Pearce Captures Joyce Crane / Veritex Bank Section Championship

Taylor Coffelt • September 10, 2019

AMARILLO, TX – On the first hole of a sudden death playoff against Nic Ishee, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, Shane Pearce, PGA head professional at Hurricane Creek Country Club, captured the Joyce Crane / Veritex Bank Section Championship when he made a 3-foot birdie putt on the par 5, 18th hole. Pearce held a two-stroke lead heading into today’s final round, but got off to a shaky start carding four consecutive bogeys on holes 3-6. He then managed one birdie on #16, and that was enough to force a playoff with Ishee who carded a 2-under for the day and tournament. Pearce finished with round totals of 66-74–140 to claim his first Northern Texas PGA individual major championship.

"It was tough not seeing the course before. I didn’t get to play here in 2015. I wasn’t a Class A Member yet. I got here on Sunday and came out to hit a few balls and drive the course, but I didn’t actually play a practice round. It’s kind of weird, my dad and I joked after the first round that I tend to play courses better when I don’t have a practice round,” Pearce stated after clinching the win. “This is a super special [win], it’s definitely something I’ve always wanted, but I never thought I’d get here. I’m just following in the footsteps of everyone that’s won this before, all the people I’ve always looked up to. That’s more special to me than the actual win, just following along in their footsteps.”

Pearce took home a check for $4,800 for his victory, but even more important is the exemption that he earned into the 2020 AT&T Byron Nelson.

“I’m excited but also horrified,” Pearce said about the exemption. “Back in 2012 when I went to Q-School I probably would have had some different emotions about that, probably would have felt more prepared, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s always been a dream to play on the PGA TOUR.”

The Section Championship also included a Senior Division that was comprised of 23 professionals aged 50 and older who elected to compete for a separate $14,200 purse and played from a modified yardage. Stuart Hendley, PGA director of instruction at Dallas Athletic Club, completed a three-peat as the Section Championship Senior Division champion. He finished the tournament at 3-under-par with rounds of 70-69—139 to capture his third consecutive Section Championship Senior Division win. He took home a check for $2,250.

“It’s fun winning. Our Section is big, so winning is nice, and this locks up the Points [Challenge Standings] for me which is always the goal,” Hendley said after today’s win. “When I lived in West Texas I played this course quite a bit, and I really like it. It’s one of my favorite courses in West Texas. You really have to control your ball, though, so I focused on getting the ball in the fairway to control where I was going on the green. I also putted really well, which is great because these greens are really difficult.”

The Joyce Crane / Veritex Bank Section Championship, presented by AT&T Byron Nelson, Ewing Automotive Group, GT Golf Supplies, PGA TOUR, Sterling Cut Glass, and Technogym, was conducted at Amarillo Country Club, a 6,937-yard, par 71 course located in Amarillo, Texas. The overall purse for the event was a record $52,500. The Open Division field consisted of 62 PGA professionals from the Northern Texas Section of the PGA of America who competed for an Open Division purse of $38,300.

The Joyce Crane / Veritex Bank Section Championship was the fourth and final individual stroke play major championship of the 2019 season to earn points towards the Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf & Green Garden Gold. The Eastern Championship, Western Championship, NTPGA Professional Championship and Section Championship all served as qualifiers for the year-end Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO Match Play Championship. The Player of the Year Points Challenge also served as qualifying for the 2019 NTPGA Texas Joe Black Cup and Levy Cup teams.

Final Results.

Norman and Massa (a) go Back-to-Back at the Srixon / Cleveland Golf Pro-Scratch Championship

By Erik Anderson • March 25, 2026
Brown and Gibralter (a) claim Senior Division

Bruns And Walts Win 2026 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship After Two Hole Playoff

