Killeen Holds Narrow Lead after 18-Holes at the Duel in the Desert

Steven Clements • December 12, 2022

Lajitas, Texas – The first 18-holes of the Duel in the Desert are complete at Lajitas Golf Resort’s Black Jack’s Crossing, the #1 ranked public golf course in Texas, voted by the Dallas Morning News. The Duel in the Desert is the 36-hole Final Match of the 2022 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Match Play Championship. 


No. 1 seed JJ Killeen, PGA director of golf at Red Feather Golf and Social Club, and No. 7 seed Jon Antunes, PGA director of instruction at Heart of Texas Golf Academy, are the two professionals competing after
qualifying back in October


Killeen leads 2-up with 18 more holes to play. He grabbed the early lead with a birdie on the second hole. His lead then continued to grow, and at the turn he was 3-up. On the 10th hole, the defending champion Antunes won his first hole of the day. Antunes’ momentum continued, and he cut the deficit down to one after hole #16. But, a birdie on the par-5, 18th hole from Killeen gives him a two-hole advantage heading into tomorrow’s final round.


The final 18 holes of the Duel in the Desert will begin at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. The two professionals are vying for a $10,000 winner’s check with the runner-up cashing $5,000. 


The Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon / Cleveland Golf / Asics Match Play Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf, AT&T Byron Nelson, Lajitas Golf Resort, PGA TOUR and XXIO. 


Lajitas Golf Resort’s Black Jack Crossing

Par: 36-36–72

Yardage: 7,236 Yards


View current results
HERE.

By Steven Clements April 2, 2025
DALLAS, Texas (April 1) – Brian Norman, PGA instructor at Lakewood Country Club, and Bobby Massa (a) fought through a 3-hole playoff to win the 2025 Srixon and Nike Pro-Scratch title. It marks their third victory in four attempts. Starting the final round one-stroke behind the lead, they carded the second lowest round of the day at 8-under-par, 32-32–64. Their five birdies on the back-nine was enough to get them into a playoff. Joining them in the playoff was Peyton Coursey, Associate at Dallas Athletic Club, and David Schultz (a). The pair turned in the lowest round of the day and the Championship at 9-under-par, 31-32–63. Both teams played in the favorable morning conditions, which featured tame winds, compared to the gusty afternoon conditions. This also left them both with lengthy waits to see if their scores would hold up through the afternoon wave. They did. The playoff for the Open Division title began on the par-4, 18th hole. Both teams made par and they proceeded to the par-5, 3rd hole. Two birdies on the par-5, 3rd hole led both teams back to the 18th tee. All four players hit the fairway. Norman was the first to hit his approach and he hit the green. Then the pair from Dallas Athletic Club both missed the green. Finally, Massa (a) hit his approach to 15-feet, just off the green, long left of the hole. Massa (a) was the last to attempt his birdie opportunity and stepped up to the downhill left-to-right putt with a chance to win the Championship. Tracking the whole way, it dropped and the pair had won their third Pro-Scratch title. “We got off to a kind of slow start, but got on the back and got hot and made some birdies,” said Norman about their round this morning. “We were just ham and egging it,” added Massa (a). “We think very similarly about golf so it’s easy to bounce ideas back and forth,” said Massa (a) about the three-time winning duo. The team earned $2,000 ($1,000 each) for the victory today.
By Steven Clements April 1, 2025
Two Teams Tied for Senior Division
By Steven Clements March 25, 2025
Jewell and Ott Claim Their Second Senior Division Title
By Steven Clements March 24, 2025
SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (March 24) – Two teams in both the Open and Senior Divisions are tied for the lead after 18 holes of play at the Boxto Pro-Pro Championship taking place at Southern Trace Country Club. The lead is at 5-under-par 67 in both divisions. After receiving 1.5 inches of rain overnight, Southern Trace Country Club proved to be a lengthy test during round one for the 62 teams competing in the Four-Ball, 36-hole Stroke Play Championship. The field is vying for a piece of the $34,500 overall Championship purse. The Open Division is led by the team of Eric Dye, PGA assistant professional at Dallas Athletic Club, and Peyton Coursey, Associate at Dallas Athletic Club, and the team of John Sikes, PGA director of instruction at Hollytree Country Club, and Jake Smelser, Associate at John Sikes Golf Academy. “The golf course was great, [the] weather was great. I think we were both just so happy the wind wasn’t blowing like it has been,” said Sikes about the first round. Looking to the final round tomorrow he said that he and Smelser are going to, “Just have fun and enjoy it. That’s how you play good golf.” Five teams sit only one stroke behind the two leading teams and will be aiming to take the title tomorrow. The two teams that lead the Senior Division are Ronny Glanton, PGA head professional at Sherrill Park Golf Course, and Britt Patton, PGA Life Member, as well as Brad Ott, PGA director of instruction at TPC Craig Ranch, and Vince Jewell, PGA instructor at Woodbridge Golf Club. Both teams carded rounds of 67, with six birdies and one bogey. They hold a two-stroke lead over the third-place team of Robert Singletary, PGA director of golf at Grapevine Golf Course, and Stuart Hendley, PGA director of instruction at Dallas Athletic Club. The final round will begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The Boxto Pro-Pro Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf, CMC Design, Columbia Golf, E-Z-GO, Golf ScoreCards, Inc., Lorente Golf and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Southern Trace Country Club Par: 36-36–72 Open Division Yarage: 7,038 yards Senior Division Yardage 6,572 yards View current results HERE .
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