NTPGA's Top 10 Moments from 2019

NTPGA • December 31, 2019

The Northern Texas PGA had a wonderful 2019, and our Section staff is looking forward to seeing what 2020 has in store for us! However, now that the new year is upon us, we wanted to take a look back at our favorite moments from 2019.

#1. Northern Texas PGA Expanded PGA HOPE Programs

In February, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation was proud to announce its partnership with PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of The PGA of America, with the goal of providing additional PGA HOPE programming across northern Texas.

In 2019, the Northern Texas PGA held nine PGA HOPE clinics across North Texas. PGA HOPE is offered complimentary to interested Veterans. Read more .


#2. Northern Texas Foundation Awarded Record $406,700 in Scholarships

The Northern Texas PGA Foundation continued its charitable commitment to higher education by announcing 50 scholarship recipients in 2019. The 50 scholarships totaled $406,800. Both numbers are the largest amount ever awarded in a single year by the Foundation. 71% of the scholarships awarded were based on financial need, academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement, while 29% were awarded based on academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement. Read more .


#3. Doan, Ewing & Shady Oaks Country Club Inducted into Texas Golf Hall of Fame

Northern Texas PGA Member Cameron Doan as well as corporate partner and friend of the Section Fin Ewing III were among the four individuals who were inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Doan was honored in the Golf Professional / Teacher category and Ewing in the Lifetime Achievement category. Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth was also recognized and inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Texas Registry of Historic Golf Courses category. Read more .


#4. Holt Named First-Ever NTPGA Female Player of the Year

In June, the NTPGA Board of Directors voted unanimously to create the Northern Texas PGA Woman Player of the Year Award to be presented to the female Member accumulating the most points in these Section events: Section Championship, NTPGA Professional Championship, Eastern Championship and Western Championship. In September, the Northern Texas PGA announced that the first-ever NTPGA Woman Player of the year was Trish Holt, PGA head professional at Stonebriar Country Club, accumulating 111 points. Read more .


#5. NTPGA Junior Tour Conducted Nearly 490 Events, Announced LPGA Exemption

In 2019, the NTPGA Junior Tour conducted nearly 490 events and tournaments for junior golfers of all skill levels ages 6-19. Because of the large impact we have on junior golfers in North Texas, The Volunteers of America Classic – the only LPGA event in Texas – announced their partnership with Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which consists of the Southern Texas PGA, Northern Texas PGA, Legends Junior Tour and HGA Junior Golf.

This alliance will allow youth female golfers to earn an exemption spot into the LPGA event at Old American Golf Club. Starting in 2020, the Volunteers of America Classic Match Play Championship will give junior female golfers from the state of Texas the opportunity to play their way into the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic. The Match Play Championship will be conducted at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, in the late summer of 2020. Read more .


#6. Former NTPGA Junior Tour Member Scheffler Named Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year Honors

Scottie Scheffler, an NTPGA Junior Tour Member from 2002-2010, earned Rookie of the Year honors as well as Player of the Year honors earlier this year after an impressive season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Winning two tournaments and finishing ten times in the Top Ten on the Korn Ferry Tour last season, his great play earned him his PGA TOUR card for the 2019-2020 season.

During the Ewing Charity Classic held Monday, December 2 at Trinity Forest Golf Club, Scheffler made the announcement that $50,000 of the $300,000 he won through RSM Birdies Fore Love program he is donating to the NTPGA Foundation. Because of his growth and development on the NTPGA Junior Tour he has asked that the donation be directed toward the Foundation’s junior golf pillar. Read more .


#7. Northern Texas PGA Broke Ground on New Office at PGA Frisco

In October, The Northern Texas PGA excitedly announced that ground had officially been broken in Frisco for the Section’s new office building that is set to open in 2022. PGA Frisco will become the home to the Northern Texas PGA and the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. Read more .


#8. Northern Texas PGA Captured Levy Cup Matches for the First Time

For the first time, the Northern Texas PGA was victorious over the Southern Texas PGA at the 3rd Levy Cup Matches by an overall point total of 13.5 to 10.5. The Southern Texas team led the matches by one point following the first day of competition, but the Northern Texas team was able to secure eight points during Singles Matches for the victory. Way to go Team NTPGA! Read more .


#9. Ronny Glanton Named Golf Professional of the Year for the Third Time

Each year the Northern Texas PGA recognizes its members and others in the golf community through the NTPGA Awards program. This year, Section president Ronny Glanton was honored as the Golf Professional of the Year, and is the first NTPGA Member to receive the prestigious honor three times. He previously won this award in 1999 and 2007. Read more .


#10. Northern Texas PGA Announced Rebrand of Foundation

The highlight of 2019 came early when the Northern Texas PGA took steps towards furthering our commitment of growing the game in North Texas by renaming our Foundation to the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. The renaming came as the Section expanded its Foundation programs beyond junior golf. The five pillars of the Northern Texas PGA Foundation now include – junior golf, college scholarships, fellowships, inclusion and military & veterans.

“While the Foundation’s name has changed to reflect its scale, reach and growth, our core focus of growing the game of golf holds true,” said NTPGA President Ronny Glanton. “As we expand the scope of our initiatives, we are confident that under our new name, Northern Texas PGA Foundation, we will continue to be synonymous with exceptional service, programming and a dedication to the game for which we are known.” Read more.


