MARK YOUR CALENDARS – 2026 SCHEDULE UNVEILING

Southern Texas PGA • October 1, 2025

2026 looks to continue record participation from 2025, but also find new ways to engage with PGA Members throughout the year!


SPRING, TX (October 1, 2025) – As we enter the final quarter of an amazing 2025 year, the Southern Texas PGA is excited to announce our schedule and important dates for the upcoming year. When building this schedule, the Southern Texas PGA continued to keep our Members as our top priority, considered the overall flow with many moving parts, and tried a few new ideas. While not all host facilities are finalized, we felt it was important to share as much as possible at this point in the year.


Opening Stretch – Hello 2026!


January and February are filled with an exciting start to the year with new Chapter offerings, high-quality education, one-day events, our very popular Golden Nugget Pro-Pro-Am-Am events, and our new STPGA Merchandise Suite Show.

ONE-DAY OPENING EVENT
Location: Memorial Park Golf Course
Date: January 12, 2026

NEW WESTERN CHAPTER EDUCATION & TOURNAMENT
Location: Briggs Ranch Golf Club
Date: January 13, 2026

ONE-DAY EVENT #2
Location: TPC San Antonio
Date: January 26, 2026

GOLDEN NUGGET PRO-PRO AM-AM #1*
Location: Golden Nugget at Lake Charles
Date: February 2-3, 2026

EDUCATION SUMMIT & ANNUAL MEETING
Location: The Westin San Antonio
Date: February 9-10, 2026

GOLDEN NUGGET PRO-PRO AM-AM #2*
Location: Golden Nugget at Lake Charles
Date: February 16-17, 2026

GOLDEN NUGGET PRO-PRO AM-AM #3*
Location: Golden Nugget at Lake Charles
Date: February 23-24, 2026

STPGA MERCHANDISE SUITE SHOW #1
Location: Embassy Suites The Woodlands
Date: February 23-25, 2026

NEW EASTERN CHAPTER EDUCATION & TOURNAMENT
Location: TBD
Date: February TBD

*The Golden Nugget Pro-Pro-Am-Am registration process will commence on Monday, October 27, 2025. The process will look like last year’s lottery system and will be communicated later this month.


Spring is in the air!


As time changes and grass starts to turn a little greener, our next few months are filled with a variety of items to keep our PGA Members and staff very busy. From an educational perspective, from tournaments to PGA TOUR Qualifiers, this is one of our busiest stretches of the year.

AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL EDUCATION SUMMIT
Location: TBD
Date: March 2, 2026

PRO-PRO CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: The Woodlands County Club (Palmer)
Date: March 9-10, 2026

TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOUSTON OPEN PRE-QUALIFIERS*
Various Locations: TBD
Date: Week of March 16

VALERO TEXAS OPEN PRE-QUALIFIERS*
Various Locations: TBD
Date: Week of March 23

PGA EDUCATION WORKSHOP (focused on Coaching & Teaching)
Location: STPGA Office
Date: April 6-7, 2026

MAJOR #1
Location: Golfcrest Country Club
Date: April 13-14, 2026

FIRST COMMUNITY STPGA TEAM COMPETES AT PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Bandon Dunes
Date: April 26-29, 2026

ONE-DAY EVENT #3
Location: TBD
Date: April 27, 2026

PRO-SCRATCH CHAMPIONSHIP**
Location: Clubs of Cordillera Ranch
Date: May 4-5, 2026

MAJOR #2
Location: The Covey at Big Easy Ranch
Date: May 18-19, 2026

*Monday Open Qualifier the following Monday
**Brand new event after major interest from PGA Members!


Summer fun has begun!


After a short break over the Memorial Day weekend, the STPGA hits the summer months in a big way with a variety of playing opportunities. Make sure to drink lots of water and enjoy a summer with your fellow PGA Members.

