Kern & Coughlan Set to Face Off in Final Match of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship, Smith Claims Senior Title
NTPGA • October 10, 2017
ODESSA, Texas –
The morning Quarter Final Matches of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship featured three of the top four seeded professionals advancing to the afternoon Semi-Final Matches.
During the opening match of the morning, #8 seed Gabe Reynolds, PGA director of instruction at Top Golf Dallas, bested #16 seed Joe Brown, PGA teaching professional at The Courses at Watters Creek, 3&2. The second match of the morning took extra holes, but #4 seed Danny Coughlan, PGA head professional at Abilene Country Club, was able to defeat #21 seed Ben Cuzen, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, in 23 holes. #2 seed Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Diamondback Golf Club, topped #7 seed Lee Rhind, PGA director of instruction at Midland Country Club, 7&5, and the final match of the morning resulted in the #14 seed Adam Headley, PGA head professional at Hillcrest Country Club, besting #11 seed Vince Jewell, PGA teaching professional at Woodbridge Golf Club, 5&4.
The afternoon Semi-Final matches featured Gabe Reynolds versus Danny Coughlan and Ben Kern versus Adam Headley.
In the first Semi-Final match, Headley took the lead on hole #7 going 1UP, but a birdie by Kern on #10 brought the match back to all square. Kern was 2UP after 13 holes when Headley birdied #15 to bring the match back to 1UP with three to play. Kern then managed one more birdie on #17 for a 2&1 victory over Headley.
Reynolds and Coughlan faced off in the other afternoon match. For the second straight match it took Coughlan extra holes to best his opponent, but after some back and forth, Coughlan was able to make par on the 20th hole to beat Reynolds for the win.
Kern and Coughlan will face off in the 18-hole Championship Match on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. Both will be vying for their first Match Play title. The champion will take home a crystal trophy as well as $5,500 of the $36,800 Open Division purse.
The Championship included a Senior Division that included eight of the top professionals from the 2017 OMEGA Senior Points Challenge competing for their own $9,200 purse. In the Championship match, #1 seed Bruce Smith, PGA director of instruction at Black Belt Golf Academy, squared off against #7 seed Henry Cagigal, PGA assistant professional at Rockwood Golf Course. Smith started strong going 3UP after six holes where he stayed through 10. But a couple of bogeys on the backside by Smith made the final match interesting down the stretch. He was finally able to best Cagigal 2&1 on #17. Smith took home a crystal trophy and a check for $2,800.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship is being contested October 9-11 at Odessa Country Club’s Old Course in Odessa, Texas, a 7,069-yard, par 72 layout. The Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf and AT&T Byron Nelson. The top 32 players on the final 2017 Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Player of the Year Points Challenge were invited to compete in the season-ending major championship.
OPEN DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
9:00 a.m. #1 Tee
#2. Ben Kern, Diamondback Golf Club vs. #4. Danny Coughlan, Abilene Country Club
DALLAS, Texas (November 3) — After two hard-fought days, the 10th Levy Cup Matches have concluded, and Team NTPGA has secured the victory in dominant fashion with a final score of 16 to 8 over Team STPGA. The Levy Cup is a Ryder Cup-style format tournament featuring teams represented by four Assistant PGA Professionals, four Senior PGA Professionals (any PGA classification, aged 50 and older) and four PGA Members (excluding A-8s and classifications not included in the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches) who qualified by earning points through their respective Section’s Major Championships. The Matches were created in 2017 to celebrate Paul Levy, PGA, who was completing his first year of a two-year term as President of The PGA of America. The 2026 Levy Cup Matches returned to where they first began, Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas. In the first edition of the Matches, Team STPGA was victorious 14-10, but Team NTPGA would not be denied this time. They took a commanding 5-1 lead after Monday morning’s opening Four-Ball Matches and looked to keep rolling heading into the afternoon Foursomes Matches. Team STPGA steadied themselves as the Foursomes Matches finished 3-3, giving Team NTPGA an 8 to 4 lead after day one. With a STPGA win in the 9th Levy Cup Matches, Team NTPGA needed 4.5 points in Singles Matches to win the cup. They came out firing, winning the first three matches and never looked back. Team NTPGA dominated the Singles Matches 8 to 4, leading to the largest margin of victory in the history of the Levy Cup Matches – 16 to 8. “It was awesome watching these guys display great golf from both sides, and you know, Team NTPGA just showed out and played just some amazing golf,” said NTPGA Captain Miguel Aguilar. The record-setting victory in the Levy Cup continues an impressive run for the Northern Texas PGA, following back-to-back record victories in the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches. The streak began in 2024 with a commanding 20–4 victory on home soil, followed by a record-setting 15.5–8.5 victory on the road last year. The 10th Levy Cup Matches were supported by Club Car, Harlestons, Mizzen and Main, and Ping.
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.
Friend and McCorkle Headed to Lajitas Golf Resort for Duel in the Desert