Napier Claims the 54th M&P Group Texas State Open After a Playoff

Steven Clements • August 2, 2024

Tanner Napier of Paris, TX won the 54th M&P Group Texas State Open at Cascades Country Club on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against Kyle Pritchard. Napier fired rounds of 62-63-66-68 to finish the Championship at 21-under-par.


Napier started the day with a two stroke lead over Frederick Wedel of the Woodlands and a five stroke lead over 2019 Champion Kyle Pritchard from Castroville. Napier made all pars until a birdie on the par-3, 9th hole. 


As he made the turn to the back nine, Pritchard began to go on a run in the group in front of him, just like he did the day prior. Pritchard birdied holes 11 through 16 and drained a 35-foot putt for eagle on the 18th to get to 21-under-par. His round of 63 was the lowest round of the day for the second day in a row. He also shot the lowest back nine score of the week today with an 8-under par, 27. 


Napier three putted the 17th hole for bogey and could not convert on the par-5, 18th for birdie to win in regulation. He and Pritchard would go back to the 18th tee for a sudden-death playoff. Napier found the fairway with a tee shot of 310 yards. He followed his drive with a 3-wood from 245 yards to the right side of the green and had about 50 feet for eagle. After his first putt he had a 3-footer remaining for the win after Pritchard left his 12 foot birdie putt on the lip.


“I had the thought of how many of these have I hit in my life. Thousands. So that’s how I treated it,” said Napier about his thoughts before hitting the three-foot putt. He went on to make the putt for a birdie and capture the 54th M&P Group Texas State Open title.


“I was lucky enough to get it done! You look at the names of past champions and it’s really cool to see those guys. It’s awesome to have my name there.”


Napier earned $40,000 for his victory and a lifetime past champion exemption into the Texas State Open.


The Championship features two additional divisions, Low PGA of America Golf Professional and Low Amateur. 


For the first time, Spencer Dillard, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas, TX,  claimed the PGA Professional Division at 14-under-par after rounds of 66, 65, 66, 69. 


“My goal coming into the week was to have four rounds under par and luckily I was able to do that this week,” said Dillard. 


Speaking about representing the PGA Members Dillard said, “It was nice to have a top ten and show my talents against these guys. A lot of people don’t know that we’re good players.”


For his T8 finish Dillard will head back to Dallas with over $5,450 and an exemption into next year’s Championship.


Jack Burke (a) of Orange, TX, a rising senior at Texas State University secured Low Amatuer honors after a 12-under-par finish. He carded rounds of 65-69-66-68 and finished six strokes ahead of the next closest amateur.

Speaking about the week, and his first time playing the event, Burke (a) said, “It was fun…The greens out here are so perfect. “This week it was a gold mine to come out here and shoot four rounds under par.”


Burke (a) earned an invite back for next year’s Championship as well as $1,000 gift certificate for the golf shop at Cascades Country Club. Next year, he plans to turn professional and will be playing for the overall purse. 


The 54th M&P Group Texas State Open was a 72-hole stroke play event and consisted of 156 professionals and amateurs. The starting field was made up of exempt players as well as successful qualifiers. The 61 players who made the cut competed for the Championship purse of $201,000. 


This was M&P Group’s second year as the title sponsor and the Championship was presented by Joyce Crane and supported by Christus Trinity Mother Frances, Holiday Inn - Tyler Conference Center, Jucys Hamburgers and Patterson Tyler.


Cascades Country Club

Par: 35-35–70

Yardage: 6,882 yards


View Round Final Results HERE

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Bruns And Walts Win 2026 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship After Two Hole Playoff

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

Northern Texas PGA Celebrates Award Winners, Conducts 58th Annual Meeting, Elects 32nd President of Section

By Molly Rawlins • February 23, 2026
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.