PRO-JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: TBD
Date: June 1, 2026

MAJOR #3
Location: Lakeside Country Club
Date: June 15-16, 2026

9/9/9 CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Magnolia Creek Golf Club
Date: June 22, 2026

TEXAS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Horseshoe Bay Resort (Ram/Apple)
Date: July 6-7, 2026

STPGA SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Traditions Club
Date: July 20-21, 2026

ONE-DAY EVENT #4
Location: Location TBD
Date: August 3, 2026

STPGA ASSISTANT CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Lost Pines Golf Club
Date: August 10-11, 2026

After receiving player feedback, we are going back to a two-day Championship with Round 1 being in the afternoon on August 10 and Round 2 being in the morning on August 11. 

STPGA MERCHANDISE SUITE SHOW #2
Location: Embassy Suites The Woodlands
Date: August 17-19, 2026

MAJOR #4
Location: Corpus Christi Country Club
Date: August 24-25, 2026

Fall swing!


With a late Labor Day weekend, our early Fall Schedule looks a little different but still provides some awesome opportunities for our PGA Members with the highlight being the 59th STPGA Section Championship. This is the latest our Section Championship has been in a handful of years. Please plan accordingly.

ONE-DAY EVENT #5
Location: Deerwood Club
Date: September 14, 2026

STPGA SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Spanish Oaks Golf Club
Date: September 28-29, 2026

ENERGY TRANSFER TEXAS SENIOR OPEN
Location: Eagle Pointe Golf Club
Date: October 7-9, 2026

PRO-PRO MATCH PLAY FINALS
Location: TBD
Date: October 14, 2026

The Home Stretch for 2026!


As we turn the page to the last two months, we focus on connecting our PGA Members through Team Events, one final education offering, fun chapter events at the end of the year, and a new travel Pro-Am in partnership with another section!

CASA DE CAMPO PRO-AM
Location: Dominican Republic
Date: November 1-6, 2026

LEVY CUP MATCHES
Location: TBD (STPGA Hosting)
Date: November 2-3, 2026

COACHING & TEACHING SUMMIT
Location: TBD (Houston Area)
Date: November 9, 2026

TEXAS JOE BLACK CUP MATCHES
Location: TBD (NTPGA Hosting)
Date: November 16-17, 2026

ONE-DAY EVENT #6
Location: TBD
Date: November 16, 2026

EASTERN CHAPTER MEETING & PRO-PRO
Location: TBD
Date: November 30, 2026

WESTERN CHAPTER MEETING & PRO-PRO
Location: University of Texas Golf Club
Date: December 7, 2026

As we continue to work with our Championship Committee on this schedule, a few items are still being discussed and determined. This includes a potential Las Vegas Pro-Am in October 2026, but with recent reports on potential Fall PGA TOUR events in Austin and Mexico, we need to wait to see what happens with those events first. 


In addition, as you noticed, we showcased our One-Day Events in this announcement. The format of these events will be determined by the Championship Committee in partnership with the staff and the host facility. These will hopefully be announced by the end of the year, but we felt it was important to showcase our continued desire to offer these as more ways for our Members to connect. 


Along with that, the STPGA will be starting virtual Associate Orientations in 2026 and will continue with Pro-Associate events. These orientations and events will be announced later this fall with a good cadence for Associates to participate in, to ensure they can play in all of these awesome events.


Our PAT schedule and Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open Qualifying Series will be announced by December 1. Our PAT Schedule will showcase between 7-10 events, and our ET TSO Qualifying Series will feature 4 events in 2026, with one a month starting in June. 


2026 is set to be another exciting year, and we look forward to finishing off 2025 and hitting the ground running in 2026.

