STPGA Announces Staff Promotions

Gray will lead 8 additional PGA Members to the 2027 PGA Professional Championship in April BEE CAVE, Texas (September 30, 2026) – Bret Gray, PGA Assistant Coach at Sam Houston State University, made history Tuesday evening at Spanish Oaks Golf Club, defeating Derrick Dixon, PGA General Manager at Briggs Ranch in a dramatic one-hole playoff to capture the 58th Southern Texas PGA Section Championship. At 23 years old, Gray became the youngest Section Champion in Southern Texas PGA history, adding his name to the Tommy Aycock Trophy after a championship finish that stretched into the sunset. For Gray, the victory also marked another chapter in a journey that has been closely connected to the Southern Texas PGA from the beginning. A product of STPGA Junior Golf program, Gray took every step within the STPGA’s journey from Little Linkster tournaments to Prestige Tour to attending Sam Houston State University and graduating from the PGA Golf Management Program to now being a Class A PGA Member. Gray entered Tuesday's final round one stroke off the lead after opening the Championship with a 1-under-par 70, sitting tied for second behind round one leader Dixon. He wasted little time making his move, recording birdies on Nos. 2, 3 and 7 to build a two-stroke lead early in the final round. Dixon responded as the round progressed, finding birdies on Nos. 8 and 10 before eventually reclaiming the lead on the back nine. A bogey at No. 9 proved costly for Gray, who steadied himself with pars the rest of the way. Dixon carried the lead to the 18th green with an opportunity to close out the Championship, but his final putt caught the edge and stayed out, sending the two back to No. 18 for a playoff as the sun began to set over Spanish Oaks. Both players found the middle of the fairway with their playoff tee shots before producing two strong approaches, each leaving a birdie opportunity from inside 15 feet on opposite sides of the hole. Dixon again saw his birdie attempt catch the edge and stay out, leaving Gray with an opportunity to end the Championship. Gray converted, rolling in the birdie putt to become the 58th Southern Texas PGA Section Champion. The Championship also determined eight qualifiers for the 2027 PGA Professional Championship. Gray will be joined by Derrick Dixon, PGA; Roman O'Rourke, PGA; Ben Willman, PGA; Gilbert Mendez, PGA; Robert Scott, PGA; Wilfredo Sanchez, PGA; and Bobby Gates, PGA.

David von Hoffmann, PGA – The Journey Makes the Professional

HOUSTON, Texas – September 16, 2026 – Jimmy Keener, PGA Associate at Briggs Ranch Golf Club, and Troy Schleicher, PGA Life Member, claimed victories at the 2026 Jet Access Tradition Championship following two days of competition at Lakeside Country Club in Houston. The championship featured 130 Southern Texas PGA Members and Associates and marked the fourth and final Major Championship of the season before the Southern Texas PGA Section Championship at Spanish Oaks Golf Club in Bee Cave, Texas. Keener entered the final round as part of a four-way tie for the lead at 4-under alongside Alden Wallace, PGA, Erik Knudsen, PGA, and Michael Milstead. He wasted little time making a move in the final round, recording an eagle on the par-5 third hole to jump-start his championship run. With the leaderboard remaining tight throughout the day, Keener delivered his biggest stretch when it mattered most, closing his round with three consecutive birdies on Holes 16, 17 and 18. The late charge gave Keener a two-stroke cushion coming down the stretch, but Alden Wallace, PGA Teaching Professional at ProMotion Golf Academy, kept the pressure on until the final hole. Needing an eagle on the par-4 18th to force a playoff, Wallace nearly delivered, with her second shot from the fairway skimming the hole before settling close. She would convert the birdie to finish one stroke back and cap a strong runner-up performance.

Aaron Green, PGA – From Opportunity to Leadership

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.

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.

Chris Martinez, PGA – Creating Connection Through Golf

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.

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.