Lohmeyer & Dillard Tie Course Record After First Round of the Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship

Sam De La Paz • Sep 16, 2024

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Exemption on the Line for Champion

DALLAS, Texas (September 16) – Matt Lohmeyer, PGA director of instruction at SLICGOLF and Spencer Dillard, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, lead the Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship. Both professionals fired an opening round of 33-33-66, 6-under-par at the newly renovated Gold Course at Dallas Athletic Club. The pair hold a two-stroke lead with 18-holes remaining tomorrow.

Lohmeyer, who started his round on the back nine, got off to a quick start with an eagle on the par-5, 11th hole. He followed with two more birdies in the next three holes. “In my practice round yesterday, I had eight birdies and an eagle,” Lohmeyer said. “Today, I had an eagle and six birdies, so that’s two good rounds I haven’t had back-to-back in a long time, on a difficult golf course.”

Dillard was able to card one of the two bogey-free rounds today. “It feels good,” Dillard said about his first round. “I’ve been struggling with my swing a little bit and sometimes when you’re struggling a little bit, you play your best because you’re so focused on one or two things. You’re not worried about all the trouble or all the pressure.”

The pair of 6-under-par rounds tie the Gold Course record originally set by Blaine Hale, Jr. The PGA TOUR member and former Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour member set the record on February 3, 2024, just weeks after the course reopened from a 12-month renovation.

The Open Division totals 81 PGA professionals, with 11 taking it under-par. The winning professional in the Open Division will be rewarded with an exemption into THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson for 2025.

The Senior Division consists of 42 professionals ages 50 and over, playing for a separate title and purse. Brennan Little, PGA sits atop the Senior Division after first round action. He recorded a score of 3-under-par, 39-30–69 and holds a two-stroke lead over Rob Shields, PGA member at The Winsford Group.

The Championship boasts a Northern Texas PGA record $110,000 overall Championship purse. For the fourth-consecutive year, the field is competing for a purse of $100,000 or more. The Open Division champion will earn $8,750 and the Senior Division champion will earn $4,750.

This 36-hole major championship is the final of four individual stroke play events that comprise the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year Points Challenge presented by Adventures In Golf. It is also the final opportunity for professionals to earn points to qualify for the Texas Joe Black Cup and Levy Cup teams.

The Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship is presented by BlueGolf, Ewing Automotive Group, GT Golf Supply Co, PGA TOUR, StrackaLine, Strike Visuals and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson.

Dallas Athletic Club (Gold Course)

Par: 35-37–72

Open Division Yardage: 7,099 yards

Senior Division Yardage: 6,725 yards

View Current Results HERE

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Northern Texas PGA Members to Represent Section on the West Coast at the 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship

By Harper Lawson • 25 Sep, 2024

Click here to access the media hub. Click here for live leaderboard. FRISCO, Texas (September 25) — As the crisp autumn air settles over the Sunriver Resort in Oregon, anticipation is building for the 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship, taking place September 26-29. Five Northern Texas PGA professionals will make the 1,933-mile journey to compete for a chance to advance to the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club next May, with the top 35 finishers earning a spot in the major championship and solidifying their spot on the Corebridge Financial PGA Team. Meet the Northern Texas Contenders: Brennan Little – A longtime caddie on the PGA TOUR, first-time qualifier, caddying for Gary Woodland has extended Little's golf knowledge and eliminated superstitions, improving his consistency in his game. John Sikes – The PGA director of instruction at Hollytree Country Club and a Senior PPC qualifier veteran, brings a rich blend of experience and competitiveness to the field. Karl Altheide – A sales consultant at Ahead LLC, Altheide’s superstitions, such as keeping his tees in one pocket and his ball marker/coin in the other, are integral to his routine which he relied on to perform well at the Championship. Vince Jewell – A PGA instructor at Woodbridge Golf Club, Jewell has honed his mental game to stay exceptionally focused and dialed in. In addition to benefiting the upcoming generation of golfers, his inventive coaching techniques and dedication to constant growth have enhanced his own game. Rob Shields – From The Winsford Group, PGA Member Shields has demonstrated remarkable resilience since a car crash 18 months ago necessitated neck fusion surgery. Surprisingly, there may be a silver lining, as this injury allowed him to fine-tune various aspects of his game. Neck brace no more, Shields is now more prepared than ever and eager to showcase his skills as he represents the NTPGA Section. Learn more about our five Members below: Brennan Little

Northern Texas PGA Announces Player of the Year Honors

By Margaret Miller • 25 Sep, 2024

The Northern Texas PGA is proud to announce that Spencer Dillard, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, has captured the 2024 Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year Award presented by Adventures In Golf. Dillard accumulated a 355-point total this season to claim his first Player of the Year title. Dillard is also the Ben Hogan | NTPGA Stroke Play Scoring Average Award winner with a stroke average of 68.88. His year included three second-place finishes at the Prize Possessions | E-Z-GO Eastern Championship, Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship and the Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship. Dillard will be the top seed heading into the season-ending Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship slated for Monday, October 7 - Tuesday, October 8 at White Bluff Resort (New Course). Additionally, the Northern Texas PGA is pleased to announce Katelyn Sepmoree, PGA assistant professional at Willow Brook Country Club, as the 2024 NTPGA Woman Player of the Year and Rob Shields, PGA member at the Winsford Group, as the 2024 Rolex | XXIO Senior Points Challenge Award winner. Sepmoree finished the year with 257.50 points and Shields finished the year with 269.17 points. Sepmoree was the top woman finisher at all four individual stroke play Section Major Championships this year. Her best finish was second overall at the Northern Texas PGA Professional Championship. Shields finished the year with one second-place finish in the Senior Division at the Golf Pro Payments Western Championship and one third-place finish in the Senior Division at the Joyce Crane | Veritex Bank Section Championship. Sepmoree will be the number five seed at the Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Match Play Championship, the highest seed by a female ever in the Section. Shields will compete as the top seed against seven other PGA Members in the Senior Division of the year-ending Championship. All three of the points winners also earned spots in PGA of America National Championships. Dillard qualified for the PGA Professional Championship and the Assistant PGA Championship, Sepmoree qualified for the PGA Professional Championship and Shields qualified for the Senior PGA Professional Championship. Congratulations to Spencer, Katelyn and Rob! View the final Yamaha Golf-Car Company | Srixon and Nike Player of the Year points list HERE . View the final Woman Player of the Year Points list HERE . View the final Rolex | XXIO Senior Points Challenge list HERE . View the final Ben Hogan | NTPGA Stroke Play Scoring Average Award list HERE .