Three-Way Tie Between Coughlan/Bingaman, Harris/Studebaker, and Sikes/McMillan for Lead After Round One of The Ratliff Group | O’Brien Architects Pro-Pro Championship
Molly Rawlins • March 22, 2021
Choudrant, LA – The teams of Daniel Coughlan, PGA director of golf at Bent Tree Country Club & Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Bent Tree Country Club, Keith Harris, PGA general manager at Cross Timbers Golf Course & David Studebaker, assistant professional at Cross Timbers Golf Course, and John Sikes, PGA director of golf at Hollytree Country Club & Stetson McMillan, teaching professional at John Sikes Golf Academy, lead the Open Division after round one of The Ratliff Group | O’Brien Architects Pro-Pro Championship. All three fired an opening six-under 66 for a two-shot cushion over the nearest teams. Sixteen teams are within 5 strokes of the lead heading into the final round on Tuesday.
The Senior Division is led by the team of Jim Henderson, PGA director of golf at Stevens Park Golf Course and Joel Edwards, PGA Life Member, also firing six-under 66 for a three-shot advantage heading into round two.
The four-ball, 36-hole stroke play Northern Texas PGA major championship features a field of 53 two-person teams composed of PGA Professionals and Associates competing at two courses over two days in both an Open and Senior division. Round one was contested at Squire Creek Country Club, a par 72, 7,002-yard facility located in Choudrant, Louisiana. Round two will take place at Pinecrest Country Club, a par 70, 6,513-yard facility in Longview, Texas.
The Open Division is competing for $28,550 of the overall $36,500 Championship purse.
The Ratliff Group | O’Brien Architects Pro-Pro Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf, AT&T Byron Nelson, Callaway Golf, Columbia Golf, E-Z-GO, Golf ScoreCards Inc., Lorente Golf, and Perry Weather.
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