Sam Houston State University Scores Dominant Victory at 2023 PGA University Championship

November 15, 2023 •Greg Dillard

Philadelphia, Miss. (Nov. 15, 2023) – The wait is over for Sam Houston State University. Since its inception in 2005, the SHSU PGA Golf Management Program had been searching for its first win at the PGA University Championship.


SHSU posted its second 3-over par 291 of the week to finish at 6-over par 582 and capture its first win by 15 shots on Wednesday at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club in Philadelphia, Miss. 


“This has always been one of those things that we wanted to accomplish,” said SHSU PGA Golf Management Program Director Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA. “To be able to get it done after 18 years, we’re pumped about it. It’s pretty cool that we can say we’re a PGA of America National Champion as it relates to students. It means a lot to be able to get our name on that trophy and to say that we have won a student championship and possess the Jones Cup.”


Penn State University (21-over par 597) finished in second, followed by Mississippi State University (24-over par 600) and UNLV (24-over par 600), who tied for third. Methodist University (26-over par 602) finished fifth. 


Bret Gray (6-under par 66), Josh German (1-under par 71), Grant Greathouse (4-over par 76) and Camden Anderson (6-over par 78) led the charge for the Bearkats. Tanner Dorsey also shot 10-over par 82 on Wednesday. 


“Bret was outstanding,” said Ballinger. “He played excellent golf. Josh played a solid round. Grant got off to a little bit of a rough start then steadied the ship, which was huge for us. Camden came through and played better than he did yesterday.” 


Gray followed his opening-round 5-under par 67 with a flawless final-round performance. The SHSU junior registered six birdies en route to a bogey-free 66 to claim the individual title.


Gray birdied the par-5, 548-yard second; par-4, 412-yard third; par-5, 571-yard fifth; par-4, 405-yard 12th; par-3, 176-yard 13th and par-3, 149-yard 16th holes. 

“Today it looked stress-free on the scorecard, but there were a couple holes where I saved par from some pretty tough spots,” said Gray. “I think I shortsighted myself once or twice today, but luckily my short game saved me. I made a couple good par putts and kept it bogey free.”


Florida Gulf Coast University’s Dan Polce (3-under par 141) took second place on the individual leaderboard after posting a 1-over par 73 on Wednesday. SHSU’s German (2-under par 142) was third followed by Mississippi State University’s Jacob Berry (1-under par 143). 

German, who started on the second hole, overcame a pair of front-nine bogeys by registering birdies on the par-4, 386-yard 11th; par-4, 405-yard 12th; and par-4, 385-yard first holes.


“I stayed patient and knew I would have opportunities on the back nine,” said German. “I took advantage when I could and slowly brought the round back under par. I knew that if I stayed steady, made some pars and found a birdie or two, that we would hold on and we did.”

SHSU outlasted the 16-team field to win the Jones Cup, named after the first PGA Golf Management University Program Director at Mississippi State, Dr. S. Roland Jones, who held the position from 1985 until his passing in 1997. 


To view the final results, please click here.

To view the photo gallery, please click here.

PT Recap: Bay Forest Junior Championship

By Southern Texas PGA • October 5, 2026
La Porte, TX (October 3-4, 2026) – The Bay Forest Junior Championship continued its 37-year tradition of junior golf at Bay Forest Golf Course this past weekend! Players battled through two rounds, and even with a little rain on Day 2, the players persevered through the conditions. Congratulations to all of our division champions! Adding to the history of this event, the Boys 15–18 and Girls 11–18 overall champions will have their names etched onto the Kiibler Cup forever, becoming part of the tournament’s legacy for years to come. A big thank you to Bay Forest Golf Course, our players, parents, and everyone who helped make this longtime tradition such a great weekend!

