First Community Expands Partnership With Southern Texas PGA

Southern Texas PGA • February 19, 2025

Creation of the First Community STPGA Team to be showcased in 2025 and 2026

February 19th, 2025 (Spring, TX) - This week at the STPGA Annual Meeting, a special announcement was made around an expanded partnership between First Community and the Southern Texas PGA. The elevated partnership includes showcasing First Community and unique story telling opportunities as we create a new team of STPGA Members. Known now as the First Community STPGA Team, this group of STPGA Members are the PGA Professionals that have qualified for the PGA Professional Championship to be played on April 27-30 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL.

This year’s First Community STPGA Team currently features 9 PGA Members from Southern Texas that hope to qualify for the PGA Championship and earn a spot on the Corebridge PGA Team of 20. Prior to the event in April, the STPGA will showcase these players in unique spotlights and then follow them along at the PGA Professional Championship. All 9 of these players earned this spot at the 2024 STPGA Section Championship.

Our First Community STPGA Team will be led by Jared Jones, PGA Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, TX who came in a tie for second at last year’s PGA Professional Championship and won the 2024 STPGA Section Championship. These 9 First Community STPGA Team members will not only represent the STPGA but their facilities as well. PGA Members continue to be the backbone of the industry and the First Community STPGA Team will showcase the playing ability of the STPGA membership.

“We could not be more thrilled to try something new and have a current partner that believes in the value this Team will showcase,” said Thomas Hutton, Executive Director of the STPGA. “This idea started on a white board and to see a company like First Community jump on board and then our members get excited about it, makes this something special.”

In addition to this announcement, First Community is also excited to announce special perks and exclusive offers for STPGA Members and Employees to elevate their banking needs with products and services from First Community.

“Last year was our first year expanding our outreach within the golf community through the STPGA and it was a big success,” said TJ Tijerina, CEO of First Community. “We saw tremendous exposure through the STPGA Junior Golf Program and are excited for this additional opportunity to support the community and showcase stories that will resonate with our potential members.”

The First Community STPGA Team will feature the following PGA Members in 2025.

Jesse Droemer, PGA Teaching Professional at Riverbend Country Club
Darrell Fuston, PGA General Manager at Westwood Golf Club
Bobby Gates, PGA Director of Instruction at Summit Golf Schools
Greg Hiller, PGA Director of Instruction at TPC San Antonio
Jared Jones, PGA Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club
Steve Jurgensen, PGA Teaching Professional at Westwood Golf Club
Robert Scott, PGA Teaching Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club
Ben Willman, PGA Teaching Professional at Axis Golf Academy
JJ Wood, PGA Director of Instruction at Golf Performance Group

The STPGA would like to extend a massive thank you to First Community for their support of the STPGA and all of our initiatives. First Community will continue to be a Patron Partner of the STPGA Junior Golf Program and will also commence a new scholarship that will be awarded through the STPGA Scholarship Program in 2025.

While we look forward to seeing if someone from the First Community STPGA Team will qualify for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in May, we also look forward to this year’s STPGA Section Championship September 15-16 at The Covey at Big Easy Ranch where the 2026 First Community STPGA Team will be determined.

The PGA Professional Championship will be aired on Golf Channel throughout the 4 days and make sure to follow all STPGA Social Media Accounts for behind the scenes items and player updates.

About First Community

First Community was founded in 1954 with Spring Branch ISD as their founders. Their corporate office is in Houston, TX. First Community has over 455 employees serving over 170,000 members with 18 locations in Texas and over $2.5 billion in assets. First Community is a full-service, federally insured financial institution serving Texas counties from Houston to the DFW area. To find a First Community location near you, please visit FCCU.org.

First Community membership is open to anyone that lives, works, attends school or worships in one of the Texas counties we serve, FCCU.org/counties, any person employed by a Select Employee Group, FCCU.org/seg-list, or any relative or family member of an FCCU member or employee.

About the Southern Texas PGA

The Southern Texas PGA is a member-based organization with a mission to serve its 900 PGA of America Members and Associates, grow the game through STPGA programs, and elevate the Association. We are part of the PGA of America and one of 41 Sections across the country.

Our PGA of America Members and Associates are world class professionals that are experts in the game and business of golf. PGA Members are the backbone of the golf industry and are located at over 250 facilities throughout Southern Texas. Our Members are proud to wear the PGA badge and work in all aspects of the industry including golf operations, teaching and coaching, and executive management. PGA Members pride themselves on working daily to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

The STPGA Headquarters are in Spring, TX and employs 14 full-time employees and over 100 part-time employees. Our Section is made up of 7 metropolitan areas that include Austin, Beaumont, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio. The organization focuses on areas that serve our PGA Members through educational opportunities, tournaments, employment and recruiting, and overall promotion of our Members.

The STPGA also focuses its time and resources on managing a 501(c)3 organization called PGA of America REACH Foundation Southern Texas, best known as PGA REACH Southern Texas. This Foundation has a mission to positively impact lives through the game of golf.

