Three NTPGA Members Earn Prestigious Northern Texas PGA Playing Awards
Taylor Coffelt • September 23, 2020
DALLAS, TX
- The Northern Texas PGA is pleased to announce that Brian Norman, PGA assistant professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, has captured the 2020 Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO / ASICS Player of the Year Award presented by Adventures In Golf.
Norman accumulated a 335-point total to claim the 2020 Player of the Year title by a 27.21-point margin over Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Bent Tree Country Club. Norman's year included two T2 finishes at the TPx Communications Western Championship and Prize Possessions Eastern Championship, and two T6 finishes at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and Joyce Crane & Veritex Bank Section Championship. This is Norman's third time earning this playing achievement. He secured his first Player of the Year award in 2014 and his second came in 2017.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO / ASICS Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf is a season-long competition that rewards the top finishers in the four major individual stroke play events. The four events are the TPx Communications Western Championship, Prize Possessions Eastern Championship, Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and the Joyce Crane & Veritex Bank Section Championship. The top 32 finishers on the Player of the Year Points Challenge list receive invitations into the season-ending Yamaha Golf-Car Company & Srixon / Cleveland Golf Match Play Championship slated for October 5-7 at Ridgewood Country Club in Waco.
Along with capturing the Player of the Year title, Brian Norman won the 2020 Ben Hogan / NTPGA Stroke Play Scoring Average Award, averaging 71.13 strokes for eight rounds. The Ben Hogan / NTPGA Stroke Play Scoring Average Award is presented to the Section member compiling the lowest overall adjusted scoring average in the Open Division for the Western Championship, Eastern Championship, Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and Section Championship. A minimum of six rounds is required to be eligible for award. This marks Norman’s second Stroke Play Award with his first coming in 2014.
Jim Henderson, PGA director of golf at Stevens Park Golf Course, secured the 2020 OMEGA / XXIO Senior Points Challenge Award after his Senior Division victory at the Joyce Crane & Veritex Bank Section Championship. He amassed 285.71 points to become this season's winner. This marks his first Senior Points Challenge win.
The Northern Texas PGA is also proud to announce that Julie Wells, PGA teaching professional at John Sikes Golf Academy, has captured the title of 2020 NTPGA Woman Player of the Year. She finished in T20 at the TPx Communications Western Championship, T40 at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and T38 in the Joyce Crane & Veritex Bank Section Championship. She accumulated 81 points, a 36.67-point margin over Ashley Thorpe, PGA assistant professional at Brook Hollow Golf Club.
Congratulations to Brian, Jim and Julie, and thank you for a great season!
Woodson and Schaefer (a) Capture Senior Division
Little Secures Senior Division
Six qualify for Senior PGA Professional Championship
Irving, Texas (August 25) – The Nelson Golf and Sports Club hosted two Northern Texas PGA Major Championships this week, the Club Car | XXIO Northern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship and the Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship. Clayton Friend claimed the Senior title, and Kim Paez claimed the Women’s title. Kim Paez, PGA Member at Ping Inc., claimed the Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship title, carding rounds of 70-72–142. Paez finished the Championship at 2-over-par, winning by four strokes. She began the final round one stroke back of Katie Flinn, director of instruction at Topgolf - Fort Worth, and her 2-over-par final round was enough to come from behind and secure the win. This is Paez’s first victory with the Northern Texas PGA since joining the section in 2025. “I stuck to my game plan this week, which was fairways and greens,” Paez said. “I think I missed only one or two fairways yesterday. I played pretty conservatively, but it paid off in the end.” Reflecting on her final round performance, Paez said, "It was a little bit windier today. It made me calculate a lot more on the tee shots.” It was an up-and-down round for Paez, but she hit her approach on hole 18 to two feet and tapped in for birdie. “The last three holes are pretty gettable, so I just had to remind myself that no matter how the round was going, I was going to have opportunities to close it out at the end.” Next week, September 3-5, Paez joins four other PGA female PGA Teaching, Coaching and Club Professionals from across the country to represent the United States in the fourth Women’s PGA Cup. They will take on Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa and Sweden in a 54-hole stroke play format at Carden Park Golf Resort in Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. “It is the biggest honor. When I first got my PGA Membership, and I found out about the PGA Cup, it became one of my biggest goals,” said Paez about making the team. “I was constantly checking the rankings, and coming into the KPMG [Women’s PGA Championship] and the LPGA Professionals Championship, I knew I had to lock in and give myself the best chance.” “I am so excited and so proud to represent the Northern Texas PGA as well, so hopefully I make everyone proud,” added Paez. This 36-hole Northern Texas PGA major championship is the fourth of five individual stroke play events that comprise the Woman Player of the Year points standings. The 22-player field competed for a purse of $7,500, and Kim Paez took home $1,050. The Lajitas Golf Resort Women’s Section Championship was presented by A.PUTNAM and XXIO. The Nelson Golf and Sports Club Par: 35-35–70 Women’s Championship Yardage: 5,878 yards