Northern Texas PGA Celebrates Award Winners, Conducts 57th Annual Meeting

Molly Rawlins • February 3, 2025

FORT WORTH, TX –  The Northern Texas PGA held their annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, February 2, at River Crest Country Club.


The banquet celebrated the 2024 NTPGA award winners, which included Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the Section's highest award, won by Neil Lockie, PGA director of golf at Dallas National 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!

Nature's Symphony

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Faces of Humanity

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Sands of Time

Stark beauty of desolate dunes
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Beyond Boundaries

Visual odyssey across continents
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On Monday, February 3, the NTPGA staff then conducted a Professional Development Seminar and the 57th Annual Business Meeting at Ridglea Country Club. 


The Professional Development Seminar featured keynote speaker Sonny Dykes, head football coach at Texas Christian University. Dykes spoke to the membership in attendance about leadership. “[Leadership] is incredibly diverse in how you define it and how you cultivate it. Leadership is different for all of us. You need to be able to empower those young people and build them up. [It] has to be practiced every day,” said Dykes.


Following the keynote presentation were three small group sessions conducted by Kevin Scott, chief technology officer at PGA of America and Kelly Williams, PGA, general manager at Greenbriar Golf & Country Club who discussed using AI to enhance your communication skills; Trent Newby, social media icon and former Greg Norman sales representative who discussed building your online brand; and a Q&A session with golf course architect Beau Welling.


After lunch, the 57th Annual Meeting consisted of the recognition of many professionals including the playing award winners honoring Spencer Dillard, Rob Shields and Katelyn Sepmoree. The 2025 Eva Williams A.C.E. Scholarship recipients Stephanie Moorberg and Dustin Nelson were 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.


NTPGA President, Cameron Doan, encouraged the membership to look for opportunities to serve PGA Members and grow the game.

Opportunities like: 

  • Meet new people and make new friends
  • Hang out with old friends
  • Play and compete
  • Learn and develop
  • Serve, volunteer and give back
  • Introduce kids to the game – in an environment that they love so much they beg to come back
  • Use golf as a social connection vehicle
  • Use golf as a therapeutic vehicle
  • Let the wider world know what golf can do for people


Finally, Jon Drago, PGA executive director of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, and Todd Harbour, PGA general manager at Royal Oaks Country Club, were elected by acclamation as At-Large Directors to the Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors. Drago, Harbour and Abe Hernandez, the newly elected Metro Chapter President, were sworn in. The current Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors can be found HERE.


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 2025. 

Northern Texas PGA Announces 2026 Chapter Award Winners

By Erik Anderson • October 26, 2026
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.

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Dillard Wins $25,000 at Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Shootout at The Oaks in Back-to-Back Years

By Erik Anderson • September 29, 2026
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.