By STPGA Office November 13, 2025
Guiding Team STPGA: Bryan Minnick, PGA
By Southern Texas PGA November 5, 2025
SPRING, TX (November 5, 2025) – After falling heartbreakingly short one year ago, Team Southern Texas PGA returned to the Levy Cup Matches with one mission: to bring the Cup home. And in one of the most dramatic finishes in event history, they did just that, defeating Team Northern Texas PGA by a single point at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas. The 9th playing of the Levy Cup Matches, held November 3–4, featured twelve PGA Professionals from each Section competing across Four-Ball, Foursomes, and Singles Matches in a spirited Ryder Cup–style format. 
By Southern Texas PGA October 29, 2025
Lonny Alexander, PGA – Faith, Family, and Fairways
By Southern Texas PGA October 15, 2025
Special message from your Executive Director around exciting times ahead as your dedicated staff continues to develop! SPRING, TX (October 15, 2025) – As the Southern Texas PGA looks to finish out 2025 in style and kickstart 2026 on the right foot, I have some important announcements to share regarding your hard-working STPGA Staff. As announced in September, Tuesday, November 4 th will be Scott Archer’s last day at the Southern Texas PGA. He has accepted a job with the PGA of America in Frisco, TX, and we wish him nothing but the best. Since Scott’s announcement, I have spent a lot of time on our team, planning moving forward, and overall organizational structure to ensure we uphold all aspects of our business. When making decisions on staffing moving forward, three items were at the center of my decisions. Growth opportunities for current staff members Ensuring institutional knowledge within the team stays connected Overall efficiency within our operation
By Southern Texas PGA October 15, 2025
Scott Olsen, PGA – Hospitality Beyond the Game
By Sarah Lummus October 14, 2025
SPRING, TX (October 14, 2025) – The Southern Texas PGA is proud to announce that Jim Nittoli, PGA Director of Golf at San Antonio Country Club, has been named the 2025 STPGA Golf Professional of the Year. This prestigious honor recognizes Nittoli’s exceptional leadership, dedication to growing the game, and his impactful contributions to both his facility and the broader golf community. He leads a distinguished group of award winners honored at both the Section and Chapter levels, each exemplifying the values, professionalism, and service that define the Southern Texas PGA. Elected to PGA Membership in 1993, Nittoli has dedicated more than three decades to elevating the private club experience and shaping the next generation of golf professionals. For the past 16 years at San Antonio Country Club, he has led the club as they have seen record growth in rounds played, tournament participation, and golf association membership, while also building a golf culture that members and staff alike are proud to call their own.
By Southern Texas PGA October 10, 2025
MONT BELVIEU, TX (October 10) – What a week, what a playoff, and what a Champion! Congratulations to PGA Life Member Omar Uresti for winning back-to-back Energy Transfer Texas Senior Opens presented by the City of Mont Belvieu, OPD, Vortech Contracting and Riceland. With this win, Uresti becomes the first ever back-to-back winner of this prestige Championship. Known as the largest State Senior Open in the country, this year’s event once again drew some of the nation’s best senior professionals and amateurs to Eagle Pointe Golf Club in Mont Belvieu, Texas. With competitors representing 21 different states and traveling a combined 62,000 miles to be here, this year’s field showcased depth, high quality golf, and a remarkable Champion. The 54-hole Championship was not enough to crown a Champion as the event needed to go into a three-way playoff between Uresti, Guy Boros from Plantation, FL (2022 Champion), and Wes Short from Buda, TX. The playoff hole was the par-5 18 th hole and Uresti was first to play. “My mindset was to attack,” said Uresti, who is now heading to the Senior PGA Professional Championship in Florida as his next event. “I wanted to apply as much pressure as possible to the other two players with hitting high quality shots and I am happy I was able to do that.” Uresti had 51 yards to the flag for his third shot and hit an unbelievable shot to 10 inches to make birdie to win the Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open. “It feels great to win as this is the highlight of my year. I have not played that well this year and it was great to get off to a fast start on Wednesday and then deliver in the playoff for the victory.” Uresti was leading the event from the beginning of the week when he shot a low tournament round of 7-under 64. While the leaderboard saw lots of people trying to catch Uresti, Boros and Short were the only two but fell just a little short in the playoff. Eagle Pointe Golf Club and the City of Mont Belvieu have served as home to the championship since 2014, and their continued partnership with the Southern Texas PGA has helped elevate the event to new heights. This year also marked the continued growth of a strong alliance between Energy Transfer, the City of Mont Belvieu, Eagle