Norris & Gregory Set to Face Off in Final Match of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship
NTPGA • October 11, 2016
LUFKIN, Texas –
The morning Quarter Final Matches of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship featured two upsets that included the exit of the #1 seed as well as two of the top Championship seeds advancing to the Semi-Finals.
The opening match of the morning resulted in the first upset of the day with #9 seed Cameron Doan, PGA head professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, besting #1 seed Stuart Deane, PGA golf coach at The University of Texas at Arlington, 2 & 1. In the second match of the day, the second upset occurred when Paul Norris, PGA golf coach at Texas Wesleyan University (#29 seed) defeated Amanda McCurdy, PGA teaching professional at Tierra Verde Golf Course (#28 seed) 6 & 5. The third match resulted in Ben Cuzen, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club (#7 seed), defeating Thomas Devanna, PGA assistant professional at Tangle Ridge Golf Club (#8 seed), 5 & 4. And the final match resulted in #3 seed Greg Gregory, PGA assistant professional at Hidden Creek Golf Course, topping #11 seed Michael Martin, PGA teaching professional at Sinclair’s Golf Training Center, 2 & 1.
The Semi-Final matches featured Cameron Doan versus Paul Norris and Ben Cuzen versus Greg Gregory.
In the first Semi-Final match, Norris took an early lead on hole #2 and never let Doan back in the match. By the turn, Norris had a 4 UP lead. On hole #13, Doan made birdie to bring it back to 3 UP, but a par on hole #15 sealed the match for Norris for a 4 & 3 victory.
Gregory and Cuzen faced off in the other afternoon match. Cuzen took an early lead going 1 UP after three holes, but a birdie on hole #5 by Gregory brought it back to all square. On #7, Cuzen notched a birdie to go back to 1 UP, but Gregory was eventually able to swing the momentum of the match to his favor. He had a chip in on hole #15 and secure the match on hole #17 with a 3 & 1 victory.
Norris and Gregory will face off in the 18-hole Championship Match on Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. Both will be vying for their first Match Play title. The champion will take home a crystal trophy as well as $5,250 of the $36,300 Open Division purse.
In 2015, the Senior Division was expanded from four to eight of the top professionals from the 2016 OMEGA Senior Points Challenge competing for their own $9,150 purse. In today’s Semi-Final Matches, #4 seed Stuart Hendley, PGA director of instruction at Green Tree Country Club, bested #1 seed Perry Arthur, PGA part owner of The Golf Club of Dallas, 2 UP. Also, #6 seed Rick Woodson, PGA teaching professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course, defeated #2 seed Tom Strueber, PGA Life Member, 1 UP. Hendley and Woodson will square off tomorrow at 8:40 a.m. in the Championship match of the Senior Division. The champion will take home a crystal trophy and a check for $2,750.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship is being contested October 10-12 at Crown Colony Country Club in Lufkin, Texas, a 6,711-yard, par 72 layout. The Championship is presented by AT&T Byron Nelson, Lorente Golf and PGA TOUR. The top 32 players on the final 2016 Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Player of the Year Points Challenge were invited to compete in the season-ending major championship.
Tomorrow’s final matchups and the results from today’s matches are listed below:
OPEN DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
Don January Bracket Winner Lee Trevino Bracket Winner
8:30 a.m. #1 Tee
#29. Paul Norris, Texas Wesleyan University vs. #3. Greg Gregory, Hidden Creek Golf Course
SENIOR DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
8:40 a.m. #1 Tee
#4. Stuart Hendley, Green Tree Country Club vs. #6. Rick Woodson, Sherrill Park Golf Course
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
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.