Northern Texas PGA Section and Its Fairway to Success Program to be Spotlighted April 23 on Golf Channel

NTPGA • April 20, 2016

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The Northern Texas PGA Section and its Fairway to Success program, directed by Northern Texas PGA Foundation coordinator Katie Manor, will be spotlighted on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive program on Saturday, April 23, in celebration of the PGA of America’s Centennial.

The Fairway to Success program was established in 2007 as a collaboration among the Northern Texas PGA Section, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and Deloitte. Fairway to Success introduces golf to students at three Dallas Independent School District (DISD) high schools, including W.W. Samuell, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln. These schools were selected based on level of need and lack of outside resources. The program annually awards $20,000 scholarships to deserving students based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community involvement and financial need.

Through the program, golf instruction is offered during physical education classes, and Northern Texas PGA Professionals offer after-school programming in the spring and fall for those interested in developing their golf skills. Featured in the spotlight is Tony Martinez, PGA Director of Golf at Keeton Park Golf Course, who is one of many PGA Professionals serving as an instructor – and in many cases, also a mentor – to students and imparting values of discipline, honor and integrity that are central to the game of golf. To date, $740,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 37 students, and through the contributions of North Texas Deloitte partners and staff, the scholarship endowment fund has surpassed more than $1.4 million.

In celebration of its Centennial, the PGA of America has partnered with Golf Channel to shine a spotlight on all 41 PGA Sections and their featured programs and initiatives led by PGA Professionals nationwide. The PGA Section Spotlights are scheduled to air on the Golf Channel from Jan. 27–May 4, spanning 100 days in honor of the Centennial.

“In celebrating our Centennial, we want to honor our 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals in all PGA Sections across the country,” said PGA President Derek Sprague. “Each day, they’re growing the game and using golf to better lives in their communities, as evidenced by efforts like those of the Northern Texas PGA Section. We’re very proud of these PGA Professionals and look forward to highlighting their efforts this year.”

The spotlights will run in conjunction with the #ThxPGAPro Centennial celebration social media campaign, where golfers everywhere can post videos, photos and messages in support of their favorite PGA Professionals on ThxPGAPro.com or through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Section Spotlights also will be featured prominently on ThxPGAPro.com.



About the PGA of America
Celebrating its Centennial, the PGA of America represents the very best in golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org, follow @PGAofAmerica on Twitter, and find us on Facebook.

Media Contacts:
Hayley Wilson, Alday Communications, Inc., hayley@aldaycommunications.com, 615-791-1535 x28
Jamie Carbone, PGA of America, jcarbone@pgahq.com, 561-624-8446

By Erik Anderson September 16, 2026
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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
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