Northern Texas PGA Team Leads After Day One of the Texas Joe Black Cup Matches

DALLAS, Texas – The Northern Texas PGA leads the Southern Texas PGA seven to five after day one of the 40th Texas Joe Black Cup Matches.

The Northern Texas PGA needs five and a half points to capture the win, while the Southern Texas PGA needs seven points to retain the cup.

The first match of the day featured Ryan Polzin, PGA head professional at Oak Hills Country Club, and Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Georgetown Country Club, versus Billy Harris, PGA head professional at Dallas Country Club, and John Sikes, PGA director of golf at Hollytree Country Club. The match started in favor of Team NTPGA but was back and forth until Team STPGA’s Polzin made birdie on hole #17, giving the STPGA a 1 UP lead. Both teams made par on hole #18, giving Team STPGA the point.

Team NTPGA prevailed, however, during the second match as PGA Head Professional at Green Tree Country Club Adam Headley and PGA Head Professional at Lubbock Country Club Brandon Veld defeated David Von Hoffmann, PGA director of golf at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, and Matt Cain, PGA head professional at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, 3&2.

Matches #3 and #4 were halved, giving each team another full point, and Matches #5 and #6 finished with a Team STPGA win and Team NTPGA win, respectively. This left the matches tied at three points a piece going into the afternoon’s Foursome Matches.

The first of the Foursome Matches was contested by Harris and Sikes versus Kern and Polzin. The Match was even for the first five holes, but Team SPTGA was able to garner the lead for the next seven holes. After an impressive and crucial 60-foot birdie putt from off the green on hole #13, Sikes and Harris were able to draw all square. The teams each won one more hole down the stretch and the match finished in a tie. 

During the Match between Cameron Doan, PGA head professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, and Brandon Veld, PGA head professional at Lubbock Country Club, versus Ricky Lyons, PGA general manager at Westwood Golf Club, and Doug DeSive, PGA head professional at Corpus Christi Country Club, Team NTPGA won the match 3&1. 

The Match consisting of Brett Beaty, PGA head professional at Dallas National Golf Club, and Adam Headley, PGA head professional at Green Tree Country Club, versus Jason Alexander, PGA head professional at The Club at Carlton Woods, and Ryan Brandt, PGA head professional at Riverbend Country Club, were all square for the duration of the match until the final hole. On hole #18, Headley hit his approach to three inches from the hole from 154 yards catapulting the NTPGA to a 1 UP win.

The final Foursome Match of the day, between PGA Head Professional at Rolling Hills Country Club Josh Havard and PGA head professional at Hidden Creek Country Club Greg Gregory versus Darrell Fuston, PGA director of golf at The Woodlands Country Club, and Joe Mitchell, PGA director of golf at Victoria Country Club, ended with a 3&2 win in favor of Team NTPGA.

The teams from each Section are represented by their Section President, the top playing PGA Directors of Golf, PGA Head Professionals and PGA General Managers and a Captain’s Pick. Perry Arthur, PGA Life Member, is captain of the Northern Texas PGA team, and David Pilsner, PGA director of instruction at Timber Creek Golf Club, is serving as the Southern Texas PGA captain.

The Texas Joe Black Cup Matches is an annual competition between the Northern Texas PGA and the Southern Texas PGA Sections. After 39 years, the Matches currently sit at 19-18-2 in favor of the Southern Texas PGA. The Ryder Cup-style format features 12 golf professionals from each Section competing in Four-Ball and Foursome Matches the first day followed by Singles Matches the final day. The event was started in 1981 to honor Joe Black, a Snyder, Texas, native who was completing his first year as President of The PGA of America.

One point is awarded to a winning match and a half point is awarded to any match that is tied after eighteen holes. Singles matches will begin at 8:00 a.m. off of the first tee on Tuesday morning. The Matches are being contested at Trinity Forest Golf Club, a 7,069-yards, par 72 layout in Dallas, Texas and are presented by Club Car, STITCH and Sun Mountain.

Day One results HERE.