A Special Update on Summer Events from Executive Director, Thomas Hutton, PGA
April 14, 2020 • Blake Davis
The below letter was sent to STPGA Junior Golf Members on Tuesday, April 14th at noon CT.
Good afternoon,
We would first like to say thank you for your support of our program over the years. The success of the STPGA is due to your trust and participation and for that, we are very thankful. The last 4 weeks have been difficult for all of us and we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
Per our communication earlier this month, the STPGA wanted to provide you with our next set of announcements this week. We want to emphasize that our future plans are incumbent upon favorable counsel and direction from health officials. The safety of our STPGA community remains our top priority, and we believe along with our new policies and procedures that will be announced soon, we can enjoy STPGA Junior Golf soon! We remain very mindful of the extraordinary and unprecedented challenges presented by the Coronavirus around the world.
Tomorrow April 15, at 9:00 a.m. our summer series schedule will open up for registration. We have an unbelievable schedule of some great courses across our section and an increase in weekend events.
We have also added/rescheduled some events for the month of May and these events will also open for registration tomorrow. As you will see, our first event back is scheduled for May 9. Prior to these events starting, we will continue to keep in close contact with local, state and national health authorities to help inform our decisions.
Due to the Spring Series Championship being canceled, the STPGA had to adjust our Texas Junior Cup qualifying guidelines. Tomorrow, registration will open up on a first come first serve bases for a new 2-day Little Linksters only event called the Summer Preview on May 30-31. Exemptions will be up for grabs at this event to make the 2020 STPGA Texas Junior Cup team.
Later today, you will receive our weekly e-newsletter with links and more details on these announcements.
In closing, last week the PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said, "Sports, and particularly the game of golf, are important vehicles for healing and hope.” The STPGA hopes everyone is following local guidelines, remaining safe, and enjoying a lot of family time together.
Thank you for your support of the STPGA.
Thomas Hutton, PGA
Executive Director
Southern Texas PGA
Good Afternoon Players, Parents, & Family Friends, First and foremost, thank you to all the players and parents who made 2025 an unforgettable year! With 40 action-packed events, more than 1,200 competitors, an epic Tour Championship, and two thrilling Ryder Cup–style showdowns, this season truly made history. 2025 was one for the books! With 2026 on the horizon, we wanted to share with you all the changes that will be coming to the Srixon Prestige Tour. Registration Dates When registration opens it will work a little differently in 2026. All events for a given month will open two months prior, at 9am on the first Tuesday of the month. For example, all events for March will open on January 6th at 9am. Cancellation Policy Cancellations for events will work differently as well. Each event will now have two deadlines. The first will be 12 prior to the First Round of the event. Those who cancel on, or before the first deadline, will be charged a $15 cancellation. The second deadline will be 5 days prior to the First Round. Those who cancel between the first and second deadline will be charged a $50 cancellation. For players who register after the first deadline and cancel before the second deadline, they will only be charged a $15 cancellation fee. As a reminder, all refunds will be in the form of credit to that individual player's account. Division Changes We will have some changes to our Age Divisions in 2026. First, our divisions will be expanding from 13-18, to 11-18. The division split will now be 11-14, and 15-18. Secondly, the Boys 11-14 division will be playing from a new yardage. Starting with the Prestige Tour Premiere on January 17-18, Boys 11-14 will be playing from 6,200-6,500 yards. Boys 15-18 will remain at their current yardage of 6,660-6,900, and both Girls 11-14 and 15-18 will remain at 5,600-5,900. Should a Boy in the 11-14 division wish to compete in the 15-18 division and play from the respective yardage, click here to fill out the Division Advancement Request Form. The form must be filled out prior to the registration deadline of the first event the player wishes to play up. Once a player plays up into the older division three times, they must remain in that division for the remainder of the year. Entry Procedures & Field Sizes Along with the altered divisions, the entry procedures into a given tournament have changed. Entry will now be first come, first served based on division. Once a given division has reached capacity, remaining players will be placed on the waiting list. In the event that the event is not full, and the first cancellation has passed, the remaining spots will be filled by the waiting list, regardless of division, on a first come first served basis. These changes were made to maximize the chances for each division to meet the AJGA PBE minimum field requirements. Attached below is the field allocation by division chart based on total field size.
