The Northern Texas PGA Foundation Awards $406,800 in Scholarships

Taylor Coffelt • May 28, 2019

DALLAS, TX – The Northern Texas PGA Foundation is pleased to continue its charitable commitment to higher education by announcing its 2019 scholarship recipients. 50 recipients have, or will earn scholarships totaling $406,800, the largest amount ever awarded in a single year by the Foundation.

Forty-five high school seniors who will be attending college this fall were awarded $325,000 in scholarships. Each scholarship awarded varied between $5,000 and $20,000. In addition, one student was awarded a “last dollar” full scholarship to the Foundation’s partner school, the University of North Texas at Dallas, valued at approximately $66,800.

Additional scholarships totaling $15,000 will be awarded to four junior golfers via random drawings taking place at three events in June. The events include the Jerry J. Ransom Pro-Junior-Am, the Starburst Junior Golf Classic and the S.A. Smith West Texas Junior Invitational.

This year, of the scholarships already awarded, 71% 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.

Since 1983, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation has awarded $2.77M in college scholarships to more than 500 deserving students.

The Northern Texas PGA Foundation is pleased to announce its 2019 scholarship recipients:

·AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Robert Caldwell – Dallas, TX

·Ben Hogan Foundation Scholarship – Courtney Battieste – Plano, TX

·Ben Hogan Foundation Scholarship – Ally Fowler – McKinney, TX

·Ben Hogan Foundation Scholarship – Hudson Hicks – Frisco, TX

·Birdies for Kids Scholarship – Madeline Condron – Highland Village, TX

·Briggs Berry Heart of a Lion Scholarship – Christian Keto – Granbury, TX

·Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship – Sydni Leung – Plano, TX

·Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship – Garrett Marshall – Frisco, TX

·Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship – Holden Wisener – Dallas, TX

·Colonial Country Club Scholarship – Flynn McNabb – San Angelo, TX

·Colonial Country Club Scholarship – Vaneesha Patel – Amarillo, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Hector Diaz – Dallas, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Aracely Escobar – Dallas, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Naomi Jones – Dallas, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Yobesh Ogari Okero – Dallas, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Miriam Resendez-Ortiz – Dallas, TX

·Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Gerrick Walker – Dallas, TX

· Don Bordelon Scholarship – Drake Davidson – Richardson, TX

·Ewing Automotive Scholarship – Thomas Coverstone – Longview, TX

·Ewing Automotive Scholarship – Chesley McDonald – Midland, TX

·Evelyn and Frank Borgsmiller Scholarship – Marla Perez – Dallas, TX

·Elizabeth Toon Charities Scholarship – Sebastian Sanchez – Whitehouse, TX

· Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Mariano Barbosa – Dallas, TX

·Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Sierra Jameson – Roaring Springs, TX

·Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Chance Mulligan – Dallas, TX

·Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Steffanie Roldan – Lubbock, TX

·I AM a Golfer Foundation Scholarship – Jamondra Glenn – Dallas, TX

·Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Laya Bhupatiraju – Frisco, TX

·Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Allie Bianchi – Allen, TX

·Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Colton Higgins – Odessa, TX


·Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Wade Langley – Winnsboro, TX


·Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Ashlyn White – Quinlan, TX


·Jim Henderson / Dallas District Golf Association Scholarship – Tanner Bevill – Southlake, TX


·Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Ebelin Aguilar – Dallas, TX

·Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Jordy Castro – Dallas, TX

·Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Daniel Cerda – Dallas, TX

·Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Mayre Mendez – Dallas, TX

·Mac Spikes PGA Member Scholarship – Charlsie Doan – Dallas, TX

·McMillan Golf Academy Scholarship – Braeden Sanders – Allen, TX


· NTPGA / Starburst Junior Golf Classic Scholarship – Colby Davis – Clifton, TX


· NTPGA / Starburst Junior Golf Classic Scholarship – Brooke Hinerman – Mansfield, TX


·S.A. Smith West Texas Junior Invitational / Frost Bank Scholarship – Ethan Dean – Kaufman, TX