Srixon Prestige Tour Remarks - October 2026

By Southern Texas PGA • October 2, 2026
Good Evening Players, Parents, & Family Friends, September kicked off an exciting start to Fall on the Srixon Prestige Tour. Srixon Prestige Tour Champions - September September kicked off the Fall with exciting weekend events, starting in San Antonio as the Srixon Prestige Tour visited the historic Brackenridge Park Golf Course for the Cavender Buick GMC North Brackenridge Park Classic , and scores did not disappoint. Gavin Swearengin of San Antonio, TX, started off strong and did not look back. Swearengin topped it off with a 7-under 28 on the back nine in Round 2 to finish 15-under par and claim his first Boys 15-18 win of the year. In the Overall Girls Division, Jessie Lee of San Antonio, TX, claimed her third win of the year after impressive rounds of 5-under and 3-under to secure a 5-shot victory, adding another impressive finish to an outstanding year. Cort Cage of Montgomery, TX, battled his way to his first career win in the Boys 11-14. Cage fired a 4-under 31 on the back nine in Round 2, but no birdie was more important than his birdie putt on the 18th hole, which gave him a 1-shot edge and crowned him a champion. The following week, the Srixon Prestige Tour headed west of San Antonio for The Cowboy Cup at Flying L Ranch Golf Course, where players continued to go low. Braxton Simpson of Kerrville, TX, captured his first career Boys 15-18 title. Simpson had consistent rounds, firing a 4-under 68 in Round 1, and kept that momentum going, leading him to a comfortable three-shot victory. For our Overall Girls Division, Pippa Fikes of Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, led the way with two impressive under-par rounds and 4 birdies on the last 6 holes in Round 2. This marked Fikes’ 4th overall win of her impressive season. Luke Willis of Horseshoe Bay, TX, outlasted the rest of the field in a close battle to secure his first career Boys 11-14 title. Willis’ round of 78 in Round 2 led him to a 1-shot victory. The last event of September, the Srixon Prestige Tour headed over to Georgetown, TX, for the Antigua Sun City Showdown at White Wing Golf Club. Knox Frazier of Austin, TX, claimed his first career Boys 15-18 win after firing a 2-under 70 in Round 2 and battling it out with 4 other juniors who fell just 1 shot short of Frazier. We had a close battle in the Overall Girls Division as Natalie Vuu of Houston, TX, claimed her second win of the season. Vuu’s birdie on Hole 17 in Round 2 gave her a 1-shot lead after she put together two consistent rounds. Dawson Dial of Cedar Park, TX, claimed his second Boys 11-14 win of the year. Dial had the low round of the day, firing a 3-under 69 in Round 2. Events with Open Spots Available The following events are open for registration. Please take a look at the events below to see which divisions have spots available or are accepting waitlist registrations: Discover Victoria South Texas Showcase (October 17-18) - Victoria Country Club Spots available for all divisions Fall Showdown (October 24-25) - Panorama Golf Club Spots available for Boys 11-14; waitlist spots available for Boys 15-18 and Girls 11-18 Fredericksburg Open (October 24-25) - Lady Bird Johnson Golf Club Spots available for Boys 11-14; waitlist spots available for Boys 15-18 and Girls 11-18 Round Rock Cup (October 31 - November 1) - Forest Creek Golf Club Spots available for Boys 11-14 and Girls 11-18; waitlist spots available for Boys 15-18 Visit Lake Charles Fall Classic (November 7-8) - Mallard Golf Club Spots available for all divisions The Gobbler Cup (November 14-15) - Stonebridge at Newport Spots available for Boys 11-14 and Girls 15-18; waitlist spots available for Boys 15-18 Omega Transactions Turkey Shootout (November 23-24) - Walden on Lake Conroe Spots available for Boys 11-14; waitlist spots available for Boys 15-18 and Girls 11-18 December Registration Approaching Winter is on the horizon, but the action on the Srixon Prestige Tour is showing no signs of slowing down! As the season enters its final stretch, there are still plenty of opportunities to compete, make memories, and finish the year strong. Registration for December events opens October 6th at 9:00 AM! Don’t wait to secure your spot! Before the conclusion of the season, there are still opportunities to compete on great courses, test your game against strong fields, and make more memorable moments along the way. The following events will open for registration: Jingle Bell Rock (December 12-13) - Texas A&M Golf Club Prestige Tour 4 Bal l (December 12-13) - South Shore Harbor Golf Club The countdown to the end of the season is on, and there’s still plenty of golf left to play! Don’t miss your chance to be part of another unforgettable month on the Srixon Prestige Tour. Thank You to our Sponsors! For the eighth consecutive year, Srixon returned as the sole Prestige Tour Title Partner for the 2026 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! A huge thank you to Cavender Buick GMC North for sponsoring the Cavender Buick GMC North Brackenridge Park Classic, and to Antigua for sponsoring the Antigua Sun City Showdown.