By Erik Anderson • March 3, 2026
THE COLONY, Texas (March 2) – The team of Robert Bruns, PGA Head Professional at Trinity Forest Golf Club, along with partner Chase Walts, PGM Student at Methodist University who currently works as an assistant at Trinity Forest Golf Club won the 2026 KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship after a two hole playoff. The two carded a bogey-free, 12-under-par, final score after shooting 64 on Old American Golf Club and a 31 on the back nine of Tribute Golf Links. They bested the team of Spencer Dillard and Alastair Jones from Preston Trail Golf Club. The 27-hole, Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship was hosted at Golf Clubs at The Tribute for the sixth straight year. Teams played Old American Golf Club and the back nine of Tribute Golf Links. Bruns and Walts both had looks inside 10 feet on the second playoff hole, though it was Bruns who poured in the winning putt. “I knew he had it in the bag, so I think that made it much easier for me to just be free and let it go,” said Bruns. Walts recently became an assistant professional at Trinity Forest, and said, “Robert is such a huge mentor to me and my career already. I hope to learn from everything he knows and that goes for golf as well.” “It makes it much easier when you’re in the mix coming down the fairway and you have a great relationship with each other. At the end of the day you’re just having fun,” Bruns said after their victory. This is the first win for both Bruns and Walts in Section Major Championships. The pair earned $3,200 ($1,600 each) out of the record $32,000 total championship purse. The KBS TOUR Shafts Pro-Assistant Championship was presented by Callaway Golf, Club Car, Evolve Golf, Landmark Golf Course Products, Range Servant, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, and Winston Collection. View the final results HERE . Old American Golf Club Par: 35-36–71 Yardage: 6,770 Tribute Golf Links (Back nine) Par: 36 Yardage: 3,368

Northern Texas PGA Celebrates Award Winners, Conducts 58th Annual Meeting, Elects 32nd President of Section

By Molly Rawlins • February 23, 2026
Dallas, TX – (February 23, 2026) The Northern Texas PGA held their President’s Dinner on Sunday, February 22, at Royal Oaks Country Club. The dinner celebrated the 2025 NTPGA award winners, which included Northern Texas PGA Golf Professional of the Year, the Section's highest award, won by Cameron Doan, PGA director of golf at Preston Trail 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. On Monday, February 23, the NTPGA staff then conducted a Professional Development Seminar and the 58th Annual Business Meeting at Dallas Country Club. During the Professional Development Seminar, the PGA of America golf professionals learned new communication skills from Tim Novak, increased their rules knowledge with Jon Drago, PGA, and David Price, PGA, and learned leadership lessons from a group of golf's top PGA golf professionals, including Cary Cozby, PGA, Bill Eschenbrenner, PGA, Bob Ford, PGA, and our very own Cameron Doan, PGA, and Ronny Glanton, PGA. After lunch, the 58th Annual Meeting consisted of the recognition of many professionals including the playing award winners honoring Matt Lohmeyer, Todd McCorkle, Rob Shields and Kim Paez. The 2026 Eva Williams A.C.E. Scholarship recipient, Sean Kim was 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. New Officers to the Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors were elected by acclamation. They include Ira Molayo as President, Jeremy Langdale as Vice President and Eric Hunt as Secretary. Two At-Large Directors were also elected by acclamation, Trish Holt and Neil Lockie. All were sworn in alongside East Texas Chapter President Tim Lawson and West Texas Chapter President Adam Headley. The current Northern Texas PGA Board of Directors can be found HERE . Before the meeting adjourned, the newly elected President, Ira Molayo, the PGA General Manager at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas, addressed the membership. He stated that it is an honor to serve as the 32nd President of the Northern Texas PGA, using the word ‘serve’ intentionally because this position, like every role in our profession, is not about title. It is about stewardship. He then gave four notes about his commitment in these next two years – to represent all Members, across facilities, across classifications, across backgrounds, to listen carefully, to communicate clearly, and to support the staff and volunteers who carry this Section forward every day. He finished his comments by saying, “I do not intend to reinvent what is already strong. I intend to build on it.” 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 2026.

Good Good Golf Announces Multi-Year Title Sponsor Partnership with the Northern Texas PGA

By Erik Anderson • February 17, 2026
The brand will sponsor competitive junior events, serve as the official apparel provider to staff, and provide exclusive merchandise, prizes, and more at events as part of their effort to encourage and develop the next generation of golfers