Southern Texas PGA Team Leads After Day One of the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches
DALLAS, Texas –
The Southern Texas PGA leads the Northern Texas PGA 3.5 to 2.5 after day one of the 38th Texas Joe Black Cup Matches.
The cold weather did play a factor in the Matches when the captains and the rules committee made the decision on Monday to cancel the Foursome Matches because the forecast showed freezing temperatures were going to cause a delay both mornings. With the shortened matches, the Northern Texas PGA needs nine points to retain the cup, while the Southern Texas PGA needs nine and a half points to win.
The first match of the day featured Dean Larsson, PGA head professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, and Adam Headley, PGA head professional at Hillcrest Country Club, facing off against Casey Russell, PGA head professional at Golfcrest Country Club, and Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Georgetown Country Club. Kern and Russell put the first points on the board besting Larsson and Headley 5&4.
However, Team NTPGA found the next point as PGA Head Professional and NTPGA President Ronny Glanton and PGA Director of Golf at Vaquero Club Britt Patton beat Jeremy Ice, PGA head professional at Northgate Country Club, and Jason Alexander, PGA head professional at The Club at Carlton Wood, 4&3 in Match #2.
The other full point that the NTPGA team acquired came in Match #3 after rookie Hunter Hidalgo, PGA head professional at Lakewood Country Club, and Tony Johnson, PGA head professional at San Angelo Country Club making his first appearance for the NTPGA team, bested Marc DeWall, PGA general manager at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch, and Tim Hobby, PGA director of instruction at The Club at Sonterra, 2&1.
The only match to head to hole 18 was the final match of the day where Simon Buckle, PGA head professional at Brook Hollow Golf Club, and Cameron Doan, PGA head professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, took on Ryan Polzin, PGA head professional at Oak Hills Country Club, and Jamie Christianson, PGA head professional at The Dominion Country Club. With a 5-foot, birdie putt made by Doan to halve the match, Team STPGA will only take a 1-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s Singles Matches rather than two.
The teams from each Section are represented by their Section President, the top playing PGA Directors of Golf, PGA Head Professionals and PGA General Managers, a Senior Representative, and a Captain’s Pick. Tony Martinez, PGA director of golf at Keeton Park Golf Course, is captain of the Northern Texas PGA team, and Bryan Minnick, PGA head professional at Shadow Hawk Golf Club, is serving as the Southern Texas PGA captain.
The Texas Joe Black Cup Matches is an annual competition between the Northern Texas PGA and the Southern Texas PGA Sections. The Matches are currently tied at 18-18-1. The Ryder Cup-style format features 12 golf professionals from each Section competing in Four-Ball Matches the first day followed by Singles Matches the final day. The event was started in 1981 to honor Joe Black, a Snyder, Texas, native who was completing his first year as President of The PGA of America.
One point is awarded to a winning match and a half point is awarded to any match that is tied after eighteen holes. Singles matches will begin at 11:00 a.m. off of the first tee on Wednesday morning. The Matches are being contested at Dallas National Golf Club, a 7,016-yards, par 72 layout in Dallas, Texas.
Day One Results.