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The Wait is Over: 2027 Schedule Release

By Southern Texas PGA • October 16, 2026

The Wait Is Over: Your 2027 Southern Texas PGA Schedule Is Here!

Termeer, Redman-Kirk, and Mainhart Headline 2026 STPGA Award Winners

By Sarah Lummus • October 14, 2026

SPRING, TX (October 14, 2026) – The Southern Texas PGA is proud to announce that Steve Termeer, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the University of Texas Golf Club, has been named the 2026 STPGA Golf Professional of the Year. This prestigious honor recognizes Termeer’s more than 35 years of leadership in the golf industry, his commitment to developing the next generation of golf professionals, and his lasting impact on the game through his work at UT Golf Club, the Southern Texas PGA, and numerous charitable organizations. He leads a distinguished group of Section and Chapter award recipients who exemplify the leadership, service, and professionalism that define the Southern Texas PGA. Elected to PGA Membership in 1994, Termeer has built a career around the belief that golf provides an opportunity to positively impact people’s lives. Since the inception of the University of Texas Golf Club, he has served as the club’s General Manager and COO, playing an integral role in building and developing the operation from the ground up.

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By Southern Texas PGA • October 9, 2026

MONT BELVIEU, TX (October 9, 2026) – Jay Jurecic of Crystal Falls, Michigan, delivered three days of consistent play at Eagle Pointe Golf Club, capturing the 30th Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open with rounds of 69-68-68 for a tournament total of 8-under-par 205. Entering Friday's final round tied atop the leaderboard with Jerod Turner of Aledo, Texas, Jurecic wasted little time separating himself from the field. Birdies on three of his first four holes gave him an early advantage, but a bogey on the par-4 sixth briefly slowed his momentum. Jurecic quickly settled back into his rhythm, adding another birdie on the ninth to make the turn at 3-under-par for the day, building a three-stroke advantage as the Championship headed into its closing stretch.

Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open Week is Here!

By Southern Texas PGA • October 7, 2026

Thirtieth annual event commences with Pro-Am raising $30,000 for college scholarships and junior golf MONT BELVIEU, TX (October 6, 2026) – The Southern Texas PGA is excited to start off the 30th Energy Transfer Texas Senior Open by announcing the winners of the Pro-Am that featured 25 teams representing companies from all over south Texas!

Bret Gray wins 58th STPGA Section Championship!

By Southern Texas PGA • September 30, 2026

Gray will lead 8 additional PGA Members to the 2027 PGA Professional Championship in April BEE CAVE, Texas (September 30, 2026) – Bret Gray, PGA Assistant Coach at Sam Houston State University, made history Tuesday evening at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, defeating Derrick Dixon, PGA General Manager at Briggs Ranch in a dramatic one-hole playoff to capture the 58th Southern Texas PGA Section Championship. At 23 years old, Gray became the youngest Section Champion in Southern Texas PGA history, adding his name to the Tommy Aycock Trophy after a championship finish that stretched into the sunset. For Gray, the victory also marked another chapter in a journey that has been closely connected to the Southern Texas PGA from the beginning. A product of STPGA Junior Golf program, Gray took every step within the STPGA’s journey from Little Linkster tournaments to Prestige Tour to attending Sam Houston State University and graduating from the PGA Golf Management Program to now being a Class A PGA Member. Gray entered Tuesday's final round one stroke off the lead after opening the Championship with a 1-under-par 70, sitting tied for second behind round one leader Dixon. He wasted little time making his move, recording birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 7 to build a two-stroke lead early in the final round. Dixon responded as the round progressed, finding birdies on Nos. 8 and 10 before eventually reclaiming the lead on the back nine. A bogey at No. 9 proved costly for Gray, who steadied himself with pars the rest of the way. Dixon carried the lead to the 18th green with an opportunity to close out the Championship, but his final putt caught the edge and stayed out, sending the two back to No. 18 for a playoff as the sun began to set over Spanish Oaks. Both players found the middle of the fairway with their playoff tee shots before producing two strong approaches, each leaving a birdie opportunity from inside 15 feet on opposite sides of the hole. Dixon again saw his birdie attempt catch the edge and stay out, leaving Gray with an opportunity to end the Championship. Gray converted, rolling in the birdie putt to become the 58th Southern Texas PGA Section Champion. The Championship also determined eight qualifiers for the 2027 PGA Professional Championship. Gray will be joined by Derrick Dixon, PGA; Roman O'Rourke, PGA; Ben Willman, PGA; Gilbert Mendez, PGA; Robert Scott, PGA; Wilfredo Sanchez, PGA; and Bobby Gates, PGA.

Meet the Member: David von Hoffmann, PGA

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Keener and Schleicher Deliver Dramatic Finishes at Jet Access Tradition Championship!