The STPGA is excited to introduce our new Junior Golf Coordinator, Claire Calabro. We are thrilled to have her on board the team and are eager to see her grow the game for our junior golfers! Here's a little more about her:
Good Afternoon, Players, Parents, & Family Friends, 11 incredible months have passed - it’s time to finish this year on a high note! Srixon Prestige Tour Champions - November November kicked off at Forest Creek Golf Club for The Round Rock Cup, where Cole Gailys of Austin, TX shined with back-to-back under-par rounds to capture his first Prestige Tour victory. In the Girls Division, Rachel Turk of Austin, TX delivered the weekend’s lone even-par round, sealing her first Srixon Prestige Tour title of 2025 in impressive fashion. From there, the Srixon Prestige Tour headed east just across state lines for the Visit Lake Charles Fall Classic at Mallard Golf Club in Lake Charles, LA. Joshua Szynski of New Braunfels, TX battled steady winds to notch his first career Srixon Prestige Tour win, finishing +1 after carding a birdie on the 36th hole of the tournament. Meanwhile, Caileigh Royer of Mont Belvieu, TX took her Round 1 lead into Round 2 where she would then claim her second Srixon Prestige Tour win of 2025. The month wrapped up with not one, not two, but THREE Championships taking place just before Thanksgiving! Beginning just north of Houston, Joanna Kim of Langley, British Columbia and Jackson Tennant of Austin, TX walked away as The Gobbler Cup Champions at Elkins Lake Country Club. Next, we look at the history made in San Antonio for the 2nd Abraham Ancer Classic at Oak Hills Country Club where Gavin Swearengin of San Antonio, TX takes home his first title and Aly Esparza of Laredo, TX claims her second Championship of 2025. Last but not least, Blane Arnim of Katy, TX & Sophia Liu of Sugar Land, TX found a way to enter the holiday season on a high note from their excellent play at Bay Oaks Country Club. New Cancellation Process for the Srixon Prestige Tour Beginning in 2026, a few changes will be implemented to the cancellation process for Srixon Prestige Tour Championships. These updates are designed to provide greater clarity and help players and families plan ahead with confidence. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the upcoming changes — along with an example of what to expect — so you can be better prepared for the 2026 year. First cancellation wave deadline is 12 days prior to Round 1 Players are charged a $15 cancellation fee with the remaining credits being applied to the junior golfer’s account Ex: Round 1 is January 17, the first cancellation wave deadline is January 5th at 11:59 PM Second cancellation wave deadline is 5 days prior to Round 1 Players are charged a $50 cancellation fee with the remaining credits being applied to the junior golfer’s account Ex. Round 1 is January 17, second wave deadline is January 12th at 11:59 PM 2026 Registration Dates for the Srixon Prestige Tour & 2026 Important Dates Below is a list of dates we wanted to share with you to ensure a smooth transition into the new year. December 2nd - Srixon Prestige Tour (January - May) Schedule will be Viewable December 16th - January & February Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration January 6th - March Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration February 3rd - April Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration March 3rd - May Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration April 7th - June Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration May 5th - July Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration June 2nd - August Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration July 7th - September Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration August 4th - October Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration September 1st - November Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration October 6th - December Prestige Tour tournaments Open for Registration Click here to view our STPGA Junior Golf Important Dates webpage to see other program’s important dates. Thank You to our Sponsors! For the seventh consecutive year, Srixon is returning as the sole Prestige Tour Title Partner for the 2025 year. Keep in mind, if you are looking for golf balls to golf clubs, Srixon is one of the premiere brands in the industry and will always keep you at the top of your game. Another thank you to the Visit Lake Charles team for their continued support of STPGA Junior Golf and for welcoming many families to town for the Visit Lake Charles Fall Classic!
The STPGA is excited to introduce our new Digital Content Coordinator, Hannah D'Olimpio. We are thrilled to have her on board the team and are eager to see her grow the game for our junior golfers! Here's a little more about her:
