Upsets Were in the Air at the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Match Play Championship

Steven Clements • October 2, 2023

FORT WORTH, TX – 40 professionals started the day and 10 are left standing after day one of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Match Play Championship at River Crest Country Club. Two remain in the Senior Division and eight remain in the Open Division. 


The Senior Division will be settled tomorrow morning and will feature No.1 seed Stuart Hendley, PGA director of instruction at Dallas Athletic Club and No.3 seed Rick Woodson, PGA instructor at Sherrill Park Golf Course. 


Hendley had a comfortable day on the course, winning his two matches 5&4 and 3&2. On the other side of the bracket Woodson took his morning match to the 18th hole before winning 2up and then made quick work of his afternoon match winning 7&6, the largest margin of the day.


The champion of the Senior Division will receive $4,000 for their victory. Hendley is seeking his fourth match play title, while Woodson is still searching for his first.

The eight remaining Open Division professionals are vying for two spots into the Duel in the Desert, which will serve as the championship match for the second year in a row. The Duel in the Desert will feature the final two competitors going head-to-head competing in a 36-hole, finals showdown on December 11-12, at Lajitas Golf Resort’s Black Jack’s Crossing. The event will feature a $10,000 prize for the champion and $5,000 for the runner-up.


Six of the top 10 seeded professionals fell during the rounds of 32 and 16, including the one and three seeds. The below professionals from the top 10 remain.


  • No. 2 JJ Killeen, PGA director of Golf at Red Feather Golf and Social Club
  • No. 4 Brian Norman, PGA instructor at Lakewood Country Club
  • No. 6 Spencer Dillard, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club
  • No. 7 Nic Ishee, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail GOlf Club


The biggest upset of the day came in the round of 32 when No.30 seed David Studebaker, PGA assistant professional at Cross Timbers Golf Course took down the No.3 seed Jarred Jeter, PGA assistant professional at Midland Country Club. Studebaker then proceeded to win his afternoon match 6&5 to advance to tomorrow’s quarterfinals.


The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Match Play Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Lajitas Golf Resort, PGA TOUR, TPX Communications and XXIO. 


River Crest Country Club

Par: 35-35–70

Open Division Yardage: 6,512 yards

Senior Division Yardage: 6,054 yards


View the Open Division Bracket
HERE

View the Senior Division Bracket HERE


Tomorrow morning’s matches are listed below:


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2023
Open Division Quarterfinal Matches

8:30 a.m.

No. 17 Greg Gregory vs. No. 24 John Sikes


8:40 a.m.
 

No. 4 Brian Norman vs. No. 21 Chad Moscovic


8:50 a.m.

No. 6 Spencer Dillard vs. No. 30 David Studebaker


9:00 a.m.

No. 2 JJ Killeen vs. No. 7 Nic Ishee


Senior Division Championship Match

9:10 a.m.

No. 1 Stuart Hendley vs. No. 3 Rick Woodson


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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