·Rob Norland Scholarship – Blake Addison – Dallas, TX

·Randy Smith Scholarship – Emma Drago – Mansfield, TX

·Royal Oaks Country Club / Nicholas Stafford Scholarship – Eric Pask – Dallas, TX

·Sherrill Park / Two Dads & a Coach Scholarship – Sam Kiely – Garland, TX

·Tanos Exploration II / Patterson-UTI Drilling Texas State Open Scholarship – Lauren James – Judson, TX

·The Ratliff Group Scholarship – Regan Kennedy – Coppell, TX


·UNT Dallas / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Salma Gonzalez – Dallas, TX


·West Texas Legends Scholarship honoring S.A. Smith, Hart Warren, Jay McClure and Sherwin Cox – Hailey Ross – Amarillo, TX


For more information about the Northern Texas PGA Foundation Scholarship Program or for additional information about our 2019 recipients, please contact Casey Rayburn at crayburn@ntpga.com or (214) 379-1291, or visit foundation.ntpga.com. You can also access the student bios HERE .

Team of Murphy, Faulk Jr. Win Playoff to Capture 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship

By Erik Anderson • August 10, 2026
PLANO, Texas (August 10) – Seth Murphy, Associate at John Sikes Golf Academy and Thomas Faulk Jr. (a) captured the 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship title. The pair carded a 33-31–64, 8-under-par and made birdie on the first playoff hole. The pair began their round on the 8th hole and opened with a par. Six birdies on their next eight holes set them up for success for the first round. Their final nine holes were steady, with 7 pars and two birdies, but the bogey-free round was enough to get them into a two-team playoff against Ryan Grider, Associate at The Lakes at Castle Hills, and Colten Karstendiek (a). After a safe drive on the first playoff hole from Faulk Jr., Murphy was able to attack and had just 135 yards into the par-4 18th hole. He hit a pitching wedge to 10 feet and buried the putt. Murphy said, “He [Thomas] made about a 20-footer on our second hole, and that just put us on the pace we needed to get some momentum going. We gave ourselves lots of opportunities, double opportunities, where we were both putting for birdie, which is always nice. Just overall, we teamed very well today.” Faulk Jr added, “I started off hot and helped him out, and then when I was winding down, he got things going. We just made putts and pars when we needed to. It was just the team working.” Ryan Grider, Associate at The Lakes at Castle Hills, and Colten Karstendiek (a) fired 32-32–64 to finish in second place. Matt Weinberger, PGA senior director of member and amateur championships at PGA of America and Owen Layton (a) shot 31-35–66 to claim third place. The Championship featured 64 teams consisting of one PGA professional and one junior golfer between the ages of 7-19. The teams competed in a Four-Ball Stroke Play format. There was also a second division within the Championship where PGA professionals and their children competed for a separate title. The nine-team division was claimed for the third consecutive year by Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy and his daughter Hannah Antunes (a) with a score of 34-34–68. For the professionals in the field today, there was a skins game with a $4,500 payout. Only one skin was earned today. Hanna Dickens, Associate at The Ronny Golf Park, made a birdie on hole 14 to earn the skin. The 1st & 10th Tee Golf Energy Bar Pro-Junior Championship was presented by CMC Design, PGA TOUR, and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

Jerry J. Ransom Pro-Junior-Am Benefits the Northern Texas PGA Foundation

By Logan Bearden • August 3, 2026
$268,000 Donated to Foundation

Watkins Goes Wire-to-Wire, Defends Title at the 56th M&P Group Texas State Open

By Erik Anderson • July 31, 2026
Doggett (a) and McIlwain (a) Share Low Amateur Honors Walts Finishes as Top PGA Professional

Watkins Maintains Lead, Field Closes Gap Heading into the Final Round of 56th M&P Group Texas State Open

