STPGA DCP National Finalists are Sent Off in Style!

March 22, 2024Southern Texas PGA

 Three junior golfers were hosted at the first ever STPGA Drive, Chip & Putt Media Day.

WALLER,TX (MARCH 22, 2024) - Today, the Southern Texas PGA hosted our very first Drive, Chip & Putt Media Day at Sand Hill Farm Golf Club to celebrate three junior golfers and their awesome accomplishment of reaching the 10th Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals.


The National Finals will be played on Sunday, April 7 at the famous Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. Texas Terry, Hayes Pethtel, and Waits Rodriguez will all represent the STPGA alongside 77 other junior golfers that qualified throughout the country. Drive, Chip & Putt is a grow the game initiative where thousands of juniors participate in local, sub-regional, and then regional competitions to reach the National Finals.


Waits Rodriguez of Houston, Texas is 9 years old and qualified at the regional qualifier at Champions Golf Club hosted by the STPGA in the fall. He punched his ticket by being the only player in the Boys 7-9 divisions to earn a score above 100, with a final score of 128. Waits finished first in chipping by being one of the only players at the regional to sink a chip.


Rodriguez says “I wouldn’t be going to Augusta without the support of my dad, he is the reason that I started golfing.”


Hayes Pethtel of Belton, Texas is 11 years old and also qualified through the regional at Champions Golf Club. Hayes finished with a final score of 117 after putting on a show on the putting green. He put all three puts within a foot of the hole, which included his second one that he sunk from 15 feet. That led him to the top of the leaderboard in the Boys 10-11 division and a punched ticket to Augusta.


Pethel says “It means a lot to have this opportunity to go to such a pristine course like Augusta National. ”


Texas Terry of Austin, Texas is 11 years old and competed in the regional qualifier at TPC Deere Run in Illinois. Texas didn’t have much room for error during the qualifier and needed all 120 points to beat second place by just one point. He secured his spot at Augusta by finding the grid all three times with his driver during the drive skill.


Terry says “I’m most confident with the driving portion going into Augusta, especially after I hit all three drives in the grid at the regional qualifier!”


For all three of these junior golfers, this will be one of the many accolades in their golf careers, as they have played a combined total of 179 tournaments with the STPGA and they are only just getting started.


This unique media day allowed for the three finalists to participate in a press conference, as well as one on one interviews with local news channels. They received some goodie bags, participated in challenges and played a round of golf together afterward.

Be on the lookout for fun content from the event on STPGA Junior Golf social media from now until the National Finals and then watch them on Golf Channel April 7
th!


Click here for the photo gallery!

By Connor Murphy April 1, 2025
Spring, TX (April 1st, 2025) - Good Afternoon Players, Parents, & Family Friends, March was busy! 5, 36-hole championships in 5 different cities in only 30 days! More tournaments, more champions. More champions, more history. Let’s keep it rolling into April! Srixon Prestige Tour Champions - March As the weather began to warm up, our junior golfers followed suit. Beginning at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Golf Course for the Hill Country Open , Oliver Betschart, New Braunfels, TX, and Saahi Naraharasetty, Cedar Park, TX, claimed their first wins of 2025 with each of them breaking par through 36 holes. Moving a week later to the Spring Break Classic at The Club at Falcon Point, the hometown hero, Maddox Cleavinger, Katy, TX, claimed his first Prestige Tour victory by shooting a 144 (E) through 36 holes while Joann Bee, Spring, TX, claimed her third Prestige Tour victory since 2023. The week following, JP Lynch and Kanak Yadav, both from Austin, TX, proved that they mean business in 2025 by earning their third victories since 2024 at the EmmyEvan Shootout in the Hills at Lakecliff Golf Club. A few short days later, the Prestige Tour team headed across state lines into the beautiful, Lake Charles, Louisiana for the Visit Lake Charles Spring Classic ! Daniel Rice, Magnolia, TX, and Vivian Volion, Springfield, LA, walked into LC and walked away with hardware. Rounding out March, South Shore Harbour played host for the Veritex Bank Houston Junior Classic where Luke An, Houston, TX, and Carolyn Liu, Katy, TX, found a way to call themselves champions! Welcome to Team STPGA, Lora and Daniel, for the inaugural Bayou Cup! On March 23, the final day of the Visit Lake Charles Spring Classic, the STPGA welcomed the first two players to Team STPGA for the 2025 Bayou Cup against friendly rivals, Team LJGT ! Lora Kim, Katy, TX, found a way to prevail over the remaining eligible participants by carding a 72-75(+5). Daniel Rice, Magnolia, TX, not only won the championship itself, but his 69-72(-1) earned himself a spot to compete on Team STPGA alongside Kim this winter! Want to be a part of history? See below to find out how YOU can earn a spot to represent Team STPGA in the first ever Bayou Cup ! Boys 13-18 Exemptions Insperity Invitational Tour Championship at Champions Golf Club | July 21-22 Prestige Tour Open at Gleannloch Pines Golf Club | August 11-12 Vortech Contracting Championship at Rayburn Resort | September 6-7 Girls 13-18 Exemptions Insperity Invitational Tour Championship at Champions Golf Club | July 21-22 H-Town Showdown at BlackHorse Golf Club | August 23-24 Sun City Showdown at Legacy Hills Golf Club | September 27-28 Boys 13-14 Exemptions H-Town Showdown at BlackHorse Golf Club | August 23-24 Brackenridge Park Classic at Brackenridge Park Golf Course | September 13-14 Sun City Showdown at Legacy Hills Golf Club | September 27-28 Bay Forest Junior Championship at Bay Forest Golf Course | October 4-5 Thank You to our Sponsors! For the seventh consecutive year, Srixon is returning as the sole Prestige Tour Title Partner for the 2025 year. Keep in mind, if you are looking for golf balls to golf clubs, Srixon is one of the premiere brands in the industry and will always keep you at the top of your game. Thank you to EmmyEvan for their continued support of STPGA Junior Golf and for sponsoring the 2025 EmmyEvan Shootout in the Hills at Lakecliff Golf Club! Former junior golfer and current junior golfer, Emmy and Evan Tran, love this game so much they found a way to support junior golfers and their mission towards success! Thank you to the staff at Visit Lake Charles for welcoming the Srixon Prestige Tour team into the wonderful town of Lake Charles, LA, and for providing discounted hotel rates to those participating in the Visit Lake Charles Spring Classic! Lastly, thank you to the team at Veritex Bank for continuing their support of junior golf in 2025 for being the Title Partner of the Veritex Bank Houston Junior Classic! 2025 Summer Registration Opens TOMORROW Set your alarm clocks! TOMORROW, April 1st at 9:00 AM (CST), all Srixon Prestige Tour tournaments from May 28-29 through August 16-17 will OPEN for registration! Click b elow to view the Srixon Prestige Tour schedule.
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