Pointe, and the Southern Texas PGA, which recently extended its collaboration for another three years, ensuring the Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open will remain in Mont Belvieu through 2028. Earlier in the week, the Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open Pro-Am officially kicked off the festivities, featuring 23 teams in support of PGA REACH Southern Texas and the Energy Transfer Scholarship Fund. The Pro-Am exemplifies the community spirit that drives the event, uniting players, partners, and supporters to make a lasting impact through the game of golf. The Southern Texas PGA extends its sincere gratitude to Energy Transfer, the City of Mont Belvieu, Riceland, Vortech Contracting, OPD, and Scott Olsen, PGA Head Professional, alongside his entire team at Eagle Pointe Golf Club for their continued hospitality year after year. This year’s event featured a purse of $100,000 with $20,000 going to the winner. This purse along with the Pro-Am and its partners showcases why this is the largest State Senior Open in the country. The 30th Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open will take place October 7-9, 2026 with the Pro-Am taking place October 6. Thank you again to Energy Transfer and congratulations to Omar Uresti. We will see everyone again next year. Click here for the final results.
By Southern Texas PGA October 7, 2025
MONT BELVIEU, TX (October 7, 2025) – The stage is set and players are ready to go. It is officially the week of the Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open! For the 29th time, over 120 Senior Professionals and Amateurs are set to play in the largest State Senior Open in the country. Hosted at Eagle Pointe Golf Club in Mont Belvieu, TX, since 2014, players will be faced with a golf course in fast and firm conditions. The event commenced today with the famous Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open Pro-Am. This featured 23 incredible teams that support the event and the philanthropic initiatives of the PGA of America REACH Foundation Southern Texas. We would like to congratulate the winning team of Barbers Hill Education Foundation, featuring Fred Skinner, George Barrera, Clay Fullick, and Clint Pipes, led by Anthony Rodriguez.  Prior to the Pro-Am starting, the STPGA, in partnership with Energy Transfer and the City of Mont Belvieu, announced a partnership extension for the next three years, keeping the Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open at Eagle Pointe each October. “We could not be more excited to continue our relationship to host this event, but also give back to the local community,” said Thomas Hutton, Executive Director for the STPGA. “This partnership with Energy Transfer started in 2015 and continues to grow each year, and we are extremely grateful for their support.”
By Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA September 23, 2025
STPGA Q3 UPDATE Mentoring, Chapter Growth, and More Dear STPGA Members and Associates, I wanted to provide an update following our September board meeting at The Big Easy Ranch. As your President, my goal is to keep you informed about our progress and the key initiatives we're working on. Associate Mentoring Program One of my top priorities has been to launch an Associate Mentoring Program to align with national PGA initiatives. I'm excited to announce our first Pro-Associate Event on October 6 at The Big Easy Ranch. This event is open to all Level 1 Associates and is a great opportunity for them to learn about industry best practices, the benefits of PGA membership, and the resources available to them. After the educational session, Associates will be paired with a select PGA member for a round of golf to help them build their network and form valuable relationships. Associates can learn more and register for this event below.
By Southern Texas PGA September 16, 2025
COLUMBUS, TX (September 16) – Over the last two days, the Southern Texas PGA proudly hosted its premier event, the 58th STPGA Section Championship, at The Covey at Big Easy Ranch in Columbus, Texas. 112 PGA of America Members from across the Section competed in a two-day championship not only to crown the 2025 STPGA Section Champion but also served as the pathway to the national PGA Professional Championship, Player of the Year Honors, and the last opportunity to climb our points list and earn a spot on #TeamSTPGA for the Joe Black Cup Matches and Levy Cup Matches. Congratulations to Casey Russell, PGA Director of Golf at Big Easy Ranch, for winning this year’s Section Championship at Big Easy Ranch. The home-field advantage would serve Casey well as he would finish with a tournament total of 70-71–141 (-3) After round one, the leaderboard was extremely tight with a three-way tie for first at 2-under (70) between Alan Hodde, PGA Director of Instruction at Axis Golf Academy & Fitting Center, Greg Hiller, PGA Director of Instruction at TPC San Antonio, and Casey Russell, PGA, and another 16 people within three strokes of the lead. With the added pressure of a tie, Casey would be put at ease with his course knowledge and the perfect pairing to go to battle with.
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