If you like to play tournament golf, you surely know all about the Texas Golf Association’s award-winning competitions. If, however, you’re new to the state or new to competitive golf, you’ll be happy to know your statewide golf association offers the best and most diverse array of championships for literally every single type of golfer.
(Not a competitive golfer? Click here for TGA’s recreational outings.)
Founded in 1906, the TGA is one of the oldest, largest and most prominent golf associations in the U.S. For more than a century, we’ve conducted best-in-class competitions that promote and conserve the best interests and true spirit of amateur golf. In recognition of its outstanding championship administration over the years, in 2014 the TGA received the prestigious Gold Tee Award presented by the International Association of Golf Administrators.
A great many future USGA national champions, on both the professional and amateur stage, acquired the character traits necessary for performance excellence at an early age by playing in TGA events. Thanks to the unwavering support of our Member Clubs willing to provide a platform for these talented amateurs to develop their skills, very few states can claim more history, tradition or sheer number of winners than the Lone Star State.
Those who cut their teeth in TGA Championships have gone on to win the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Senior Amateur, U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and the USGA Men’s State Team Championship.
With a full-time experienced staff, abundant resources and well-trained volunteers, the TGA is proud to offer a wide variety of tournament formats and competitive playing opportunities for men, women, seniors and juniors.
Men’s ChampionshipsHighlighted by the four majors – Texas Amateur, Texas Mid-Amateur, Texas Senior Amateur and Texas Four-Ball – the TGA conducts an additional seven men’s statewide championships each year: Father-Son, League Play, Mid-Amateur Match Play, Super Senior Amateur, Stableford Handicap, Shootout and the West Texas Amateur.
We also have regional events. The North and South Texas Championships were established in 2003 to provide TGA Members the opportunity to enjoy some stout competition against players in their own geographic area. The original regional tournament lineup included the North/South Four-Ball, North/South Mid-Amateur and the North/South Amateur. In 2009, the North and South Senior Amateur, for players aged 55 and older, were added to the annual schedule.
Texas League Play was created in 2006 as an opportunity for TGA Member Clubs to get out and interact with each other in a fun and friendly team competition. During the regular season, each team plays a home-and-away series against three other teams in its conference for a total of six matches over an eight-week span. League Play utilizes the TGA/GHIN Handicap System to level the playing field for competitors, so members of all ages and skills levels can represent their home club. Conference winners advance to the Statewide Playoff, a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament culminating in a championship final match for the overall title.
For those who are looking to ease their way back into competitive golf and want to test the waters in a less nerve-wracking environment than say, the Texas Amateur, the TGA launched the Medalist Series for that exact purpose. Held early in the season and conducted in conjunction with TGA Member Clubs, the Medalist Series offers multiple events in both North Texas and the Hill Country areas. All players who maintain an active TGA/GHIN Handicap are eligible to compete in the Medalist Series. There are no regional restrictions (found in North and South Regional events); members can play in either the North or Hill Country Series.
For more information about Men’s Competitions, click here.
Women’s ChampionshipsThe TGA administers seven statewide women’s championships on a yearly basis. These multi-day events provide great competition, fun and enjoyable experiences and an opportunity to promote good fellowship among members.
First conducted in 1916, the Women's Texas Amateur Championship is the oldest competition on the schedule. In its long and storied history, this championship has produced a notable list of winners. Thirteen past champions, for example, are enshrined in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. That impressive list includes Babe Didrikson, Betty Jameson, Sandra Haynie and Betsy Rawls, all of whom also are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The two other most prominent events are the Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the Women’s Stroke Play, established in 2015 to identify the best female golfer in Texas, regardless of age.
The TGA Women’s annual schedule also features a host of opportunities for its members to compete in a variety of different types of formats, many of which were added within the last 20 years in response to the growing number of Texas women golf enthusiasts. These events include the Partnership (established in 1999), Four-Ball (2007), Eclectic (2009) and Texas Pinehurst (2013).
All of the tournaments on the TGA Women’s Competitions Calendar are purposefully designed to accommodate everyone who loves to play. In TGA Women’s championships, players and/or teams are flighted based on their TGA/GHIN Handicap Index. Depending on the field size, there can be as many as eight flights with handicaps ranging from +4.0 to more than 30.0.
The Women’s Mid-Amateur Series was introduced in 2018 for all those with a hectic weekday schedule, but are still looking to squeeze in some competitive golf. These one-day events are held on a Saturday in a major metropolitan area and are open to any female golfer who is at least 25 years old with a TGA/GHIN Handicap Index. Each event has a Gross and Net Division, so golfers of all ability levels are welcome to come out and play.
For more information about Women’s Competitions, click here.
Junior Golf ChampionshipsThe Legends Junior Tour (LJT) was established in 2005 as a joint venture between the TGA, Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) and Southern Texas PGA (STPGA) in order to create the foremost year-round tour for serious junior golfers.
The LJT is home to such prestigious events such as the Byron Nelson Junior, George Hannon Junior Invitational, Texas Girls’ Invitational, Texas Cup Invitational, Jackie Burke Cup and Texas Junior Amateur Championships, to name just a few.
As the pinnacle of junior golf administration in Texas, the LJT provides top-tier competitions where elite junior players can demonstrate their skills and test their mettle against the very best in the country. Top finishers in designated events can earn automatic exemptions into future LJT invitational events, AJGA Performance Stars and points towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Over the years, the LJT has become a proving ground for the best young players in the state. Current and past LJT members have gone on to enjoy great success on the national, collegiate and professional levels. Among the notable LJT alumni are two-time U.S. Junior champion and three-time professional major champion Jordan Spieth, 2014 U.S. Junior champion Will Zalatoris and 2013 U.S. Junior Champion Scottie Scheffler.
In 2012, the TGA, NTPGA, STPGA and the Houston Golf Association (HGA) teamed up to form the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The union was created to give promising junior golfers at the local and regional level greater access to elite LJT statewide championships, and to help ease the burden of travel expenses. For developing junior golfers looking to reach the highest level of success on the LJT, the Texas Junior Golf Alliance has provided encouragement, a wealth of playing opportunities and a natural progression for players currently competing at the NTPGA, STPGA and HGA levels.
For more information about the Legends Junior Tour and Texas Junior Golf Alliance, click here.