PT Recap: Antigua Sun City Showdown

By Southern Texas PGA • September 28, 2026
Georgetown, TX (September 26-27, 2026) – Fall competition continued in Georgetown, Texas, as the Srixon Prestige Tour took over White Wing Golf Club for the Antigua Sun City Showdown. Across two rounds of play, juniors navigated the course and battled for the top spots on the leaderboard. By the end of the weekend, four division champions emerged, adding their names to the list of Srixon Prestige Tour winners this season. Congratulations to Tiffany Wong on a strong showing at the Antigua Sun City Showdown! With her performance, Wong earned exemptions into both the 2026 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and the 2027 Texas Junior Girls’ Invitational on the Legends Junior Tour. A big thank you to White Wing Golf Club, all of our players and parents, our Title Partner Srixon, and Antigua, the Title Sponsor of the event for helping make the weekend a memorable one. Congratulations to all of our winners!

Team NTPGA Captures 15th Annual Texas Junior Cup Matches at Sand Hill Farm

By Southern Texas PGA • September 21, 2026
WALLER, TEXAS (SEPTEMBER 21, 2026) - One of the most highly anticipated junior golf events of the year wrapped up on Sunday as Team Northern Texas PGA defeated Team Southern Texas PGA by a score of 14 to 10 at the 15th Annual Texas Junior Cup Matches. The opening round of Mixed Four-Ball was an evenly-matched thriller, with Team NTPGA holding a narrow lead at 3.5 to 2.5 going into the afternoon Scramble Matches. There, the scoring gap opened up, giving Team NTPGA a more comfortable margin of 9-3 going into Sunday’s matches. Team STPGA did not go down without a fight, winning seven of the Singles Matches in the final round of competition. However, Northern Texas secured their third consecutive title with five victories on the day, bringing the tournament to the 14-10 final score. “Over the years, the Texas Junior Cup Matches have found a special place in the hearts of so many people,” Director of Junior Golf J.T. Milner said. “For the junior golfers and their families, the Matches have become a special part of their junior golf journey.” The event, held at Sand Hill Farm in Waller, TX, features 24 of the top junior golfers across the state aged 12 and under in a Ryder Cup-style format. On Friday, players and families participated in practice rounds and opening ceremonies before heading into two full days of competitive golf. Saturday featured 9-hole Mixed Four-Ball and Scramble Matches, while Sunday concluded the event with 9-hole Singles Matches. Sand Hill Farm once again was a spectacular host for the Matches. The unique 9-hole private course was created by the Tucker family, founders of Mustang Cat, and designed by former professional golfer Peter Jacobsen. We are grateful to the Tucker family for their continued support of this event, allowing us to give our junior golfers top-tier experiences. The Matches wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our Captains and Vice Captains on both sides. Chad Moscovic, PGA led the victorious NTPGA team after filling the role of Vice Captain in the 2025 Matches, backed by Kim Paez, PGA. On the STPGA side, Jennifer MacCurrach, PGA provided guidance for the team, backed by David Pilsner, PGA. Both sides were instrumental in building an atmosphere of teamwork, camaraderie, and sportsmanship. “While the competition brings together some of the best junior golfers in Texas for inspired play on the course, the Matches are about so much more than just golf,” Milner said. “They give players the opportunity to meet new people, build lifelong friendships, and create memories with their families that go far beyond the competition itself.” With the victory, Team NTPGA holds the all-time series record at 7-5-1 and celebrates its third straight championship in the Matches’ history.
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