NTPGA's Top 10 Moments from 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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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!