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

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Frisco, Texas (June 9, 2026) – The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) Foundation is pleased to continue its charitable commitment to higher education by announcing our 2026 scholarship recipients. Ninety high school seniors who will be attending college this fall have earned scholarships totaling $947,500, breaking last year’s record by $184,500! Since its inception in 1983, the Foundation’s scholarship program has now reached an incredible milestone, surpassing 1,000 scholarships awarded for a lifetime total of nearly $7.5 million in student support. “What amazing numbers these are!” said Northern Texas PGA Chief Executive Officer Mark Harrison. “The growth and support we have seen for our scholarship program over the last few years is remarkable, and truly unmatched. I want to thank all of our partners who make this year-over-year record possible, and I also want to congratulate and wish the best of luck to the young men and women who have worked diligently throughout high school to receive one of our scholarships this year. I know they will go on to do great things.” The 2026 scholarship amounts vary from $2,500 to $20,000. In addition, two students were awarded a “last-dollar” full scholarship to two of the Foundation’s partner schools, the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and one student was awarded a full-ride scholarship to the University of North Texas, which is a new partner school for this year. Congratulations to our 2026 scholarship recipients: A.B. Crockroft Memorial Scholarship Saydi Durbin – Mart High School Ethan Hocking – Mart High School Allison and Jerry Freeman Scholarship Niko Klassen – Homeschool ANNIKA Foundation Scholarship Alicia Bellendir – Coppell High School April and Mark Anthony Scholarship Huey Black – Canyon High School Baylor Scott & White Scholarship Garrick Ly – Lone Star High School Aliya Rasheed – Panther Creek High School Ben Hogan Foundation / Fred & Michele Reynolds Scholarship Jeffery Rubenstein – Highland Park High School Ben Hogan Foundation / Lillie Biggins Scholarship Mikayla Martin – Homeschool Ben Hogan Foundation / Mike McMahan Scholarship Adam Strauss – Greenhill School Ben Hogan Foundation / Mike Wright Scholarship Gracie Ellis – Clarendon High School Birdies For Kids Scholarship Sydnee Fain – Midland High Jade Mara – Argyle High School Cameron Doan NTPGA Golf Professional of the Year Scholarship Landon Reece – Mildred High School CJ Corporation Scholarship Katherine Bustetter – Centennial High School Harper Mallonee – Highland Park High School Luke Martin – Rockwall-Heath High School Delaney Newberry – Highland Park High School Yunjae Park – Prosper High School Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship Yvette Altamirano – W. W. Samuell High School Matisse Edwards – David W. Carter High School Abril Guerrero – Thomas Jefferson High School Ariel Meza Meza – Thomas Jefferson High School Sa'Mareion Tucker – Lincoln High School Camyre' Williams – Lincoln High School Destination Grapevine Texas Women's Open Scholarship Audrey McCallum – Colleyville Heritage High School Dr. Bill Blair Scholarship Cameron Warner – Wakeland High School Ewing Automotive Scholarship Hannah Antunes – China Spring High School Avery Jones – Homeschool Fore Frisco Scholarship Amara Okafor – Lone Star High School Rajdeep Singh – Panther Creek High School Lauryn Spraggs – Panther Creek High School Nikki Zahedi – Lone Star High School Frank & Evelyn Borgsmiller Scholarship Alan Ocampo – Thomas Jefferson High School Fritz and Mary Lee Duda Family Foundation Scholarship Taylor Carr – McKinney Boyd High School Giveback Foundation Scholarship Jelani Johnson Simon – Panther Creek High School Evan Tupper – Lone Star High School Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship Keegan Batla – Garden City High School Darby Ehrbar – Flower Mound High School Tyson Embry – Marcus High School Caroline Fent – Ursuline Academy of Dallas Riley Gudgeon – Hebron High School Xiyu Mei – Walnut Grove High School Jude Robbins – Wakeland High School I Am a Golfer Foundation Scholarship De'Asia Williams – David W. Carter High School Jackie Cupit Scholarship Brody Callens – White Oak High School Jerry Andrews Scholarship Dylan Wisener – Sachse High School Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship Max Cearley – Rockwall High School Brooks Head – Coppell High School Reed Heilig – Flower Mound High School Brooklynn Landrumm – Melissa High School Van Leugers – Rockwall High School Haylie Moore – Burleson Centennial High School Bryan Sargent – Walnut Grove High School Joe Black / Texas Golf Hall of Fame Scholarship Jacob Mekelburg – Maypearl High School Joe Bob Joyce Family Foundation Scholarship William Wampler – Canton High School Jon and Kim Morgan Scholarship Aashi Vakta – Justin Wakeland High School Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship Damir Ali – Thomas Jefferson High School Marely Angeles – Lincoln High School Dayanara Aquino – W.W. Samuell High School Montrell Horner – Lincoln High School Links on PGA Parkway Scholarship Anisaa Abdullah – Emmett J. Conrad High School Reagan Lorenson – McKinney North High School Daphny Moore – Keene High School M&P Group Texas State Open Scholarship Samuel Fate – Tyler Legacy High School Mac Spikes PGA Member Scholarship Anabelle Floriani – Lone Star High School Miss Katie Scholarship Gloria Solis – Thomas Jefferson High School Never Stop Believing Scholarship Annabeth Boyd – Trinity Preparatory Academy Perry Arthur Scholarship Faith Hughes – Community Christian School Philip Bleakney Scholarship Samuel Williams – Vilonia High School Randy Smith Scholarship Carson Niemann – Byron Nelson High School Ronny Glanton Scholarship Addison Akers – Bryan Adams High School Ronny Golf Park Scholarship Madison Bixler – Lone Star High School Riaan Nazrul – Panther Creek High School Carlo Rogers – Panther Creek High School Royal Oaks Country Club / Nicholas Stafford Scholarship Kian Sköld – Frisco High School Scottie and Meredith Scheffler Scholarship Austin Morrissette – Northwest High School Addelyn Schwarzlose – Tascosa High School Sherrill Park / Two Dads and a Coach Scholarship Kristin Coffman – Berkner High School Tehan Scholarship Cooper Knapp – Wylie High School The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Scholarship Aiden Tiet – Garland Christian Academy UNT / Fore Frisco Scholarship Kayla Rochez – Panther Creek High School UNTD / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship Daisy Navarro – W.W. Samuell High School UTA / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship Leibi Chavira Reyes – W.W. Samuell High School West Texas Legends Scholarship honoring Jenny Cox Claire Smiley – Amarillo High School West Texas Legends Scholarship honoring S.A. Smith, Hart Warren, Jay McClure, and Sherwin Cox Gunnar Barrera – Levelland High School Three additional scholarship winners will be announced later this June, with recipients selected via random drawings at two upcoming events. First, the Jerry J. Ransom Pro-Junior-Am fundraising tournament will award a $5,000 scholarship to a participating recent graduate. Later in the month, the S.A. Smith West Texas Junior Invitational will host a drawing for two $2,500 memorial scholarships in honor of Jerry D. Smith, one awarded to a male participant and one to a female participant.