Ronny Glanton Named PGA of America’s Golf Professional of the Year
Taylor Coffelt • July 28, 2020
The Northern Texas PGA is proud to announce that Ronny Glanton, PGA, a 35-year PGA Member in the Northern Texas Section and Head Professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson, Texas, since 1985, has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Award. This award is the highest annual honor given to one PGA Professional in the country, awarded for qualities of leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the PGA and the game of golf.
Glanton has demonstrated a passion and commitment to training and mentoring fellow PGA Professionals throughout his career. He has served the Association as the District 12 Director on the PGA of America's Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012 and also chaired multiple PGA of America Committees including the Associate and Tournament Committees. He has served on several other national committees as well, and currently serves on the Membership Committee.
Glanton is the Honorary President of the Northern Texas PGA Section after serving as President, for the second time from 2018 to 2019. He previously served as the Section's President in 2006 to 2007 and is the only Northern Texas PGA Section President to have served multiple terms. The most notable accomplishment under Glanton’s leadership, in 2018, was the announcement of PGA Frisco and a new home for the Northern Texas PGA. Groundbreaking for the new headquarters will begin later this year.
Receiving a Golf Professional of the Year Award is not a new feat to Glanton, however. In 2019, he was chosen as the Northern Texas PGA Section Golf Professional of the Year and is the first PGA Member in the 52 year history of the Section to win the award three times. He previously won the Section’s highest award in 1999 and in 2007.
“I am humbled and incredibly honored to be named the Association’s 67th Golf Professional of the Year,” Glanton said of the honor. “Ross Collins, David Price, Randy Smith and so many others have paved the way as mentors and set a high standard for the Northern Texas PGA. I would personally like to thank the City of Richardson and also the late Buster Creagh, former PGA Head Professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course, for believing in me all those year ago. I look forward to proudly representing the Northern Texas Section when I accept the award later this year."
This is the fourth time that a Member of the Northern Texas PGA has won the Association's most prestigious award. Glanton joins Ross Collins, who won the award in 1971 while serving as the PGA Head Professional at Dallas Athletic Club, David Price, who won the award in 1995 as PGA Head Professional at Bent Tree Country Club, and Randy Smith, who won the award in 1996 as PGA Head Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club.
Glanton and the other national award winners will be recognized at the Association's Annual Meeting in October in Hartford, Connecticut.

TYLER, Texas (July 30) – Matthew Watkins of Rockwall, TX, carded a second round low, 30-32–62, 8-under-par, to take the co-lead of the 55th M&P Group Texas State Open. He shares it with first round leader Chris Korte of Littleton, CO. Watkins rocketed to the top of the leaderboard at the end of his second round after an albatross on the par-5, 6th hole. He hit a 4-iron from 224 yards and holed it. “I hit a big slicing 4-iron in there, and it felt great,” said Watkins. He did not get a chance to watch his albatross go in. “I would have celebrated if I knew. I wish I would have seen it go in. I mean, I was just amazed.” Through two rounds, Watkins is 5-under-par on the 6th hole. He is looking for his first Texas State Open victory. He previously earned Low Amateur honors in 2021 and 2023. Tied with Watkins is Chris Korte, who followed his opening round 62 with a 34-30–64. He started the second round on the back-nine and birdied five of his first seven holes. A birdie on his tenth hole continued the scoring, but things slowed down with a streak of pars and a bogey on the 5th. Korte received the final sponsor exemption into the Championship and has taken advantage of it so far. During the past year, he has successfully Monday qualified into four PGA TOUR events and one Korn Ferry Tour event, most recently teeing it up in the Barracuda Championship. Josh Radcliff of Grapevine, TX, is two strokes behind Watkins and Korte at 12-under-par. He tied for the lowest score of round two with a 30-32–62. “It’s been a few years since I have played, but I love the state open. My in-laws live around here…it is always fun to come out to Tyler and play this event,” said Radcliff. One of many former Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour members in the field, including Watkins, Radcliff reflected on his junior golf career saying, “NTPGA is where I got my start in competitive golf playing the 9-hole events. I shot about 108 in my first 18-hole event with the NTPGA. I had a dream of playing professionally, and the NTPGA Junior Tour was a great place to start.” Watkins, Korte and Radcliff will tee off at 9:50 a.m. tomorrow in the final group. Blake Elliott of Bullard, TX, is once again in contention. His rounds of 66-67, 7-under-par, have him in a six way tie for ninth place. He will begin his third round at 9:30 a.m. Sulphur Springs native Trevor Norby also made the cut at 3-under-par. He will start at 8:10 a.m. tomorrow on the 10th hole. Cody Massa (a) of Cave Creek, AZ currently sits in first place on the Low Amateur leaderboard at 7-under-par. Massa, originally from Arlington, TX, attended Tyler Junior College from 2005 to 2007. Massa is no stranger to the Texas State Open competing in 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016, with his highest finish coming at 7th place in 2016. Aside from the Texas State Open, Massa won the Arizona Mid-Am Championship in 2024 and 2025. Massa currently sits in first place on the Low Amateur leaderboard and tied for ninth place overall. Six amateurs made the cut. Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, TX, finished the second round with a 34-33-67, 3-under-par. He is at 7-under-par for the Championship and leads the PGA Professional division into tomorrow’s third round. Bingaman credits his low rounds to his new, lighthearted take on his game. “I have been playing really well lately. These past couple of weeks I have really just been trying to have more fun with it, and I think that has reflected really well in the past few days,” said Bingaman. Five PGA of America Golf Professionals made the cut. Four from the Northern Texas Section and one from the Southern Texas Section. Kyle Pritchard leads the three past champions that survived the cut. He sits at 8-under-par. Mikel Martinson (a) and Shawn Stefani also advanced to the final two rounds. The 55th 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. Sixty-one players made the cut at 1-under-par and are competing for a $201,000 Championship purse. The third round will begin 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 third year as the title sponsor and the Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and supported by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, Holiday Inn - Tyler Conference Center, Jucys and Patterson Tyler. Cascades Country Club Par: 35-35–70 Yardage: 6,882 yards View current results HERE .