Northern Texas PGA Unveils Namesake of Pavilion

Steven Clements • May 9, 2022

New Building on NTPGA Campus at PGA Frisco to be Called the Randy Smith and Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion

Dallas, Texas –  On Wednesday, May 4, the Northern Texas PGA’s Board of Directors and Executive Director hosted a luncheon at Royal Oaks Country Club. The luncheon’s purpose was to unveil the namesake of a second building that will be adjacent to the Northern Texas PGA’s offices located at PGA Frisco.


The building will be known as the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion. It is a 2,200-square-foot building specifically designed for the NTPGA Foundation’s community outreach and growth of the game programs, programs for which the Foundation is so well known.


It came as a great surprise to long-time NTPGA Member Randy Smith, Golf Professional Emeritus at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, that the building would bear his name alongside NTPGA Foundation supporter Dr. Bill Blair. It also features an image of Smith giving a lesson to a 3-year-old junior golfer Finley Ewing IV.  A rendering of the pavilion is above.

“It was a complete surprise to me to see my name on the building,” said Smith through a few happy tears.  “Thank you to my friend Dr. Blair for his significant contribution and to the NTPGA Board of Directors for this honor.”


Smith and Ewing IV were coaxed into appearing at the luncheon, being told it was an update for NTPGA Foundation supporters. Neither was aware of the name or image the pavilion would bear until it was announced by Northern Texas PGA Executive Director / CEO Mark Harrison.


“The picture that will be on the pavilion is my favorite picture from when I was a junior golfer and I am so humbled that I will be linked to Randy at the NTPGA’s new home forever,” said Finely Ewing IV.


Smith has been a PGA Member for 45 years and has received a multitude of accolades during that time. He was honored as the PGA of America’s Golf Professional of the Year in 1996 and the Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1989. Smith is known as a top instructor coaching Justin Leonard, Ryan Palmer and the 2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler from the age of seven. He has also been a great advocate for the game of golf and the NTPGA Foundation. In 38 years, the Royal Oaks’ Great 108 fundraiser has raised over $1.9 million dollars for the Foundation. Smith has also played a role in making many introductions to Foundation supporters like the Ewing family, Dr. Blair and others. 


“It was such a truly special moment to surprise Randy with this announcement. He has been a great friend and champion for the Northern Texas PGA, the PGA professional and our junior golf growth of the game initiatives and there is no better person to bestow with this honor,” said Mark Harrison.


The Northern Texas PGA looks forward to opening the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion later this summer along with the new Northern Texas PGA Section office building and 2-acre synthetic turf, lighted golf park.


For a brief recap of the luncheon, check out the video HERE.


About the Northern Texas PGA

The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America and its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. The Northern Texas PGA has approximately 900 PGA members and associates employed at more than 300 facilities.  The Northern Texas PGA has 17 full-time staff members and is currently headquartered in Dallas.


The Northern Texas PGA will be joining the PGA of America national office relocation to Frisco in the summer of 2022 with its own state-of-the-art headquarters on the PGA Frisco campus.


In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.


About the Northern Texas PGA Foundation

Founded in 1983, the nationally acclaimed Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was rebranded in 2019 as the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. The Northern Texas PGA Foundation focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, internships and military & veterans.


The Northern Texas PGA Foundation is governed by the Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors and is supported by the Northern Texas PGA Foundation Trustees.

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.