Two Rounds Complete at the Yamaha Golf-Car Company/ Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship
NTPGA • October 9, 2017
ODESSA, Texas –
Round One and Round Two matches of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship resulted in four of the top ten seeds moving on to the Quarter Final Matches. Tuesday morning’s Quarter Final Matches will feature #2 seed Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Diamondback Golf Club; Danny Coughlan, PGA head professional at Abilene Country Club (#4 seed); Lee Rhind, PGA director of instruction at Midland Country Club (#7 seed); Gabe Reynolds, PGA director of instruction at Top Golf Dallas (#8 seed); Vince Jewell, PGA teaching professional at Woodbridge Golf Club (#11 seed); Adam Headley, PGA head professional at Hillcrest Country Club (#14 seed), Joe Brown, PGA teaching professional at The Courses at Watters Creek (#16 seed) and Ben Cuzen, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club (#21 seed). Cuzen is the highest remaining seed in the field. He was able to best the #12 seeded Christopher Brown, caddie on the PGA TOUR, 2&1 in Round One and #5 seed Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Hot Golf, Inc., 3&2 in Round Two.
The big upset of the day came during Round One when #32 seed Dan Walden, PGA head professional at Texas Star Golf Course, bested #1 seed Brian Norman, PGA teaching professional at Gleneagles Country Club, 2UP. Walden, however, dropped his Second Round match to Brown 2UP.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship is being contested October 9-11 at Odessa Country Club’s Old Course in Odessa, Texas, a 7,069-yard, par 72 layout. The Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf and AT&T Byron Nelson. The top 32 players on the final 2017 Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Player of the Year Points Challenge were invited to compete in the season-ending major championship. Quarter Final Matches will be played on Tuesday morning with the Semi-Final Matches following in the afternoon. The Championship Match will be played on Wednesday morning, with the winner taking home $5,500 of the $36,800 Open Division purse.
The Championship also includes a Senior Division. The division features eight of the top professionals from the 2017 OMEGA Senior Points Challenge list competing for their own $9,200 purse. Today the Senior Division played the Quarter Final and Semi-Final Matches with Bruce Smith, PGA director of instruction at Black Belt Golf Academy (#1 seed) and Henry Cagigal, PGA assistant professional at Rockwood Golf Course (#7 seed) advancing to Tuesday morning’s Final Match. The eventual Senior Division champion will take home a trophy and a check for $2,800.
Tomorrow morning’s matches are listed below:
QUARTER FINAL MATCHES, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017
Ben Hogan Bracket
9:00 a.m. #1 Tee
#16. Joe Brown, The Courses at Watters Creek vs. #8. Gabe Reynolds, Top Golf - Dallas
Don January Bracket
9:10 a.m. #1 Tee
#4. Danny Coughlan, Abilene Country Club vs. #21. Ben Cuzen, Preston Trail Golf Club
Byron Nelson Bracket
9:20 a.m. #1 Tee
#2. Ben Kern, Diamondback Golf Club vs. #7. Lee Rhind, Midland Country Club
Lee Trevino Bracket
9:30 a.m. #1 Tee
#14. Adam Headley, Hillcrest Country Club vs. #11. Vince Jewell, Woodbridge Golf Club
SENIOR FINAL MATCH, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017
9:50 a.m. #1 Tee
#1. Bruce Smith, Black Belt Golf Academy vs. #7. Henry Cagigal, Rockwood Golf Course
LAJITAS, Texas (December 9) – Brandon Bingaman, PGA assistant professional at Gleneagles Country Club, won the Duel in the Desert at Lajitas Golf Resort to claim the 2025 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship Open Division title. Rob Shields, PGA member at The Winsford Group, claimed the Senior Division title. The No. 2-seeded Bingaman battled No. 12 Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy, in a 36-hole final match for the title and $10,000. Both players began their run to the championship match back in October at White Bluff Resort, where they battled their way through the 32-player Match Play Championship bracket. “It’s incredible out here,” said Bingaman. “Jon is awesome; we couldn’t have had more fun. It’s hard, because on one hand you want to win and it's stressful, but on the other hand we were just two guys enjoying playing golf.” After playing 18 holes on