Jerry J. Ransom Launches New Event for Northern Texas PGA Golf Professionals who Support the Northern Texas PGA Foundation

Margaret Miller • September 25, 2024

$25,000 for the champion in one-day shootout

FRISCO, Texas (September 25, 2024) – Jerry J. Ransom, the namesake of the Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Golf House and long-time NTPGA Foundation supporter, with the assistance of the Northern Texas PGA Section staff, recently announced the creation of a new event – the  Jerry J. Ransom NTPGA Shootout at The Oaks. 


The event is for 80 Northern Texas PGA Members and Associates employed at a facility that supports the NTPGA Foundation's growth of the game initiatives. It is meant to be a fun and unique way to thank the men and women in this Section who work diligently to continue to grow the game alongside the NTPGA Foundation.


What makes this competition unique? For starters, those eligible to play are limited to NTPGA golf professionals who have hosted a Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour tournament, a PGA HOPE clinic, a PGA Jr. League team, a Birdies for Kids fundraiser, or another initiative that has supported the NTPGA Foundation in 2023 or 2024. The Section professionals at facilities that hosted a Section major championship in 2023 or 2024 will also be eligible to participate.


What also makes this event special is the format and the purse for which these professionals will compete. On the morning of Sunday, November 17, the 80-player field will compete in a 9-hole stroke play competition at The Oaks Country Club in Greenville, Texas.  In the morning the 9-holes will serve as a qualifier for the afternoon shootout format. The low three players plus one name randomly drawn from the unsuccessful qualifiers will play a 9-hole shootout. The shootout will start at approximately 2:45 p.m. Members of The Oaks Country Club and the public are invited to attend the shootout. 


The format for the shootout is as follows:  Holes 1-3 will be played by all four players. After three holes, one player will be eliminated based on score. In the event of a tie, there will be a playoff. The remaining three players will play holes 4-6. Before the start of the playing of these three holes, the scores will be reset to even par. After playing holes 4-6, another player will be eliminated based on score. In the event of a tie, there will be a playoff. The remaining two players will play holes 7-9. Before the start of the playing of these three holes, the scores will be reset to even par. The winner of the shootout will be determined after playing holes 7-9 based on score for the last three holes. In the event of a tie, there will be a playoff. 


Players will be competing for a first-place prize check of $25,000! The runner-up will receive $15,000, third place will take home $7,500 and fourth place will earn $2,500.


“I wanted to do something for the PGA Professionals in the Northern Texas Section while bringing entertainment and exposure to The Oaks Country Club,” said Ransom about this new event. “I wanted to say a different kind of thank you by hosting them for a fun day of golf and a sizable purse.  It is going to be a great event!” 


The Jerry J. Ransom NTPGA Shootout at The Oaks will take place at The Oaks Country Club located in Greenville, TX, where Ransom currently serves as mayor. The Oaks Country Club is a 9-hole, par 36, quintessential, small-town, East Texas country club located approximately 60 minutes from Dallas. The club was founded in 1960 and is one of the most challenging 9-hole golf courses in Texas. 


“Leave it to Dr. Ransom to come up with such a creative way to thank our PGA professionals!” said Mark Harrison, CEO of the Northern Texas PGA. “Jerry is such a great patron to the Northern Texas PGA, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation and the men and women who are PGA of America Golf Professionals in our Section. This event will be a lot of fun!” 


More details about the event will be announced before November 17 once the field is finalized.  Thank you to Dr. Ransom and his involvement with the NTPGA, the NTPGA Foundation and now our PGA professionals. 

By Erik Anderson • October 26, 2026
On behalf of each NTPGA Chapter Awards Committee, East Texas, Metro Texas and West Texas, we are pleased to announce the 2026 Northern Texas PGA Chapter Award Winners below. 2026 East Chapter Award Winners Golf Professional of the Year Tim Lawson, The Pinnacle Golf Club Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Justin Benson, Eagle's Bluff Country Club Teacher & Coach of the Year Cory Ryan, Crown Colony Country Club Merchandiser of the Year - Private Kendall Earp Motes, Sulphur Springs Country Club Merchandiser of the Year - Public Doug Myer, Tyler Golf Professional Development Award John Sikes, Eagle's Bluff Country Club Bill Strausbaugh Award Doug Myer, Tyler Golf Player Development Award John Sikes, Eagle's Bluff Country Club Patriot Award Dick Goetz, PGA Life Member Youth Player Development Award Mike Williams, Alpine Target Golf Center 2026 Metro Chapter Award Winners Golf Professional of the Year Abe Hernandez, Royal Oaks Country Club Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Shelly Davis, Dallas Athletic Club Teacher & Coach of the Year Gabe Reynolds, Topgolf - Dallas Merchandiser of the Year - Private Brian Schorsten, Colonial Country Club Merchandiser of the Year - Public Chad Williams, Tierra Verde Golf Club Professional Development Award Deborah Foley, PGA of America Bill Strausbaugh Award Trish Holt, Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco Player Development Award Michelle Edgar, The Clubs of Prestonwood - The Hills Patriot Award Bob Nied, The Courses at Watters Creek Youth Player Development Award Garrett Anderson, Golf Clubs at The Tribute 2026 West Chapter Award Winners  Golf Professional of the Year Jimmy Tidwell, Abilene Country Club Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Dru Hein, Midland Country Club Teacher & Coach of the Year Brandon Veld, Red Feather Golf & Social Club Merchandiser of the Year - Private Matt Lawson, Lubbock Country Club Merchandiser of the Year - Public Casey Renner, Palo Duro Creek Golf Course Professional Development Award Brian Nagy, Abilene Country Club Bill Strausbaugh Award Jake McCullough, Odessa Country Club Player Development Award Thomas Martin, Green Tree Country Club Patriot Award George Priolo, Ross Rogers Golf Complex Youth Player Development Award Ryan Osgood, Odessa Country Club Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.
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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.