Pritchard Victorious at 49th Tanos Exploration II / Patterson-UTI Drilling Texas State Open 

Taylor Coffelt • August 3, 2019

Kyle Pritchard of Castroville, TX, captured the 49th Tanos Exploration II / Patterson-UTI Drilling Texas State Open by playing spectacular golf all week with rounds of 63, 67, 61 and a final round of 68. He finished the Championship two strokes ahead of the competition at 21-under par 259 for 72-holes. The four-day total matches past Champion and PGA TOUR Member, Shawn Stefani’s Championship total when he won at The Cascades Club in 2011.

Pritchard held a six shot lead heading into today’s final round. However, the lead quickly evaporated after he played the first seven holes three over par, and standing on the 8th tee, he found himself tied for the lead with Bullard’s Blake Elliott. Until today, Pritchard had only made two bogeys, both in the second round. But, he managed five birdies on the back nine, including four in the last five holes. He put an exclamation mark on the win when he sank a three-foot birdie for the victory on the 18th hole. The 2-under par round was enough to secure the Championship and a check for $41,000. Pritchard, a club professional at Alsatian Golf Club in Castroville, also earned a lifetime exemption into the Texas State Open.

“I teed off with a 6-shot lead today and still didn't believe that I could do it. It never hit me until that last putt on the last hole. Just to have my kids there and to know that their dad could do it, that's all that it means to me. It's perfect,” said Pritchard on the victory. “This win means a lot. It's been a long road.”

Once the putt on #18 dropped, he was swarmed on the green by his three sons, wife Synthia and family.

Colin Kober (a) of Southlake, TX, earned the Low Amateur honors and finished tied for fifth place shooting 67-67-64-67—265, 15-under-par, for the Championship. Kober is a rising senior at Baylor University, and was one of eight amateurs to make the cut. He bested Baylor teammate Ryan Grider (a) by three strokes to claim the honors.

“It's a really cool honor to be the low-am, especially since I was battling it out with one of my teammates this week, Ryan Grider, and I was actually staying in the same hotel room as him,” said Kober. “So we were just having fun with it. We both want to be professional golfers, so we both came here to compete and try to win the overall [Championship], and that was kind of the goal.”

In impressive fashion, Matt Lohmeyer, PGA teaching professional at GolfTEC – Montgomery Plaza, had the lowest round of the day shooting a 9-under 61 to top defending champion and last year’s Low PGA Professional Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Georgetown Country Club, by one stroke for Low PGA Professional honors. Lohmeyer overcame a 6-stroke gap that Kern created yesterday when he carded the same 61 in the third round. This is Lohmeyer’s first time receiving this award, ending Kern’s two-year run.

“Today went well. After seeing Ben Kern's round yesterday of 9-under I knew to get the low club pro I had to shoot something pretty special, probably the same score that he did, and hope that he didn't shoot another 9-under round,” said Lohmeyer. “I had 9 birdies, the hole looked very big today putting, and there was just something about today. I had a crazy focus and it was my career-best round by 3 shots, so that was pretty cool. This is pretty special to win. That's been a goal of mine to at least get the Low PGA Professional. At some point I'd also win the tournament as well.”

The 72-hole stroke play event began with 156 contestants. Following 36-holes, the field was cut to the low 55 scores and ties. 71 players survived the cut, which was at even par 140. 63 professionals and 8 amateurs played the final two rounds. All four rounds were contested at The Cascades Club, a 6,882-yard, par 70 layout located in Tyler. For the Championship, hole #10 is being played as a 490 yard, par 4 rather than a par 5. The total purse was a record $208,560.

Proceeds from the tournament benefitted the Northern Texas PGA Foundation’s scholarship program with the creation of the Tanos Exploration II / Patterson-UTI Drilling Texas State Open Scholarship. Lauren James from Judson, Texas, was awarded this scholarship. This year the NTPGA Foundation awarded over $406,000 in scholarships to 50 high school seniors from North Texas. The Championship was sponsored by Tanos Exploration II and Patterson-UTI Drilling. It was presented by Joyce Crane and Veritex Bank and was supported by Cavender’s, Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health Systems, Energy Weldfab, Jucy's Hamburgers and Patterson Tyler.

Please note: (a) denotes amateur, and amateurs were awarded gift certificates.

Final Round results here.

Bingaman, Shields Earn First Match Play Victories at the Duel in the Desert at Lajitas Golf Resort

By Margaret Miller • December 9, 2025
LAJITAS, Texas (December 9) – Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club, won the Duel in the Desert at Lajitas Golf Resort to claim the 2025 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship Open Division title. Rob Shields, PGA member at The Winsford Group, claimed the Senior Division title. The No. 2-seeded Bingaman battled No. 12 Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy, in a 36-hole final match for the title and $10,000. Both players began their run to the championship match back in October at White Bluff Resort, where they battled their way through the 32-player Match Play Championship bracket. “It’s incredible out here,” said Bingaman. “Jon is awesome; we couldn’t have had more fun. It’s hard, because on one hand you want to win and it's stressful, but on the other hand we were just two guys enjoying playing golf.” After playing 18 holes on Monday, their match stood at 2UP in favor of Bingaman. He continued his charge with birdies on holes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, extending his lead to 7UP. Antunes quickly answered back with a long putt on the 9th hole to cut into Bingaman's lead. But, Bingaman drained a birdie putt on hole 13 to end the match. He claimed his first Match Play title 7&5. Bingaman made a putter switch in between the 36-hole match. “I brought two putters with me. I’ve been flipping back and forth recently between a L.A.B Putter and a Scottie Cameron, which did me well last week. Going into this weekend, I had a good feeling [about the latter], and good feelings turned into good playing.” This is the first year that Bingaman has made it to the final match. Antunes has won the title twice, previously in 2021 and 2022. “This was my first time qualifying for [Duel in the Desert], and I was super excited because I’ve heard nothing but great things about Lajitas Golf Resort,” said Bingaman. In the Senior Division, Rob Shields, PGA Member of the Winsford Group, started the day with a 1UP lead over Billy Harris. Harris birdied the 2nd hole to tie the match, and on the next hole, he went 1UP. Shields and Harris battled back and forth on holes 4, 5, 6 and 7 before Shields won holes 8, 9 and 10. His 3UP lead was enough to take the victory on hole 16, 3&2. “I think my putting was good. I hit the fairways today, which is good because if not, you’re playing in the trees, or desert; but, it was fun. I had a good time,” said Shields. He continued by praising his opponent and friend, Billy Harris, “I’ve known Billy for a long time. He’s a good guy.” Shields earned $5,000 for his victory today and his first match play title. This year was the fourth year that the Open Division championship match was conducted in Lajitas and the second year that the Senior Division joined them. “This place is a hidden gem. It’s a great golf course, lots and lots of fun. It was a joy being out here. The elevation changes are awesome,” said Shields about Lajitas Golf Resort. The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship was presented by Adventures In Golf, Lajitas Golf Resort, PGA TOUR, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, TPx Communications and XXIO.
Cameron Doan GY

