy like Fin up,” said McCullough. He has now won the shootout two years in a row and is the only two-time winner.


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.

Richie Hare, PGA director of golf at Trinity Forest Golf Club finished in second place after a shot of 12 feet, 3.5 inches to take home $5,000. The third place prize was awarded to Ronny Glanton, PGA head professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course, who took home $3,000 after a shot of 12 feet, 6 inches.

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

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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

Northern Texas PGA Celebrates Award Winners, Conducts 58th Annual Meeting, Elects 32nd President of Section

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.