Northern Texas PGA Announces 2022 Section Award Winners

Molly Rawlins • November 30, 2022

Dean Larsson Named Golf Professional of the Year

DALLAS, TX – Each year the Northern Texas PGA recognizes its members and others in the golf community through the NTPGA Awards program. On behalf of the Northern Texas PGA Awards Committee and past Presidents of the Section, it is our pleasure to announce the 2022 Section Award Winners.


Dean Larsson, PGA head professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, is the recipient of the 2022 Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This is the highest annual honor given to a Northern Texas PGA Member, awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the NTPGA and the game of golf. 


Larsson has been the PGA head professional at Royal Oaks Country Club for the last nine and a half years. He manages the very active and successful tournament and instructional programs for members and their guests. Larsson is also dedicated to making sure his staff and their families maintain a good work-life balance and therefore enjoy coming to work to serve the membership of Royal Oaks each and every day. 


Larsson has been a key member in growing the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. He is a founding member of the Birdies for Kids fundraiser and participates yearly in The Great 108 at Royal Oaks which recently surpassed $2M raised for the Foundation in the last 39 years. In the past, Larsson has served on the Ewing Charity Classic Committee and was the Chairman of the Tournament Committee. He is also third on the all-time list of NTPGA individual major championships won with 15. 


In addition to Dean, congratulations to the following 2022 NTPGA Award winners. 

PGA Member Award Categories


PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award – Dean Larsson, Royal Oaks Country Club

 

PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Award – Austin Fields, Dallas National Golf Club

 

Distinguished Service Award – Greg Sikes, Hogan Park Golf Course

 

Teacher & Coach of the Year Award – Jack Daneshmand, Four Seasons Resort & Club

 

Randy Smith Youth Player Development Award – Charleton Dechert, The First Tee of Fort Worth

 

PGA Player Development Award (Growth of the Game) – Michelle Edgar, Royal Oaks Country Club

 

Patriot Award – Alan Coe, Tascosa Golf Club

 

Bill Strausbaugh Award (Club Relations, Employment and Mentoring) – Vince Bove, PGA of America

 

PGA Professional Development Award (Education / Building the Image of a PGA Professional) – Jeremy Langdale, Ranchland Hills Golf Club

 

PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award (Private Category) – Taylor Ruehl, Dallas National Golf Club

 

PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award (Resort/Public Category) – Robert Singletary, Grapevine Golf Course


 

Playing Awards


Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Player of the Year – JJ Killeen, Red Feather Golf and Social Club

 

Ben Hogan / NTPGA Stroke Play Average Award – JJ Killeen, Red Feather Golf and Social Club

 

Rolex | XXIO Senior Points Challenge Winner – Stuart Hendley, Dallas Athletic Club

 

NTPGA Woman Player of the Year – Trish Holt, Lakewood Country Club


 

Non-PGA Member Award Categories


Bob Galt Award (Media) – Eli Jordan, Avid Golfer / The Ticket

 

Byron Nelson Award (Amateur) – Dr. Bill Blair, Fredericksburg

 

Leon Faucett Award (Sales Representative) – Yoyo Rosario, Lorente Golf

 

Golf Course Superintendent Award – Joe Livingston, River Crest Country Club

 

 

The winners will be honored at the Awards Banquet in February 2023. 

Friend Wins Club Car | XXIO Northern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship

By Erik Anderson • August 25, 2026
Six qualify for Senior PGA Professional Championship