By Erik Anderson • July 30, 2026
TYLER, Texas (July 30) – Matthew Watkins of Rockwall, TX, carded a third-round 35-35–70, even par, and maintains the 54-hole lead at the 56th M&P Group Texas State Open. After a 36-hole score of 61-61–122, Watkins sits at 18-under-par for the championship. “I just kind of hung in there on the front nine, shot even. Then, kind of had it going just a little bit on 10 through 12. It was just an up-and-down day overall,” said Watkins. Watkins held a 6-stroke lead heading into the third round, but the field has cut it to just four. “Definitely going to be a little different than going into today. Probably a lack of concentration problem today, but still hung in there well.” Last year, Watkins held the 54-hole lead and said he was battling some nerves. “I’m definitely more comfortable, but still have to have a good round tomorrow if I want to win. Four [shots] can happen in three holes,” Watkins added. Watkins will look to defend his title beginning at 9:50 tomorrow morning. There is a three-way tie for second at 14-under-par between Cameron Sisk of Scottsdale, AZ, Cooper Schultz of Wichita, KS, and John Sand of Irving, TX. Cameron Sisk is a former Arizona State University standout. He finished his career there as a three-time All-American, two top-ten finishes at the NCAA individual Championships and 14th in the PGA TOUR University rankings. Sisk found himself behind the pack early this week, but with a second round of 64 and a 32-33–65 in today’s third round, Sisk has climbed back into contention. On the 12 par 5s Sisk has played this week, he is 12-under-par and credited his play on those holes as the reason he is tied for second heading into tomorrow’s final round. “You really got to take care of the par 5s out here. There are a few tougher par 3s and par 4s out here, so as long as you birdie the gettable holes, you’ll be in good shape,” said Sisk. After his 63 yesterday, Cooper Schultz shot a bogey-free 33-33–66 to cut his eight-shot deficit in half today. Of the three players tied for second, Schultz will be the first one out tomorrow as he tees off right before the final group. “It’ll be nice, I won’t feel like I have to press or anything. I’m just going to try and take what the course gives me. If I end up shooting 9-under, then great, if I shoot 2-under, that’s fine too, but I’ll just stay within myself and play the game I know I can play,” said Schultz. John Sand fired a bogey-free, 32-32–64, good for the joint low round of the day. He finished strong with birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16. The week has been steady so far for Sand, with rounds of 66, 66, 64, he sits just four back of Watkins. Sand and Sisk will join Watkins at 9:50 a.m. tomorrow, while Schultz precedes them in the 9:40 a.m. grouping. Bret Gray, PGA Member, is in solo fifth after a round of 34-30–64 and is the Low PGA Professional in the championship. Gray graduated from Sam Houston State University’s golf management program last December. He holds a one-stroke lead over Chase Walts, PGA assistant professional at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, TX in the PGA Member Division. Gray said, “I’ve done a lot of preparation and practice for moments like this, so I’m excited to tee it up tomorrow.” Gray and Walts both tee off at 9:40 a.m. Blake Elliott of Bullard, TX, continues to climb the leaderboard after a third-round 31-34–65, 5-under-par that propelled him 18 spots up the championship leaderboard. His round moved him to 10-under-par and he currently sits tied for eleventh place. Elliott has been battling an injury this week, but continues to fight through it. “It is what it is at this point. My speed’s down right now and kind of flinching at it a couple of times here and there, but it is what it is.” Grant Doggett (a) of Beach City, TX, leads the Amateur Division at 6-under-par. His third round 33-36–69, 1-under-par has him tied for 32nd overall. Doggett (a) is the defending Low Amateur after finishing at 11-under-par and 12th place overall last year. Doggett (a) is a senior at the University of Houston and grew up playing golf on the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour. He holds a one-stroke lead over the next closest amateur, Kaelen Dulany (a) of Keller, TX. The 56th 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. 66 players (59 professionals and 7 amateurs) made the cut at 2-under-par and are competing for a $203,850 Championship purse. The champion, if a professional, will take home $40,000. The only amateur to win the Texas State Open was Homero Blancas in 1960. The final round starts 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 fourth year as the title sponsor, and the Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and Higginbotham and supported by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, Holiday Inn - Tyler Conference Center and Patterson Tyler. The championship is being played at Cascades Country Club for a record 15th time. Cascades Country Club Par: 35-35–70 Yardage: 6,882 yards