Spring, TX (SEPTEMBER 3, 2024) –  Now that the summer has come and passed, we could not be more grateful for each and every junior golfer, parent, and coach for their continued support of the STPGA! This summer has been a crazy one amidst the many weather circumstances. Nonetheless, there is more golf to be played! Make sure to tune in to our first Prestige Tour in September, the OmegaTransactions Space City Challenge at Quail Valley Golf Course – El Dorado.

Insperity Invitational Tour Championship

Our first inaugural Insperity Invitational Tour Championship is in the books! We want to thank all of the amazing staff at Barton Creek Country Club – Palmer Lakeside for hosting this top-tier championship. We would also like to thank the entire team at the Insperity Invitational for their continued support of the STPGA and junior golf, as their support does not go unnoticed and with their help, we are continuing to grow the game! In our Boys 13-18 division, Kaden Frierson of Austin, Texas made a surge during Round 2 carding a 68 to claim the victory after finishing Round 1 two strokes back of the lead. Also out of Austin, Texas is our Girls 13-18 Champion, Bowen Lan. Bowen, carding a 67 in Round 1, closed Round 2 with a clutch birdie putt to force a playoff where she would then walk away victorious after one hole. With their wins, Both Bowen and Kaden have now earned Fully-Exempt Status on the Legends Junior Tour!

Prestige Tour Schedule

ICYMI: All Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour tournaments are OPEN for registration! We still have field spots available in many championships. This month, you can find us in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, as we will be crowning new champions at Quail Valley Golf Course, Brackenridge Park Golf Course, and Legacy Hills Golf Club.

Ben Hogan Junior Cup Matches

Team STPGA takes home the hardware! Jackson Funkhouser of College Station, TX, Maye Huang of Katy, TX, and Claire Wan of Austin, TX all left Shady Oaks Country Club with a 3-0-0 record. Click here to view the Tournament Information Page to check out the statistics from each match. Be on the lookout for our 2025 Exemption Breakdown to see how YOU can earn your spot to represent Team STPGA next year!

George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual 

STPGA Junior Golf Member Adam Villanueva of Kenedy, TX came out hot going into Round 2 after posting a tournament-low 64 in Round 1. Villanueva followed Round 1 with a 68 in Round 2 to be crowned champion of the Boys 15-18 Division by 5 strokes! Villanueva will be graduating in 2025 and has plans of continuing his golf career at the University of Texas.

Thank You to Our Title Partners!

With all the awesome achievements of our Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour golfers we want to thank our many Partners without whom our incredible Tour would not be possible! Firstly, we want to thank Billiard Factory, who is a fantastic supporter of the Southern Texas PGA Junior Golf Program. With 13 locations across the United States, Billiard Factory is recognized as the premier destination for family-friendly games.

Thank you to Srixon for providing our players with golf balls and other equipment to keep them at the top of their game! From 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.

Big thank you to the team at Insperity Invitational for jumping on as the Tournament Title Sponsor for our inaugural Tour Championship on the Srixon Billiard Factory Prestige Tour! With this tournament being the first of its kind on the Prestige Tour, we could not be more grateful to have this unwavering support in providing this experience for the many invitees getting the chance to compete at the highest level.

Thank you to our Tournament Title Sponsor of the New Braunfels Showcase, Surf & Turf! Surf & Turf is an up and coming golf apparel company with selections ranging from hats to polos, to even winter wear when out on the golf course.

Another thank you to Tournament Title Sponsor of the STPGA Challenge, ONE Way Golf! John Phillips, PGA and the entire team at ONE Way Golf is built to ensure that you have the mental strength to persevere against what the game of golf can throw at you.

Rules Corner

On this month’s edition of Rules Corner, we will be talking about Penalty Areas. The Penalty Area(s) are one of the 4 areas of the golf course. Penalty Areas can be identified by freshly painted red or yellow lines. When your ball comes to rest within a Penalty Area, you have every right to play the ball as it lies. If you are unable to do so, you will always have an option to take penalty relief. Your options may vary depending on the nature of the Penalty Area. You can have 3 options of penalty relief when electing to do so from a RED penalty area. These 3 options include Stroke-and-Distance, The player may play the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made, Back-on-the-Line, The player may drop the original ball or another ball (see Rule 14.3) outside the penalty area, keeping the estimated point where the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped, and Lateral Relief, the player must find where the ball last crossed into the penalty area and will then drop the original ball or a new ball within 2 club lengths of this point, no closer to the hole. When your ball comes to rest within a YELLOW penalty area, you will have two options of penalty relief being Stroke-and-Distance and Back-on-the-Line. However, there may be times where players can utilize a Dropping Zone as an additional penalty relief option. All available Dropping Zones will be viewable on the tournament’s Local Rules and will also be communicated on the starting tee. You can find more information about the Rules for the Prestige Tour by reading the Hard Card, the STPGA Rules and Regulations, and the USGA Rules of Golf!

Thank you again to all players, parents, host facilities, and Sponsors! We are looking forward to finishing the year strong and gearing up for another excellent year in 2025! Don’t forget to check the Prestige Tour Schedule for the rest of the year! As always, if we can ever be of assistance to you, please feel free to contact us via email (mcoughlin@pgahq.com) or phone (832-442-2403) or Connor Murphy via email (cmurphy@pgahq.com) or phone (832-442-2410)!