Sainz Jr. Claims Win at 2020 Memorial Championship; Celebrates Fifth STPGA Win in a Row

Southern Texas PGA • August 18, 2020

Both Sainz Jr. & Uresti claim their fifth Section tournament wins.

HOCKLEY, TEXAS (August 18, 2020) — Carlos Sainz Jr., Teaching Professional at GolfTEC – Upper Kirby has claimed his fifth consecutive STPGA tournament win at the Memorial Championship with a final score of 130 (-12).

“The guys I played with today played well, it was really close,” said Sainz Jr. “Eric was playing really good today and Pablo is a great player. We had a group where we were able to feed off each other throughout the day.”

Heading into today’s final round, Sainz Jr. was tied for first with Erik Knudsen, PGA Member at Caddiemaster LLC and Pablo del Olmo, Teaching Professional at The Woodlands Country Club (Palmer Course). Today, Sainz. Jr. fired a bogey-free round with 6 birdies to secure the win. Knudsen and del Olmo finished in second and third at 133 (-9) and 134 (-8) respectively.

“Every tournament our pros are shooting lower scores and playing better,” said Sainz Jr. “It was nice to come out today and know it would be tough to win. There was a turning point for me on hole #11, when Eric did not birdie and that gave me a little bit of breathing room.”

Today’s win marks the fourth Section Major and fifth Southern Texas PGA tournament win in a row this year for Sainz Jr. who previously won the Open Division at the TPx Communications Championship and the National Car Rental Southern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship in May, as well as the Open Division of the Spring Classic in June and the Tradition Championship in July.

“Winning these five Section events was a goal of mine coming into this year,” said Sainz Jr. “It is nice to see it come to fruition. I’m fortunate to have an employer like GolfTEC where I’m allowed to come out and play these events because my passion is playing competitively."

The Memorial Championship also featured a Senior Division for PGA Professionals ages 50 and older. PGA Life Member, Omar Uresti made a comeback from his 3rd place position yesterday to claim the division with rounds of 71-68 for a final score of 139 (-3). Finishing behind Uresti in second place with a score of 141 (-1) was Steve Parker, PGA Life Member.

“I figured out something this morning on the range to help me hit it a little bit better than I did yesterday,” said Uresti. “[Steve] was playing so well all morning, so going into #17 I knew I needed to buckle down and finish strong.”

Uresti, carded a birdie on #17 where Parker bogeyed, securing him the win after both players made par on #18.

Along with Sainz Jr., today’s win marks the fourth Section Major and fifth Southern Texas PGA win this year for Uresti as well. Uresti has swept all Section Senior Tournaments with wins in the Senior Division at the TPx Communications Championship and the Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship in May, as well as the Senior Divisions of the Spring Classic in June and Tradition Championship in July.

“It feels pretty darn good to be able to win all the majors, plus the [Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship],” said Uresti. “I’m just happy to be able to do that.”

The Memorial Championship, presented by AHEAD, Club Car, GT Golf Supplies, L.A.B. Golf, Levelwear, Hole-In-One USA, NexBelt, and PGA TOUR was contested at The Clubs at Houston Oaks, a private, 7,007-yard, par 71 course located in Hockley, Texas. This championship is the fourth and final Major Championship for the Section before the Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship next month.

Along with their tournament winnings, both Sainz Jr. and Uresti left today’s event with a crystal trophy and a PGA branded belt courtesy of presenting sponsor, NexBelt.

Several of the tournament sponsors also hosted special contests at the event during Round One. GT Golf Supplies sponsored a Longest Putt contest on hole #9; Ross Prachar, PGA Teaching Professional at Golf Club of Houston won with an 85-foot putt.

Nexbelt hosted Closest to the Hole contests on #5 and #13; the winners were Dylan Jackson, Assistant Professional at Austin Country Club at 5 feet from the hole, and Ryan Brandt, PGA Head Professional at Riverbend Country Club at 4 feet from the hole.

Finally, NFP Hole-In-One USA sponsored Closest to the Hole contests on #7 and #15; the winners were Ricky Lyons, PGA General Manager at Westwood Golf Club at 6 feet 10 inches from the hole, and Bryan Minnick, PGA Head Professional at Shadow Hawk Golf Club at 9 feet 7 inches from the hole.

The Southern Texas PGA would like to thank our host facility and all of our presenting sponsors for a successful tournament.

To view the full results from today’s tournament, please click here.

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By Southern Texas PGA • July 8, 2026

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By Sarah Lummus • May 26, 2026

Each year the Southern Texas PGA recognizes fellow PGA of America Members for their outstanding work and achievements. Our 2026 Section Awards nomination period is currently open and will close on August 12th at 11:59 pm. Please note that only PGA Professionals may submit nominations for their fellow PGA Professionals in the Southern Texas Section. Nominees will be notified and sent their application on a rolling basis throughout the nomination period. All completed applications must be submitted by September 14th at 11:59pm. If you have any questions regarding the 2026 Section Awards and nomination process, please reach out to Sarah Lummus at slummus @pgahq.com . Head to the link below to read more about the awards process and nominate your fellow PGA members!

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By Southern Texas PGA • May 19, 2026

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By Southern Texas PGA • April 29, 2026

BANDON, Oregon (April 29, 2026) ー Jesse Droemer embraced the elements. With the Walter Hagen Cup and a berth into the PGA Championship within reach, Droemer expected Wednesday’s final round of the 2026 PGA Professional Championship to be a test of patience and control. Strong, brisk winds made Bandon Dunes an even greater challenge, but the Southern Texas PGA standout rose to the occasion. Droemer (Houston, Texas) fired a final-round 2-under-par 70 to finish at 4-under-par 283, securing victory by one stroke and earning his place among the game’s elite. “I knew it was going to be windy,” said Droemer, the fifth champion from the Southern Texas PGA Section and the first since 2021. “I knew the conditions were going to be tough, and I just really was trying to embrace the elements. I'm glad it was windy. I'm glad it was playing hard.” A PGA Teaching Professional at Riverbend Country Club, Droemer began his round with five consecutive pars before recording his lone front-nine bogey at the par-3 sixth. He quickly rebounded with his first of four birdies at the par-4 seventh and added another at the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 1-under-par 35. Carrying momentum into the back nine, Droemer birdied the par-4 10th and par-5 13th to strengthen his position atop the leaderboard. A bogey at the par-3 15th briefly tightened the margin, but three steady pars to close sealed the championship victory.

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