Southern Texas PGA Crowns Two Champions at High Meadow Ranch

Southern Texas PGA • May 19, 2021

MAGNOLIA, TEXAS - The Southern Texas PGA has crowned two new champions for this year’s National Car Rental Southern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship and the Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club on Monday, May 17 - Tuesday, May 18. Carlos Sainz Jr, Director of Instruction at the Clubs at Houston Oaks claimed the National Car Rental Southern Texas Assistant PGA Professional Championship title in a sudden-death playoff against KC Lim, Teaching Professional at The Bandit Golf Club. Sainz Jr. had back-to-back impressive rounds of 66 and 69 for a tournament total of 135 (-9) to win this Championship for the third straight year, earning him a spot in the 45th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship.

 

“I feel like every month everyone is getting better, the scores are getting lower, and the competition is getting really high so you’re going to have to play really good golf to win tournaments,” said Sainz Jr. “Luckily I was able to do just enough at the end, KC [Lim] obviously played a great round today and it’s not getting any easier.”

 

Sainz Jr. capped off his two rounds with 11 birdies to capture the title. Justin Engel, PGA Assistant Professional at Shadow Hawk Golf Club finished one stroke behind Sainz Jr. and Lim at 136 (-8), securing the third qualifying spot to the national Championship.

 

The National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship brings together a field of contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections and all rounds will be played on the Wanamaker Course. A cut after 36-holes of play to the low 70 scorers and ties will be made. The national Championship, supported by Srixon, Cleveland Golf, XXIO, Asics and John Deere will be held at PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla on November 11-14, 2021.

 

Begun in 1977, the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship is modeled after the PGA Professional Championship, with a field of PGA Professionals and Associates who advanced through 41 Section Championships conducted from May through October this year.

 

If eligibility is met and maintained, the champion earns a berth in the 55th PGA Professional Championship to be conducted April 17-20, 2022, at OMNI Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas.

 

In the Southern Texas Senior PGA Professional Championship, Jeff Strong, PGA Teaching Professional at The Deerwood Club of Kingwood claimed the championship title after a three-hole playoff against Tim Thelen, PGA Assistant Professional at Texas A&M Golf Club with a tournament total of 138 (-6). Strong, along with Thelen and Robert Thompson, PGA Teaching Professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club, who previously earned their exemptions into the 33rd Senior PGA Professional Championship, will lead six additional Section PGA Professionals to compete in the national Championship on October 21-24.

 

“This is my first individual win in the Section and it just means a lot to me,” said Strong. “I’m always playing against my buddies, which is hard, but playing in the playoff with Tim [Thelen] was relaxing because I know I’m pulling for him and he’s pulling for me.”

 

Billy Sitton, PGA Golf Executive at Triumph Golf LLC, Steve Parker, PGA Life Member and Carl Cooper, PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge at Newport finished three strokes behind Strong and Thelen at 141 (-3). Thelen, Sitton, Parker, Cooper, Strong and Thompson are joined by John Gibson, PGA Assistant Professional at Memorial Park Golf Course and John Martin, PGA Head Professional at Golfcrest Country Club for the qualifying spots into the Senior PGA Professional Championship.

 

The Senior PGA Professional Championship brings together a field of contestants representing the PGA of America’s 41 nationwide Sections. The first two rounds will be conducted on the Ryder and Wanamaker Courses. The first cut will be made after 36 holes of play to the low 90 scorers and ties.  The second cut will be made after 54 holes of play to the low 70 scorers and ties.  The final two rounds will be played on the Wanamaker Course.

 

To view the full results from the Assistant Championship, please click here.

To view the full results from the Senior Championship, please click here.


To view photos from the Assistant Championship, please click here.

To view photos from the Senior Championship, please click here.

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.