Paez Prevails at Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship

By Erik Anderson • August 25, 2026
Irving, Texas (August 25) – The Nelson Golf and Sports Club hosted two Northern Texas PGA Major Championships this week, the Club Car | XXIO Northern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship and the Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship. Clayton Friend claimed the Senior title, and Kim Paez claimed the Women’s title. Kim Paez, PGA Member at Ping Inc., claimed the Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship title, carding rounds of 70-72–142. Paez finished the Championship at 2-over-par, winning by four strokes. She began the final round one stroke back of Katie Flinn, director of instruction at Topgolf - Fort Worth, and her 2-over-par final round was enough to come from behind and secure the win. This is Paez’s first victory with the Northern Texas PGA since joining the section in 2025. “I stuck to my game plan this week, which was fairways and greens,” Paez said. “I think I missed only one or two fairways yesterday. I played pretty conservatively, but it paid off in the end.” Reflecting on her final round performance, Paez said, "It was a little bit windier today. It made me calculate a lot more on the tee shots.” It was an up-and-down round for Paez, but she hit her approach on hole 18 to two feet and tapped in for birdie. “The last three holes are pretty gettable, so I just had to remind myself that no matter how the round was going, I was going to have opportunities to close it out at the end.” Next week, September 3-5, Paez joins four other PGA female PGA Teaching, Coaching and Club Professionals from across the country to represent the United States in the fourth Women’s PGA Cup. They will take on Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa and Sweden in a 54-hole stroke play format at Carden Park Golf Resort in Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. “It is the biggest honor. When I first got my PGA Membership, and I found out about the PGA Cup, it became one of my biggest goals,” said Paez about making the team. “I was constantly checking the rankings, and coming into the KPMG [Women’s PGA Championship] and the LPGA Professionals Championship, I knew I had to lock in and give myself the best chance.” “I am so excited and so proud to represent the Northern Texas PGA as well, so hopefully I make everyone proud,” added Paez. This 36-hole Northern Texas PGA major championship is the fourth of five individual stroke play events that comprise the Woman Player of the Year points standings. The 22-player field competed for a purse of $7,500, and Kim Paez took home $1,050. The Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship was presented by A.PUTNAM and XXIO. The Nelson Golf and Sports Club Par: 35-35–70 Women’s Championship Yardage: 5,878 yards

McDonough Claims Northern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship

By Erik Anderson • August 17, 2026
Four Qualify for 50th Assistant PGA Professional Championship

Team of Murphy, Faulk Jr. Win Playoff to Capture 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship

By Erik Anderson • August 10, 2026
PLANO, Texas (August 10) – Seth Murphy, Associate at John Sikes Golf Academy and Thomas Faulk Jr. (a) captured the 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship title. The pair carded a 33-31–64, 8-under-par and made birdie on the first playoff hole. The pair began their round on the 8th hole and opened with a par. Six birdies on their next eight holes set them up for success for the first round. Their final nine holes were steady, with 7 pars and two birdies, but the bogey-free round was enough to get them into a two-team playoff against Ryan Grider, Associate at The Lakes at Castle Hills, and Colten Karstendiek (a). After a safe drive on the first playoff hole from Faulk Jr., Murphy was able to attack and had just 135 yards into the par-4 18th hole. He hit a pitching wedge to 10 feet and buried the putt. Murphy said, “He [Thomas] made about a 20-footer on our second hole, and that just put us on the pace we needed to get some momentum going. We gave ourselves lots of opportunities, double opportunities, where we were both putting for birdie, which is always nice. Just overall, we teamed very well today.” Faulk Jr added, “I started off hot and helped him out, and then when I was winding down, he got things going. We just made putts and pars when we needed to. It was just the team working.” Ryan Grider, Associate at The Lakes at Castle Hills, and Colten Karstendiek (a) fired 32-32–64 to finish in second place. Matt Weinberger, PGA senior director of member and amateur championships at PGA of America and Owen Layton (a) shot 31-35–66 to claim third place. The Championship featured 64 teams consisting of one PGA professional and one junior golfer between the ages of 7-19. The teams competed in a Four-Ball Stroke Play format. There was also a second division within the Championship where PGA professionals and their children competed for a separate title. The nine-team division was claimed for the third consecutive year by Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy and his daughter Hannah Antunes (a) with a score of 34-34–68. For the professionals in the field today, there was a skins game with a $4,500 payout. Only one skin was earned today. Hanna Dickens, Associate at The Ronny Golf Park, made a birdie on hole 14 to earn the skin. The 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship was presented by CMC Design, PGA TOUR, and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.