Northern Texas PGA Announces 2021 Playing Awards
Left to right: Killeen, Wells, Smith
DALLAS, Texas - The Northern Texas PGA is excited to announce the winners of the 2021 playing awards. JJ Killeen, PGA director of instruction at 4ORE! Golf, captured the 2021 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO / ASICS Player of the Year Award presented by Adventures In Golf and Cyber Group.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO / ASICS Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf and Cyber Group is a season-long competition that rewards the top finishers in the four major individual stroke play events. The four events are the TPx Communications Western Championship, Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship, Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and the Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship. The top 32 finishers on the Player of the Year Points Challenge list receive invitations into the season-ending Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf Match Play Championship at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton Texas, on October 5-7.
Killeen ended his rookie season with 386.8 points and a 19.3 point margin of victory. He had an action-packed season and finished tied eighth or better in all four events, including two ties for second place and a victory at the Joyce Crane Veritex Bank Section Championship. The win propelled him up three spots from fourth place to finish atop the standings.
Killeen also earned the Ben Hogan | NTPGA Stroke Play Scoring Average Award. He finished the season with a 69.5 scoring average. To be eligible for the award, members must play in at least three of the four individual stroke play championships throughout the season. Killeen bested Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Bent Tree Country Club by 0.5 strokes.
Julie Wells, PGA teaching professional at the John Sikes Golf Academy, has earned the honor of NTPGA Woman Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She finished T39 at the TPx Communications Western Championship, T28 in the Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship and T34 at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship. She accumulated 68.50 points to win by a margin of 29 points.
Bruce Smith, PGA director of instruction at Black Belt Golf Academy, secured the 2021 Rolex | XXIO Senior Points Challenge Award. Smith never finished lower than fourth place in the Senior Division at an event this season and earned two runner-up finishes. He earned 330 points to win by 92.5 points.
Congratulations to JJ, Julie and Bruce on great seasons!