Meet the Member: Chris Martinez, PGA

By Southern Texas PGA • July 29, 2026
Chris Martinez, PGA – Creating Connection Through Golf

Omar Uresti Wins Back to Back STPGA Senior Championships

By Southern Texas PGA • July 22, 2026
This marks Uresti’s 5th Senior Championship title, tying Robert Thompson for most all-time in STPGA history. Bryan, TX (July 22, 2026) – For the last two days, 48 STPGA Senior Professionals took on the challenging Traditions Club in Bryan, TX with PGA Life Member Omar Uresti coming away with a win after shooting two rounds of 74-70 for an overall score of even-par. This is Uresti’s 5 th time winning this event which included going 2-under on the back-nine in the final round to win by one over Eric Bogar, PGA Assistant Professional at Golfcrest Country Club and two over Steve Jurgensen, PGA Teaching Professional at Westwood Golf Club. Bogar and Uresti were paired together in the final round and could see what each of them were doing shot for shot. Bogar started off hot with birdies at three and four but it was Uresti’s three birdies in six holes on the back nine that clinched it. While all eyes were on the main title up for grabs, players were also competing for a chance to play in the Senior PGA Professional Championship set to take place later this fall when PGA Members from all 41 PGA Sections compete together for the national title. Uresti, as a former winner of the national event, was already exempt along with Robert Thompson, PGA Teaching Professional at Whispering Pines. Uresti and Thompson will lead six other STPGA Members to the national event October 22-25 at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Arizona. The six qualifiers include: Eric Bogar, PGA Golfcrest Country Club Steve Jurgensen, PGA Westwood Golf Club Lonny Alexander, PGA Onion Creek Club David von Hoffmann, PGA Spanish Oaks Golf Club Chad Donegan, PGA Kissing Tree Golf Club Chris Kaufman, PGA Spanish Oaks Golf Club The STPGA would like to recognize round one leader, PGA Life Member Steve Veriato, who shot an even par-72 on Monday at the remarkable age of 80 years old, being the oldest player in the field. While his round two did not go as planned, it was still fun to watch on Monday in Aggieland. The STPGA would like to thank PGA Head Professional Bryan Minnick and his staff for hosting this year’s event. The players played the course to a par-72 at 6,666 yards for the male professionals and 5,666 yards for the female professionals. This event would not be possible without support from PXG, PGA TOUR, and Golf Channel. Click Here for the Photo Gallery. Click Here for the Final Results.

Litwak and Knudsen Ride Six-Birdie Surge to Texas Team Title

By Southern Texas PGA • July 8, 2026
HORSESHOE BAY, TEXAS – Jeff Litwak, PGA Head Professional at Lakeside Country Club, and Erik Knudsen, PGA Sales Representative at BagCaddie, captured the Texas Team Championship following a dramatic final-round climb at Horseshoe Bay Resort. The 36-hole, Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship featured 232 PGA Professionals and Associates from the Southern Texas PGA and Northern Texas PGA Sections. The field included 116 teams representing 91 unique facilities playing both Apple Rock, a par-72 layout, and Ram Rock, a par-71 course over two days.  Litwak and Knudsen began the final round tied for 11th place before mounting their charge up the leaderboard.

Meet the Member: Travis Short, PGA

By Southern Texas PGA • June 26, 2026
Travis Short, PGA - Determination and Belief in Yourself

Milstead and Bryant Capture 2026 9/9/9 Pro-Pro Championship!

By Southern Texas PGA • June 23, 2026
LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS (June 23, 2026) – Three countries, three formats and 27 holes later, Michael Milstead, PGA Associate at The Back Nine Golf (Houston Memorial), and Cooper Bryant, PGA Associate at Lakeside Country Club, emerged as champions of the 2026 Southern Texas PGA 9/9/9 Pro-Pro Championship at Magnolia Creek Golf Club. The one-day event featured nine holes of Scramble on the Scotland Nine, nine holes of Four-Ball on the Ireland Nine and nine holes of Modified Alternate Shot on the England Nine. Each format required a different approach, placing an emphasis on strategy, communication and execution throughout the 27-hole championship. Milstead and Bryant combined for a final score of 12-under-par, using strong iron play, timely putting and consistent teamwork to conquer the championship’s unique three-format test.  “We started with some good momentum,” Milstead said. “I didn’t make him putt much during the Scramble, which was the goal, but in Alternate Shot he made some long putts. On the first hole of the day, he made one from about 30 feet, maybe even farther.”

Meet the Member: Rich Barcelo, PGA

By Southern Texas PGA • May 28, 2026
Rich Barcelo, PGA - Different Path, Always Golf

STPGA Section Awards Nomination Period is Now Open!

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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