Monday, their match stood at 2UP in favor of Bingaman. He continued his charge with birdies on holes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, extending his lead to 7UP. Antunes quickly answered back with a long putt on the 9th hole to cut into Bingaman's lead. But, Bingaman drained a birdie putt on hole 13 to end the match. He claimed his first Match Play title 7&5. Bingaman made a putter switch in between the 36-hole match. “I brought two putters with me. I’ve been flipping back and forth recently between a L.A.B Putter and a Scottie Cameron, which did me well last week. Going into this weekend, I had a good feeling [about the latter], and good feelings turned into good playing.” This is the first year that Bingaman has made it to the final match. Antunes has won the title twice, previously in 2021 and 2022. “This was my first time qualifying for [Duel in the Desert], and I was super excited because I’ve heard nothing but great things about Lajitas Golf Resort,” said Bingaman. In the Senior Division, Rob Shields, PGA Member of the Winsford Group, started the day with a 1UP lead over Billy Harris. Harris birdied the 2nd hole to tie the match, and on the next hole, he went 1UP. Shields and Harris battled back and forth on holes 4, 5, 6 and 7 before Shields won holes 8, 9 and 10. His 3UP lead was enough to take the victory on hole 16, 3&2. “I think my putting was good. I hit the fairways today, which is good because if not, you’re playing in the trees, or desert; but, it was fun. I had a good time,” said Shields. He continued by praising his opponent and friend, Billy Harris, “I’ve known Billy for a long time. He’s a good guy.” Shields earned $5,000 for his victory today and his first match play title. This year was the fourth year that the Open Division championship match was conducted in Lajitas and the second year that the Senior Division joined them. “This place is a hidden gem. It’s a great golf course, lots and lots of fun. It was a joy being out here. The elevation changes are awesome,” said Shields about Lajitas Golf Resort. The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship was presented by Adventures In Golf, Lajitas Golf Resort, PGA TOUR, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, TPx Communications and XXIO.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 18, 2025) – The historic 45th Joe Black Cup has concluded, and we proudly congratulate Team NTPGA on securing the victory at BraeBurn Country Club with a final score of 15.5–8.5 over Team STPGA. Team NTPGA established early momentum during Day One, delivering an impressive performance in the Four-Ball and Foursomes matches, where they earned 9.5 points to build a commanding lead. Their strong play continued into the Singles matches, where they successfully held off a determined rally from Team STPGA. Throughout Tuesday’s competition, spectators were treated to a dynamic and engaging battle, with the leaderboard frequently shifting between red and blue as both teams exchanged critical points to tie the session 6-6. This year’s event was elevated by a truly memorable “Evening of Honor,” during which we welcomed and celebrated 29 Past Captains. Their presence underscored the tradition, legacy, and camaraderie that define the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches. The evening served as a powerful reminder of the event’s rich history and the influential leaders who have helped shape its enduring significance. We extend heartfelt congratulations to Team NTPGA for their outstanding performance and to both teams for exemplifying sportsmanship, competitive spirit, and pride in their respective sections. The 45th Joe Black Cup will long be remembered as a fitting tribute to the heritage of golf in Texas, Mr. Joe Black, and the individuals who continue to elevate the game. After 45 years of competition, the Northern Texas PGA now holds a 22–21–2 lead over the Southern Texas PGA in the storied history of the Joe Black Cup Matches. The 46th playing will return to Midland Country Club on November 16–17, 2026, where Team STPGA will look to reclaim the cup and bring it back to Southern Texas. A special thank you to Club Car, Srixon, Cleveland Golf, Peter Millar, and Winston Collection for their outstanding partnership and support in creating a world-class atmosphere befitting this historic 45th edition of the Matches. To view the final results, click here .