By Southern Texas PGA • September 16, 2026

HOUSTON, Texas – September 16, 2026 – Jimmy Keener, PGA Associate at Briggs Ranch Golf Club, and Troy Schleicher, PGA Life Member, claimed victories at the 2026 Jet Access Tradition Championship following two days of competition at Lakeside Country Club in Houston. The championship featured 130 Southern Texas PGA Members and Associates and marked the fourth and final Major Championship of the season before the Southern Texas PGA Section Championship at Spanish Oaks Golf Club in Bee Cave, Texas. Keener entered the final round as part of a four-way tie for the lead at 4-under alongside Alden Wallace, PGA, Erik Knudsen, PGA, and Michael Milstead. He wasted little time making a move in the final round, recording an eagle on the par-5 third hole to jump-start his championship run. With the leaderboard remaining tight throughout the day, Keener delivered his biggest stretch when it mattered most, closing his round with three consecutive birdies on Holes 16, 17 and 18. The late charge gave Keener a two-stroke cushion coming down the stretch, but Alden Wallace, PGA Teaching Professional at ProMotion Golf Academy, kept the pressure on until the final hole. Needing an eagle on the par-4 18th to force a playoff, Wallace nearly delivered, with her second shot from the fairway skimming the hole before settling close. She would convert the birdie to finish one stroke back and cap a strong runner-up performance.

Meet the Member: Aaron Green, PGA

By Southern Texas PGA • September 11, 2026

Aaron Green, PGA – From Opportunity to Leadership

Gray and Uresti Win the 2026 Player's Cup

By Southern Texas PGA • August 26, 2026

CORPUS CHRISTI (August 25, 2026) – Bret Gray, PGA Assistant Coach at Sam Houston State University and Omar Uresti, PGA Life Member emerged victorious at the 2026 Player's Cup at Corpus Christi Country Club. Gray claimed the Open Division title at 9-under par, while Uresti won the Senior Division at 8-under after defeating Carl Baker, PGA Life Member, in a playoff. Gray and Uresti both opened the championship with bogey-free rounds to take control of their respective divisions. Gray finished Round 1 at 6-under to lead the Open Division, while Uresti put himself in a strong position atop the Senior Division leaderboard at 7-under to lead by three. Conditions became more difficult during the second round as the wind picked up across Corpus Christi Country Club. Gray entered the final day knowing bogeys could happen in the tougher conditions, but remained committed to his game plan and focused on bouncing back whenever mistakes occurred. That approach helped him maintain his lead and complete a wire-to-wire victory at 9-under par. “Leading after the first round, I didn’t want to change my approach,” Gray said. “I knew that if I played my game, that would allow me to play my best. At the same time, I knew the winds were going to pick up and that bogeys could happen, so I was more focused on bouncing back and recovering when they did.” During the final round, Grey got off to a fast start with 4 birdies in the first seven holes but as he was expecting made a couple of bogeys on the back nine. His birdie on the reachable par-5 15 was critical to winning the title. In the Senior Division, Uresti carded four bogeys on the front nine of Round 2 and briefly surrendered the lead as Baker closed the gap. Baker birdied five out of six holes starting on hole seven to take the lead, but Uresti responded with four birdies on the back nine to eventually tie Baker. While both players had birdie putts on 18, extra holes were needed with Uresti making a birdie on the first playoff hole to secure the Senior Division title. “I had a rough start to the day, and Carl played great, so I knew I was going to have to play extremely well on the back nine to keep it within reach,” Uresti said. “Carl’s putting was lights out, and thankfully I started getting birdies to drop. It was a lot of fun out there today with some great competition.” The Southern Texas PGA extends its appreciation to Joe Mitchell, PGA Head Professional, and the entire staff at Corpus Christi Country Club for hosting the championship. The Section also thanks Vortex, Prize Possessions, Clubessential/ForeUP/BlueGolf, GT Golf Supply, Club Car, HUB, PRG, Hole-in-One USA, and AndersonOrd for their support of the Player's Cup. The STPGA would also like to thank the Port of Corpus Christi, Kleberg Bank, Buick GMC North, andAnderson Alexander Law for their support of our Pro-Am prior to the event and the overall championship.

Nominations Open for the Inaugural Class of the STPGA Hall of Fame!

By Julia Doucet • August 5, 2026

The Southern Texas PGA is proud to announce the launch of the STPGA Hall of Fame , established to honor PGA Professionals whose leadership, service, mentorship, competitive excellence, and instructional impact have helped shape the legacy of golf across Southern Texas. Candidates will be evaluated through five core pillars: Leadership Recognizing those who have inspired their peers, strengthened the profession, and maintained a distinguished professional reputation. Service Honoring PGA Professionals with a sustained record of service to the Association, their communities, and the growth of the game. Mentorship Celebrating those who have dedicated their careers to educating, supporting, and advancing fellow PGA Professionals. Competitive Record Recognizing individuals with a proven and sustained record of excellence in competitive play. Instructional Leadership Honoring those who have made a meaningful impact on player development and elevated performance at any level of the game.