Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation Awards A Record $265,000 in Scholarships

NTPGA • May 26, 2017

DALLAS, TX – The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation is pleased to continue its charitable commitment to educational services by announcing its 2017 scholarship recipients. 33 recipients have earned scholarships totaling $265,000, the most ever given in a single year by the Foundation.

This year, of the scholarships awarded, 62% were based on financial need, academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement, while 38% were awarded based on academic performance, extracurricular activities and community involvement.

NTPGA Junior Golf Foundation Scholarship Recipients
The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation is pleased to announce its 2017 scholarship recipients.

AT&T Byron Nelson Scholarship

o Charlee Cockrell – Oakwood, Texas – Texas A&M University

Ben Hogan Foundation / Denny and Carol Alexander Scholarship

o William Warner – Granbury, Texas – University of Arkansas

Ben Hogan Foundation / Alan and Wendy Barron Scholarship

o Spencer Bindel – Mansfield, Texas – University of Notre Dame

Ben Hogan Foundation / Jeff and Kelly Dillard Scholarship

o Sarah McClain – Euless, Texas – Dallas Baptist University

Birdies For Kids Scholarship

o Justin Thompson – Dallas, Texas – Southern Methodist University

Briggs Berry Heart of a Lion Scholarship

o Brannon McCabe – Granbury, Texas – West Texas A&M University

Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship

o Riley McFarlane – McKinney, Texas – Missouri University of Science and Technology

Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship

o Bryce Parker – Pampa, Texas – University of Mary-Hardin Baylor

Cameron McCormick Golf Scholarship

o Ava Castillo – Dallas, Texas – University of Texas at Dallas

Colonial Country Club Scholarship

o Kate Brickner – Southlake, Texas – Washington University in St. Louis

Donald E. Steen Golf Scholarship

o Parker Smith – Frisco, Texas – University of North Texas

EPEC Golf Scholarship

o Kimberly Flack – Double Oak, Texas – University of Texas at Austin

Ewing Automotive College Scholarship

o Sydney McClinton – Frisco, Texas – Texas Women’s University

Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship

o Caitlin Coverstone – Longview, Texas – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship

o Casey Washmon – Carrollton, Texas – University of Mary-Hardin Baylor

Holly & Doug Brooks Family Foundation Scholarship

o Austin Evans – Farmersville, Texas – Sam Houston State University

I AM Scholarship

o Tameria Macon – Dallas, Texas – Undecided

I AM Scholarship

o Kimberly Whittenburg – Dallas, Texas – Texas A&M University - Commerce

Jerry J. Ransom Scholarship

o Alex Motes – Sulphur Springs, Texas – LeTourneau University

Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship

o Jessica Carbajal – Dallas, Texas – El Centro College

Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship

o Bryan Piña – Dallas, Texas – Texas A&M University

Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Scholarship

o Elliot Valencia – Dallas, Texas – University of Chicago

Lindy Miller Dallas Golf Association Scholarship

o Jared Imber – Fort Worth, Texas – Tulane University

Mac Spikes PGA Member Scholarship*

o Michael Hanson – Longview, Texas – University of Arkansas

Randy Smith Award

o Logan Willeford – Canton, Texas – Texas A&M University

Royal Oaks Country Club / Nicholas Stafford Scholarship

o Alex Smith – Dallas, Texas – Washington University in St. Louis

West Texas Legends Scholarship honoring S.A. Smith, Hart Warren and Jay McClure

o Tailar Anthony – Levelland, Texas – Lubbock Christian University



*Denotes - Annually awarded to a child or grandchild of a Northern Texas PGA Member


Fairway to Success Deloitte / Northern Texas PGA Scholarship Recipients
The Deloitte Fairway to Success After School Program completed its tenth year of outreach at three DISD high schools – W.W. Samuell, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln. These schools were selected by DISD for their level of need, lack of outside resources and commitment of staff leadership to this project. Fairway to Success is a collaborative effort between Deloitte, Northern Texas PGA and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, which provides scholarships to at-risk students who are learning to play golf.

Fairway to Success is helping to impact and change the lives of children in our community. The five-week, after school program boasted record participation numbers, with 137 DISD high school students learning the basics of golf from PGA professionals over the course of the academic year. Students also went on a field trip to a local golf course and graduating seniors were given the opportunity to apply for a $20,000 college scholarship.

Deloitte, the Northern Texas PGA and United Way are proud to announce the 2017 scholarship recipients:

· Maritza Aguilar – W.W. Samuell High School – University of North Texas

· Craig Jackson – Lincoln High School – University of North Texas

· Keja Johnson – Lincoln High School – Texas Christian University

· Adriana Lopez – Thomas Jefferson High School – University of Texas at Dallas

· Tahania Sierra – Thomas Jefferson High School – University of Texas at Dallas

· Stephanie Vargas – Thomas Jefferson High School – Texas A&M University


Established in 2007, the Fairway to Success Program has annually awarded scholarships to deserving students based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community involvement and financial need. Since its inception, the program has awarded $880,000 to 44 deserving students in our community. Funding is entirely through the individual contributions of Deloitte personnel in North Texas and the endowment recently surpassed the $1.7 million mark. One hundred percent of the contributions made are designated to fund scholarships.



