The Northern Texas PGA Foundation Awards $696,500 in Scholarships, Continues to Break Own Record
June 5, 2023
The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) Foundation is pleased to continue its charitable commitment to higher education by announcing our 2023 scholarship recipients. A record 80 high school seniors who will be attending college this fall have earned scholarships totaling $696,500 – the most ever awarded in a single year by the NTPGA Foundation.
The scholarship amounts vary from $2,500 to $20,000. In addition, two students were awarded a “last-dollar” full scholarship to two of the Foundation’s partner schools, the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) and University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).
Two $5,000 scholarships, the iWash of Texas Scholarship and the Gary Dunkerson College Scholarship, will be awarded to two junior golfers via a random drawing during the SA Smith West Texas Junior Invitational tournament later this June.
Another two scholarships thanks to the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation totaling $10,000 will be awarded to two students graduating high school or currently in college who are the child or grandchild of a past NTPGA PGA HOPE graduate.
“To award $696,500 in scholarships this year to a record-breaking 80 students is truly incredible," said Mark Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Texas PGA. “We would not be able to continue this program without the support of everyone who believes in our Foundation and our commitment to higher education. Thank you to our supporters, and congratulations to these 80 deserving students. We know they all have a bright future ahead.”
This year, of the scholarships awarded, 67% were based on financial need, academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement, while 33% were awarded based on academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement.
Since 1983, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation has awarded $4.99 M in college scholarships to 754 deserving students.
Listed below are the names of the 2023 scholarship recipients:
- Allison & Jerry Freeman Scholarship – Jack Whalen – Dallas, TX
- April & Mark Anthony Scholarship – Luke Newton – Highland Village, TX
- Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America Scholarship – Grace Frei – The Colony, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Maddox Burton – Irving, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Clarita Fuentes – Dallas, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Gael Soto-Barboza – Dallas, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Lizbeth Enriquez – Dallas, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Gabriel Herrera – Dallas, TX
- AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship – Leslie Jamarillo – Dallas, TX
- Ben Hogan Foundation / Bruce & Gloria Devlin Scholarship – Brock Braden – Midland, TX
- Ben Hogan Foundation Scholarship – Matthew Rui – Allen, TX
- Ben Hogan Foundation Scholarship – James Thomson – Dallas, TX
- Birdies for Kids Scholarship – Seve Aguirre – Colleyville, TX
- Birdies for Kids Scholarship – Davis Ovard – Frisco, TX
- CMAA Scholarship – Lilly Sillis – Midlothian, TX
- Dean Larsson / Dallas District Golf Association Scholarship – Katherine Brown – Colleyville, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Cithlaly Crispin – Dallas, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Shane Davis – Dallas, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Doris Gradiz – Dallas, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Rachelle Gutierrez – Dallas, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Jose Loredo Quintana – Dallas, TX
- Deloitte / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Emily Silva – Dallas, TX
- Dr. Bill Blair Scholarship – Brett Walsh – Lantana, TX
- Ewing Automotive Scholarship – Sophie Drago – Mansfield, TX
- Ewing Automotive Scholarship – Nathan Womack – Elk City, OK
- Frank & Evelyn Borgsmiller Scholarship – Areli Macz Melchor – Dallas, TX
- Fritz & Mary Lee Duda Family Foundation Scholarship – William Kroneberger – McGregor, TX
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – AJ Adams – Plano, TX
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Jeremiah Cuellar – Midlothian, TX
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Chase Fields – Roswell, NM
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Jack Kash – Flower Mound, TX
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Jordyn Keeton – Forsan, TX
- Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship – Jacob Pasteur – Roanoke, TX
- I Am a Golfer Foundation Scholarship – Aliya Larzeia – Dallas, TX
- I Am a Golfer Foundation Scholarship – JaLynn McKinney – Dallas, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Dante Bush – Plano, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Grant Kutz – Coppell, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Lauren Gatsos – Fort Worth, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Christian Willis – Hickory Creek, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Katya Tibbets – Montgomery,TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Julia Helsel – Arlington, TX
- Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship – Madison Wong – Allen, TX
- Joe Bob Joyce Family Foundation Scholarship – Magen Dow – Ponder, TX
- Joe Black / Texas Golf Hall of Fame Scholarship – Kade Burton – Midland, TX
- Jon & Kim Morgan Scholarship – Lucas Thorley – Alvarado, TX
- Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Greece Gomez – Dallas, TX
- Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Ashley Cruz – Dallas, TX
- Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Destiny Reed – Dallas, TX
- Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship – Luis Leon Pastor – Dallas, TX
- Links on PGA Parkway Scholarship – Grady Ault – Jacksonville, TX
- Links on PGA Parkway Scholarship – Madison Wert – Roanoke, TX
- Links on PGA Parkway Scholarship – Evan Wunsch – Trophy Club, TX
- M&P Group Texas State Open Scholarship – William Gillen – Tyler, TX
- Mac Spikes PGA Member Scholarship – Maddie Anders – Fairview, TX
- Misty Morgan / Laura Morgan FISD Scholarship – Erica Kim – Frisco, TX
- Mizzen + Main Scholarship – Barret Wisener – Dallas, TX
- Perry Arthur Scholarship – Kennedy McCullough – Aledo, TX
- PGA Frisco Scholarship – Aashana Patel – Frisco, TX
- Philip Bleakney Scholarship – Chase Brown – Wichita Falls, TX
- Randy Smith Scholarship – Elena Jurado – Childress, TX
- Rob Norland Scholarship – Marcus Williams – Prosper, TX
- Ronny Glanton Scholarship – Blake Patterson – Forney, TX
- Royal Oaks Country Club / Nicholas Stafford Scholarship – Madeleine Melson – Colleyville, TX
- Scottie & Meredith Scheffler Scholarship – Olivia Santiago – Flower Mound, TX
- Scottie & Meredith Scheffler Scholarship – Kara Kim – Frisco, TX
- Talley Riggins Construction Group Scholarship – Shay West – San Angelo, TX
- Tees for Keys Scholarship – Michael Rasmussen – Lufkin, TX
- The Ronny Golf Park Scholarship – Jackson Baughman – Prosper, TX
- Thomas Hanson Memorial Scholarship – Diane “Queenie” Guercio – Plano, TX
- Two Dads and a Coach / Sherrill Park Scholarship – Will Harris – Garland, TX
- Two Dads and a Coach / Sherrill Park Scholarship – Victoria Malott – Richardson, TX
- Two Dads and a Coach / Sherrill Park Scholarship – Catalina Malott – Richardson, TX
- UNTD / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Eh Tu Gae – Dallas, TX
- UTA / NTPGA Fairway to Success Scholarship – Joshua Puga – Dallas, TX
- West Texas Legends Scholarship honoring SA Smith, Hart Warren, Jay McClure and Sherwin Cox Scholarship – Ethan Evans – Amarillo, TX
- Workday Scholarship – David Jensen – Hickory Creek, TX
For more information about the Northern Texas PGA Foundation scholarship program or for additional information about our 2023 recipients, please contact Casey Rayburn at crayburn@ntpga.com or visit www.ntpgajuniorgolf.com/scholarships.
Brown and Gibralter (a) claim Senior Division
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
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.
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