Northern Texas PGA Announces 2025 Section Award Winners

By Molly Rawlins • November 21, 2025
2025 NTPGA Award Winners

Team NTPGA Victorious at Historic 45th Texas Joe Black Cup Matches

November 18, 2025
HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 18, 2025) – The historic 45th Joe Black Cup has concluded, and we proudly congratulate Team NTPGA on securing the victory at BraeBurn Country Club with a final score of 15.5–8.5 over Team STPGA. Team NTPGA established early momentum during Day One, delivering an impressive performance in the Four-Ball and Foursomes matches, where they earned 9.5 points to build a commanding lead. Their strong play continued into the Singles matches, where they successfully held off a determined rally from Team STPGA. Throughout Tuesday’s competition, spectators were treated to a dynamic and engaging battle, with the leaderboard frequently shifting between red and blue as both teams exchanged critical points to tie the session 6-6. This year’s event was elevated by a truly memorable “Evening of Honor,” during which we welcomed and celebrated 29 Past Captains. Their presence underscored the tradition, legacy, and camaraderie that define the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches. The evening served as a powerful reminder of the event’s rich history and the influential leaders who have helped shape its enduring significance. We extend heartfelt congratulations to Team NTPGA for their outstanding performance and to both teams for exemplifying sportsmanship, competitive spirit, and pride in their respective sections. The 45th Joe Black Cup will long be remembered as a fitting tribute to the heritage of golf in Texas, Mr. Joe Black, and the individuals who continue to elevate the game. After 45 years of competition, the Northern Texas PGA now holds a 22–21–2 lead over the Southern Texas PGA in the storied history of the Joe Black Cup Matches. The 46th playing will return to Midland Country Club on November 16–17, 2026, where Team STPGA will look to reclaim the cup and bring it back to Southern Texas. A special thank you to Club Car, Srixon, Cleveland Golf, Peter Millar, and Winston Collection for their outstanding partnership and support in creating a world-class atmosphere befitting this historic 45th edition of the Matches. To view the final results, click here .

Dillard Earns $25,000 at Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Shootout at The Oaks

By Molly Rawlins • November 9, 2025
GREENVILLE, Texas (November 9) – Spencer Dillard, PGA head professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, claimed the Jerry J. Ransom Northern Texas PGA Shootout at The Oaks title, taking home $25,000 for the shootout win. It took two playoff holes for Dillard to best runner-up Matt Lohmeyer, PGA director of instruction at SLICGOLF, with Dillard making par on the second playoff hole while Lohmeyer made bogey after his tee shot found its way into the creek. “Playing hole nine a few times was hard,” commented Dillard. “[The shootout] is different than stroke play golf. It was like match play. You kind of saw what your opponents were in position for and what they were going to do, just trying to outlast them to the finish line. I was pretty comfortable in the shootout portion. Having Mark [Harrison] and Randy [Smith] there with the mics commenting and having some good banter kept us all relaxed. It is awesome to win that kind of money. Quite life-changing for those of us who get the chance to play for it. Thanks, Mr. Ransom, for everything you do for the Section.” Longtime NTPGA Foundation supporter Jerry J. Ransom welcomed 70 Northern Texas PGA Members and Associates to The Oaks Country Club for the second annual Shootout. The event was created last year as a way to recognize the PGA Professionals across the Section who dedicate their time and energy to growing the game through the NTPGA Foundation’s initiatives. The event was developed by Ransom in collaboration with NTPGA CEO Mark Harrison as a way to thank PGA Professionals across the Northern Texas Section while also providing exposure to The Oaks Country Club. The Oaks is a top-five nine-hole course in Texas according to the Dallas Morning News golf course rankings. The format for the event features a 9-hole qualifier, with the top three finishers and one randomly selected participant moving on to the afternoon shootout. Darren Malicki, PGA Associate at Cascades Country Club, was the first qualifier after finishing 3-under-par. Lohmeyer was the next to advance at 2-under, and finally Dillard at 1-under. Andrew Martin, PGA Associate at Tanglewood Golf Course, was the random drawing winner. The nine-hole Shootout portion of the event was played in three stages of three holes each, with one professional eliminated after every stage. After the first three holes, Martin was eliminated and landed a prize of $2,500. The scores were then reset to even par and the second three holes saw Darren Malicki bow out, but still earned $7,500. The scores again reset to even par for the final three-hole segment, where Dillard and Lohmeyer battled it out in five. The Oaks Country Club 9 Holes Par 36 3,355 yards View the final results HERE