About the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation:
The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation is committed to introducing, promoting and growing the game of golf to a diverse group of kids in North Texas and instilling in them the positive, character-developing traits for which the game is so well known. Each year close to 10,000 children and their families are impacted by the game that lasts a lifetime through a full circle of programs and services including:

Introduction – Golf in Schools, Fairway to Success After School Program, Drive, Chip and Putt and Summer Golf Camps
Playing – Team and PGA Junior League Golf, Prep and Medalist Levels and All American Tour – 400+ tournaments per year
Education – College Scholarships – $2.06M distributed including $265,000 awarded in 2017
Employment – Internship Program, Fairway to Success After School Program and Summer Golf Camps
Philanthropy – Kids Play FORE Kids, Ewing Charity Classic, Birdies for Kids, the Jerry J. Ransom Pro-Junior-Am and the Royal Oaks’ Great 108

For more information about the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation Scholarship Program or for additional information about our 2017 recipients, please contact Alyssa Richardson at arichardson@ntpga.com or (214) 420-7421 or visit www.ntpgajuniorgolf.com/scholarships .

By Steven Clements April 11, 2025
The 55th playing of the M&P Group Texas State Open is set to return to Cascades Country Club in Tyler, TX. The tournament will occur July 29 - August 1, 2025, and registration is now open. The 55th M&P Group Texas State Open is a 72-hole stroke play event, and the field will play 36 holes before a cut is made to the low 55 scores and ties. The projected purse is $200,000. The Championship is open to all professionals, competitive amateurs and junior golfers with advanced tournament experience. The Championship field will feature 156 players who will qualify or are exempt. Qualifying for the Championship will be conducted throughout June and July at 17 sites. The deadline to register for qualifying is Thursday, May 29. Exempt players, should they choose to participate, are determined from the following categories: (1) Past Champions, (2) Top 10 professionals and ties from the 2024 Texas State Open, (3) Top 2 amateurs and ties from the 2024 Texas State Open, (4) Low PGA Professional from the 2024 Texas State Open, (5) Top 15 and ties from the 2024 final Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA Player of the Year Point Standings, (9) Top 10 point earners on the 2025 Northern Texas PGA Players Tour, (10) Top money leader from the All Pro Tour 2024 Fall Series Money List. Sponsors and host facility exemptions will also be reserved for certain players. Congratulations to the players who received exemptions at the beginning of March upon the completion of the NTPGA Players Tour: Matthew Watkins - Rockwall, TX; Philip Barbaree Jr. - Shreveport, LA; Ryan Grider - Lewisville, TX; John Sand - Hoquiam, WA; Garrison Smith - Mansfield, TX; Toni Hakula - Round Rock, TX; Hunter Bott - Montgomery, TX; Michael Sanders - Frisco, TX; Sam Murphy - Ruston, LA; Brian Dwyer - Southlake, TX, have all earned a place in this year’s Championship. This is M&P Group’s third year as the title sponsor after signing a multi-year agreement with the Northern Texas PGA. “We are looking forward to hosting the M&P Group Texas State Open at Cascades Country Club for the 14th time,” said Myoung S. Choi, owner of M&P Group. “The last two years have been great, and we value our partnership with the Northern Texas PGA.” The Championship will be presented by Joyce Crane. Proceeds from the Championship will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Foundation’s scholarship program. The M&P Group Texas State Open scholarship is designated for a Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour Member high school senior from the Tyler area. This year alone, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation is projected to award more than $700,000 in scholarships to approximately 75 high school seniors from North Texas. Registration is now available at ntpga.com, and again, the entry deadline is Thursday, May 29. For all Championship and qualifying details, please visit https://www.ntpga.com/texas-state-open now. ### ABOUT MYOUNG S. CHOI AND THE M&P GROUP Myoung S. Choi has been in the entrepreneurship industry for over 30 years. In 1986, Mr. Choi came to the United States to pursue his master’s at Texas Christian University. Shortly after in 1998, he opened a Dojo in Dallas, TX, to make his impact in the community by teaching Taekwondo. One of his notable students was former Olympian James Villasana that competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. In 1999, Mr. Choi made his first mark on the creation of M&P Investment Group US. The creation of Q Building Maintenance Inc. specialized in janitorial services. After a successful 6 years, Mr. Choi merged Q Building with a new construction company Q Total Building Inc. With all his successes, Mr. Choi always strived for more with the creation of M&P Group US in 2017. Mr. Choi’s vision was always set to more than he could possibly imagine. His goal and dream of coming to the United States were to purchase and run golf courses. He made that dream come true in 2019 purchasing Shady Valley Country Club located in Arlington, TX. After the first Mr. Choi didn’t settle for less, purchasing Coyote Ridge Golf Club and Cascades Country Club in the same year of 2021. It is not a surprise that Mr. Choi has always had a passion for being successful as he has proved himself time and time again. His passion for the game of golf has always been with him playing professional golf from 1994-1996. His goal is to leave his mark on the surrounding community, and it is without saying that Mr. Choi has just begun doing just that. He strives for more and the only question is what is next? ABOUT CASCADES COUNTRY CLUB Cascades Country Club, a Master-Planned 5-Star community, is the most comprehensive community in East Texas. This luxury lakefront golf, tennis, fitness and residential community sits on 386 acres and is located just five miles from downtown Tyler, Texas. Cascades Country Club is also conveniently located midway between Dallas, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana. The golf course was re-designed by PGA Tour player Mark Hayes to challenge players at any skill level. Lush, tour-quality greens and broad fairways wind among tall oak and pine trees, with many holes set alongside scenic lakes on the golf course, and a stunning backdrop framed by Lake Bellwood greeting you on your first tee shot of the day. ABOUT THE NORTHERN TEXAS PGA The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America. Over 1,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals employed at more than 300 facilities comprise this Section. Its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. The Northern Texas PGA headquarters are located on the PGA Frisco campus and feature picturesque office space, a growth of the game pavilion and a golf park designed for junior golfers and families. The Northern Texas PGA staff’s mission is to serve PGA of America golf professionals and grow the game by managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section. The Northern Texas PGA also operates the Northern Texas PGA Foundation and The Ronny Golf Park.
By Steven Clements April 2, 2025
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