As you can see, 2019 was another wonderful year for the Northern Texas PGA! But, as we reflect on these great memories, we know that this new year and decade will bring many more memorable moments. Best wishes for a prosperous 2020!

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.

Jerry J. Ransom Pro-Junior-Am Benefits the Northern Texas PGA Foundation

By Logan Bearden • August 3, 2026
$268,000 Donated to Foundation

Watkins Goes Wire-to-Wire, Defends Title at the 56th M&P Group Texas State Open

By Erik Anderson • July 31, 2026
Doggett (a) and McIlwain (a) Share Low Amateur Honors Walts Finishes as Top PGA Professional

Watkins Maintains Lead, Field Closes Gap Heading into the Final Round of 56th M&P Group Texas State Open

By Erik Anderson • July 30, 2026
TYLER, Texas (July 30) – Matthew Watkins of Rockwall, TX, carded a third-round 35-35–70, even par, and maintains the 54-hole lead at the 56th M&P Group Texas State Open. After a 36-hole score of 61-61–122, Watkins sits at 18-under-par for the championship. “I just kind of hung in there on the front nine, shot even. Then, kind of had it going just a little bit on 10 through 12. It was just an up-and-down day overall,” said Watkins. Watkins held a 6-stroke lead heading into the third round, but the field has cut it to just four. “Definitely going to be a little different than going into today. Probably a lack of concentration problem today, but still hung in there well.” Last year, Watkins held the 54-hole lead and said he was battling some nerves. “I’m definitely more comfortable, but still have to have a good round tomorrow if I want to win. Four [shots] can happen in three holes,” Watkins added. Watkins will look to defend his title beginning at 9:50 tomorrow morning. There is a three-way tie for second at 14-under-par between Cameron Sisk of Scottsdale, AZ, Cooper Schultz of Wichita, KS, and John Sand of Irving, TX. Cameron Sisk is a former Arizona State University standout. He finished his career there as a three-time All-American, two top-ten finishes at the NCAA individual Championships and 14th in the PGA TOUR University rankings. Sisk found himself behind the pack early this week, but with a second round of 64 and a 32-33–65 in today’s third round, Sisk has climbed back into contention. On the 12 par 5s Sisk has played this week, he is 12-under-par and credited his play on those holes as the reason he is tied for second heading into tomorrow’s final round. “You really got to take care of the par 5s out here. There are a few tougher par 3s and par 4s out here, so as long as you birdie the gettable holes, you’ll be in good shape,” said Sisk. After his 63 yesterday, Cooper Schultz shot a bogey-free 33-33–66 to cut his eight-shot deficit in half today. Of the three players tied for second, Schultz will be the first one out tomorrow as he tees off right before the final group. “It’ll be nice, I won’t feel like I have to press or anything. I’m just going to try and take what the course gives me. If I end up shooting 9-under, then great, if I shoot 2-under, that’s fine too, but I’ll just stay within myself and play the game I know I can play,” said Schultz. John Sand fired a bogey-free, 32-32–64, good for the joint low round of the day. He finished strong with birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16. The week has been steady so far for Sand, with rounds of 66, 66, 64, he sits just four back of Watkins. Sand and Sisk will join Watkins at 9:50 a.m. tomorrow, while Schultz precedes them in the 9:40 a.m. grouping. Bret Gray, PGA Member, is in solo fifth after a round of 34-30–64 and is the Low PGA Professional in the championship. Gray graduated from Sam Houston State University’s golf management program last December. He holds a one-stroke lead over Chase Walts, PGA assistant professional at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, TX in the PGA Member Division. Gray said, “I’ve done a lot of preparation and practice for moments like this, so I’m excited to tee it up tomorrow.” Gray and Walts both tee off at 9:40 a.m. Blake Elliott of Bullard, TX, continues to climb the leaderboard after a third-round 31-34–65, 5-under-par that propelled him 18 spots up the championship leaderboard. His round moved him to 10-under-par and he currently sits tied for eleventh place. Elliott has been battling an injury this week, but continues to fight through it. “It is what it is at this point. My speed’s down right now and kind of flinching at it a couple of times here and there, but it is what it is.” Grant Doggett (a) of Beach City, TX, leads the Amateur Division at 6-under-par. His third round 33-36–69, 1-under-par has him tied for 32nd overall. Doggett (a) is the defending Low Amateur after finishing at 11-under-par and 12th place overall last year. Doggett (a) is a senior at the University of Houston and grew up playing golf on the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour. He holds a one-stroke lead over the next closest amateur, Kaelen Dulany (a) of Keller, TX. The 56th M&P Group Texas State Open is a 72-hole stroke play event with a field of 156 professionals and amateurs. The 36-hole cut was made to the low 55 players and ties. 66 players (59 professionals and 7 amateurs) made the cut at 2-under-par and are competing for a $203,850 Championship purse. The champion, if a professional, will take home $40,000. The only amateur to win the Texas State Open was Homero Blancas in 1960. The final round starts at 8:00 a.m., and players will begin on the first and tenth holes and play in threesomes. This is the M&P Group’s fourth year as the title sponsor, and the Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and Higginbotham and supported by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, Holiday Inn - Tyler Conference Center and Patterson Tyler. The championship is being played at Cascades Country Club for a record 15th time. Cascades Country Club Par: 35-35–70 Yardage: 6,882 yards