Local Military Veterans Representing PGA HOPE Northern Texas Team to Compete in PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup during 2022 PGA Championship Week

Hayden Lewis • April 20, 2022
PGA HOPE Northern Texas will compete against Veterans from other PGA Sections in a
nine-hole golf match as part of the 2022 PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (April 20, 2022) – PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the

PGA of America, today announced that 12 teams consisting of four military Veterans and one

PGA Professional will compete in the 2022 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup on Monday, May 16 at

The Club at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The Secretary’s Cup is a spirited nine-

hole golf competition that kicks off PGA Championship week and features military Veterans

who have participated in the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program hosted by

their local PGA Section.


PGA HOPE, the flagship military program of PGA REACH, introduces golf to Veterans to enhance

their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.


Members of PGA HOPE Northern Texas:

Randy Shack, Army – E-4 Corporal (3 ½ years); Northern Texas PGA HOPE Ambassador

Derrick King, Army – MSG (27 years)

Dominick Antonino, Army – SGT/E-5 (7 years)

Jeremy Balmonte, Army – SGT/E-5 (9 years)


The Northern Texas Team will be led by Ira Molayo, PGA director of golf at Cedar Crest Golf

Course. Molayo has been instrumental in PGA HOPE’s expansion across North Texas for more

than five years. “I am extremely proud to be a part of a team with PGA HOPE veterans that I

have taught throughout the years,” says Molayo. “Golf is a powerful tool that can be used to

impact the lives of people in many different ways. PGA HOPE has allowed me the opportunity to introduce golf to a group of special people that have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their

sacrifice and true American spirit is something that has always inspired me."


All teams arrive in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 14. They will participate in practice rounds on May

15 and will have an opportunity to attend a PGA Championship practice round at Southern Hills

Country Club on May 17.


“PGA HOPE is enhancing, changing and saving lives, and when you hear that message directly

from the family members of participating Veterans, it’s very powerful,” said Jim Richerson,

President, PGA of America. “Veterans have sacrificed so much, and the work that our PGA

Professionals are doing is truly making a difference. I’m so proud to be part of this program, and

of the PGA’s commitment to grow PGA HOPE.”


Led by PGA Professionals, PGA HOPE has helped thousands of Veterans. Programs are currently

being offered at more than 210 locations in the U.S. today, across 47 States and 40 PGA

Sections, to serve 7,500 Veterans in 2022. It is the only adaptive golf program that has an MOU

with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which enables VA Facilities to refer Veterans to the

PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.


About PGA REACH

PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of

America. The mission of PGA REACH is to Impact Lives Through Golf. For more information, visit

PGAREACH.org and follow @PGAREACH on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. 


About the Northern Texas PGA Section

The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America, and its geographic

territory includes the State of Texas of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. The Northern

Texas PGA is comprised of approximately 850 PGA Members and Associates employed at more

than 300 facilities.


The Northern Texas PGA has 17 full-time staff members and is currently headquartered in

Dallas. The Northern Texas PGA will be joining the PGA of America national office relocation to

Frisco in the summer of 2022 with its own state of the art headquarters on the PGA Frisco

Campus.


In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also

operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college

scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.

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
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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.
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