Ishee Seeking Major Championship Victory at Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship

Steven Clements • August 12, 2024

LONGVIEW, Texas (August 12) – Nic Ishee, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club birdied the final three holes at Pinecrest Country Club to take a one stroke lead at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship.


Ishee fired a 6-under-par, 33-31–64 with no bogeys in the opening round. Ishee was 3-under-par with three holes remaining. “I hit it to 3-feet on #16…then I really just tried to play smart from there. I was able to get up and down on #17 after a nice wedge shot and then #18 was a bonus after I rolled it dead in the middle,” said Ishee.


Ishee’s co-worker Matt Ryba, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club won this Championship in 2022, the last time it was hosted at Pinecrest Country Club. Ryba coined the phrase “Pinecrest rewards patience”. Ishee leaned on that saying and his past experience at Pinecrest during today’s round. “Past experience and being patient, thinking about that helped a lot,” he said.


Seven qualifying spots into the PGA Professional Championship are on the line this week. The Championship is set to be held April 27-30, 2025 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. In addition to the seven qualifiers determined tomorrow, the Section will also send reigning Player of the Year Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club to the Championship. 


The PGA Professional Championship serves as a qualifier for 312 PGA of America golf professionals from across the country to compete for 20 spots into the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. Eight NTPGA professionals in the field this week have qualified via the Championship for the PGA Championship in the past, including Ishee.


  • Lee Rhind, 2013 at Oak Hill Country Club
  • Brian Norman, 2014 at Valhalla Golf Club
  • Greg Gregory, 2017 Quail Hollow Club
  • Brandon Bingaman, 2022 at Southern Hills Club
  • Nic Ishee, 2022 at Southern Hills Country Club
  • JJ Killeen, 2023 at Oak Hill Country Club
  • Gabe Reynolds, 2023 at Oak Hill Country Club
  • *Kenny Pigman, 2023 Oak Hill Country Club & 2017 Quail Hollow Club
  • *Pigman qualified via the Southern California PGA.


This 36-hole Northern Texas PGA major championship is the third of four individual stroke play events that comprise the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf. The field is competing for a record tying purse of $50,000 and a $6,000 champion check.


The Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship is presented by Club Car, Corebridge Financial and Rolex. Supporting sponsors include Gallagher, Golf Channel and the PGA TOUR. The Championship is supported by Titleist, FootJoy, Callaway Golf, Nike and Taylormade and presenting sponsors include Elijah Craig Bourbon, Therabody and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. 


Pinecrest Country Club 

Par: 35-35–70 

Open Division Yardage: 6,533 


View Results HERE

By Erik Anderson • September 29, 2026
GREENVILLE, Texas (September 28) – For the second year in a row, Spencer Dillard, PGA director of golf at Golf Clubs at The Tribute, claimed the Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Shootout at The Oaks, taking home $25,000 for the win. Just like last year, it took Dillard two playoff holes to best runner-up Nick Paez, instructor at The Ronny Golf Park. Both players found the 440-yard, par 4, 9th green in two, but a costly three-putt from Paez from 35 feet led to Dillard finishing off a nervy three-foot putt for the win. Dillard also won with a par in last year’s event and has now taken home the victory in two out of three years in the event’s short history. “It’s pretty special, just the opportunity to play in the event. I just can’t thank Dr. Ransom enough for putting this on and all he does for us,” said Dillard. “Just being able to play is a huge deal and then lasting through the shootout is so tough, so it feels great to be here.” The players in the shootout were battling in what seemed to be a competition of who could continue to make birdies. “Nathan was 9-under through a 12-hole stretch today and still went out. There is so much talent in our Section, so you got to go win it,” said Dillard. Longtime Northern Texas PGA Foundation supporter Jerry J. Ransom welcomed 98 Northern Texas PGA Members and Associates to The Oaks Country Club for the third annual Shootout. The event was created to recognize the PGA Professionals across the Section who dedicate their time and energy to growing the game through the NTPGA Foundation’s initiatives. The event was developed by Ransom as a way to thank PGA Professionals across the Northern Texas Section while also providing exposure to The Oaks Country Club. The Oaks is a top-five nine-hole course in Texas according to the Dallas Morning News golf course rankings. The format for the event featured a 9-hole qualifier, with the top three finishers and one randomly selected participant moving on to the evening shootout. Nathan Park, instructor at Stonebriar Country Club, qualified first after finishing with an impressive 6-under-par, 30. Dillard was the next to advance, carding a 4-under-par, 32, and finally Paez at 3-under-par, 33, who won a six-for-one spot playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole in the playoff. Zack Vinson, PGA head professional at Athens Country Club, was the random drawing winner. The nine-hole Shootout portion of the event was played in three stages of three holes each, with one professional eliminated after every stage. After the first three holes, Vinson was eliminated and landed a prize of $2,500. The scores were then reset to even par, and the second three holes saw Nathan Park bow out, despite being 9-under-par through 15 holes. He played his final three holes in the shootout at even par. Still, he earned $7,500 for his efforts. The scores again reset to even par for the final three-hole segment, where Dillard and Paez battled it out for three holes, followed by two extra holes in the playoff.
By Erik Anderson • September 23, 2026
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Six qualify for Senior PGA Professional Championship