New Team Event Commences in 2025 Called The Bayou Cup!

January 13, 2025Peyton Snow

The Southern Texas PGA, Louisiana Junior Golf Tour, and Gulf States PGA expand

partnership with new Ryder Cup style event!

January 13, 2025 (Spring, TX) – The Southern Texas PGA is excited to announce a new team event against the state of Louisiana starting this year. Called “The Bayou Cup”, this team event will feature 12 junior golfers on both teams and will be played at Big Easy Ranch in Columbus, TX on December 5-7, 2025.

Each team will be comprised of 4 Girls ages 13-18, 4 Boys ages 13-14, and 4 Boys ages 15-18, at the time of qualifying. This will be the first team event specifically with a 13-14 age division administered by the Southern Texas PGA. The 12 qualifying spots will be awarded throughout the 2025 Srixon Prestige Tour with the first qualifying spots being awarded at the Lake Charles Spring Classic on March 22-23 for the Boys 15-18 and Girls 13-18 Champion.


The remaining exemption outline will be announced at a later date this spring.


The relationship between the STPGA, Gulf States PGA, and Louisiana Junior Golf Tour started in 2023 when the STPGA administered 2 Srixon Prestige Tour events in Lake Charles, LA. After two successful years of co-branding junior golf events, all three organizations felt like this was an awesome next step for players from both states. 


“This is a big announcement for junior golf and all of our members,” said Thomas Hutton, Executive Director for the Southern Texas PGA. “Team events allow us to celebrate not only great players, but great opportunities to build friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.”


To make the inaugural event even more exciting, Big Easy Ranch will be an unbelievable host! Friday, December 5 will feature a practice round and opening ceremony. Saturday, December 6 will feature an 18-hole match in the morning on the Championship Course and then a 9-hole match on the Par-3 course in the afternoon, followed by an 18-hole singles match on Sunday, December 7 on the Championship Course. 


“We want to extend our gratitude to Billy Brown for hosting this event at Big Easy Ranch,” said Logan Ray, Executive Director for the Louisiana Golf Association. “The golf and hospitality there are unrivaled, and it will be a spectacular showcase for the best junior golfers in Louisiana and Texas. Mr. Brown has a connection to both states, making this even more special to host at his place."


In just a few short years, Big Easy Ranch has quickly become one of the top destinations for the finest sporting, hunting and golf amenities. The highly anticipated opening of The Covey, the 18-hole championship golf course, took place in March of 2023 and in its first year, it was ranked as #1 new and #10 top overall golf course by The Dallas Morning News in the state of Texas. 


In addition to this new event in 2025, the STPGA will continue to administer two Srixon Prestige Tour events in Lake Charles, LA, with one being March 22-23 at Contraband Bayou Golf Course and the other November 8-9 at Mallard Golf Club. To continue our growth, a new Louisiana Junior Golf Tour event will also be added the first weekend of the Summer at Koasati Pines Golf Club in Kinder, LA on May 31-June 1 where STPGA Junior Golfers can play in as well! This third event at Koasati Pines will still have an Insperity Invitational Tour Championship exemption and players will earn points on the Insperity Invitational Points List and Legends Junior Tour Points List. Full details on this May 31-June 1 event will be announced at a later date. 


The STPGA, LJGT, and Gulf States PGA look forward to hosting all 24 players in December of 2025 and starting a new rivalry in junior golf! Who will be the first to win The Bayou Cup


Click Here to learn more about Big Easy Ranch.

Click Here to learn more about the Southern Texas PGA Junior Golf Program. 

Click Here to learn more about the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour.

By Southern Texas PGA October 30, 2025
SPRING, TX (October 27, 2025) – The Southern Texas PGA is proud to announce our 2025 STPGA Junior Golfers of the Year, Jules Mahan and Daniel Rice. This distinguished honor recognizes these junior golfers' exceptional accomplishments on the course, leadership in their communities, and their unwavering commitment to representing the values and spirit of the Southern Texas PGA. Jules Mahan, a standout competitor within our STPGA Junior Golf programs, has built an impressive junior golf resume that reflects her drive, consistency, and sportsmanship. She is a two-time Texas Junior Cup team member (2018, 2020), helping lead Southern Texas to victory in both years. Her success also includes two STPGA Prestige Tour wins, two STPGA Little Linksters Summer Championship wins, and a title at the 2025 STPGA Parent-Child Championship. Mahan, who is committed to playing Division I golf at Murray State University, embodies the true meaning of a student-athlete. A member of the National Honor Society, she balances a demanding tournament schedule with academic excellence, earning the NEISD Writing Award, multiple A/B Honor Roll honors, and strong results in a rigorous AP course load. Beyond her achievements on the course and in the classroom, Mahan is deeply dedicated to service. She volunteers over 200 hours each year with First Tee Greater San Antonio, mentoring younger golfers as an Ace Level participant, and has helped raise $35,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Children’s Medical Center through Kids Play Fore Kids. Her journey has not been without challenges. Diagnosed with scoliosis at a young age, Mahan overcame pain and fear with determination and perseverance—qualities that now define her both on and off the golf course. “Some of my favorite memories are playing until the sun set with my dad and brother,” she shared. “Golf means family to me—it’s where I find peace, joy, and gratitude.” From her earliest days competing in STPGA events after moving to San Antonio, to representing Southern Texas on victorious team stages, Mahan has grown into a shining example of what it means to lead with integrity, compassion, and heart. Since picking up a club at age nine, Daniel Rice has become one of the Section’s most decorated junior players. A two-time STPGA Prestige Tour Champion and three-time runner-up during the 2024–2025 season, Rice’s consistency and competitive spirit have made him a fixture at the top of leaderboards. He is set to compete in the first-ever STPGA Prestige Tour Bayou Cup this December, marking an impressive achievement. Rice is also a two-time high school state qualifier, Magnolia High School MVP, and First Team All-Region and All-District selection. Rice has committed to continue his academic and athletic career at Houston Christian University, competing in Division I college golf. Demonstrating excellence both academically and athletically, he has earned Lifetime A/B Honor Roll status, completed six AP courses, and received three Academic All-District honors, maintaining a 3.6 unweighted GPA (4.6 weighted) and placing in the top 16% of his class. Rice also volunteers each spring with his high school coach to mentor junior high golfers—teaching fundamentals, course management, and sportsmanship while encouraging young players to compete in STPGA tournaments. Rice’s journey in golf has also been one of resilience. Overcoming personal hardship with strength and maturity, Rice has found in golf a lifelong source of discipline, friendship, and purpose — qualities that define him as one of Southern Texas’s most inspiring young golfers. That mindset was on full display during one of Rice’s most memorable moments: shooting a career-low 64 (-8) at Houston National to win his first STPGA Prestige Tour event—a round shared with friends who also achieved personal bests. “That day reminded me why I love the game,” he said. “It’s about competition, friendship, and constantly striving to improve.” For Rice, golf has been a teacher of life’s most meaningful lessons—discipline, patience, sportsmanship, and respect. Whether he’s competing, mentoring others, or volunteering in his community, he carries those lessons with him. His commitment to excellence, perseverance through hardship, and unwavering love for the game make him a shining example of what it means to be the STPGA Junior Golfer of the Year. These exceptional Junior Golfers of the Year will be formally recognized alongside the other Section Award recipients at the STPGA’s 58th Annual Awards Banquet on Monday, February 9, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. Chapter Award recipients will be honored at their respective Chapter Meetings later this fall.
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