Championship Recap: Regional Four-Balls kick off 2026 Men’s TGA Season

The February spotlight turned to team play as competitors gathered for the Texas Golf Association Regional Four-Balls Championship, an early-season test of chemistry, strategy and clutch performance.

The annual regional events brought together many of the state’s top amateur pairings, each looking to make a statement at the outset of the 2026 season. With crisp winter air and firm, fast greens challenging players at both sites, the conditions placed a premium on controlled iron play, sharp wedges and confident putting. Those who managed the moment — and trusted their partner — rose to the top.

Four-ball — a format in which each player plays his own ball and the lower score counts for the team on each hole — demands both individual execution and unwavering belief in a teammate. One player can attack while the other plays conservatively. One mistake can be erased by a partner’s birdie. Throughout the championship, momentum shifted quickly as teams traded red numbers and capitalized on scoring chances, keeping leaderboards tight into the final round.

In Azle, 44 teams teed it up at Cross Timbers Golf Course for the North Four-Ball, navigating a tight, tree-lined layout that rewards accuracy off the tee.

Chase Traughber of Lantana and Alex Carpenter of McKinney set the early pace, opening with a blistering 10-under-par 62 to take a two-shot lead after the first round. The duo combined for a clean card, converting scoring opportunities while avoiding costly mistakes to separate themselves from a crowded field.

Caden Clark and Henry Jackson, both of Lantana, followed at 8-under 64 to stay within striking distance. Chaz Cobb of Weatherford and Tony Endsley of Aledo sat alone in third after posting a 7-under 65, positioning themselves for a weekend charge.

Chaz Cobb of Weatherford and Tony Endsley of Aledo found themselves in solo third after a strong 7-under 65 opening round. They would look to make a move heading into the final round and be near perfect to have to find themselves at the top.

That exactly was Cobb and Endley would do.

Trailing entering the final round, the duo produced the low round of the tournament — a bogey-free 10-under 62 — to surge past the field and claim a three-stroke victory. Their two-day total of 17-under-par 127 secured the championship and capped one of the most impressive closing performances of the young season.

Overnight leaders Traughber and Carpenter closed with a 68 to finish tied for second at 14-under 130 alongside Clark and Jackson, who remained consistent with a 6-under 66. Scott Maurer and Gant Bills made a late push with a final-round 65 to place fourth at 13-under 131. Anthony Estorga and Chris Pena rounded out the top five at 9-under 135, highlighting the depth of competition in the North field.

At the South Four-Ball, the scoring pace was equally aggressive from the outset.

Logan Boatner of Kingwood and Garrett Driver of Humble, along with Juan Salcedo Signoret and Guy Goodspeed, opened with matching 9-under 63s to share the first-round lead. Both teams navigated the course without a blemish, setting a standard that forced the rest of the field to stay on the attack.

Four teams sat two strokes back at 7-under 65: Dale Loewen and Morgan Gore; Jay Chapman and Chris Minton; Casey and Michael Carnes; and Mike and Carter McCaffrey. With nine teams within three shots of the lead, the final round shaped up as a sprint to the finish.

Chapman of Spring and Minton of Houston delivered the decisive round Friday. The pair fired a bogey-free 9-under 63 to finish at 16-under-par 128 and win by one stroke. Entering the day two shots off the pace, they combined timely birdies with steady play down the stretch to edge the field in a dramatic finish.

Casey Carnes of Schertz and Michael Carnes of New Braunfels closed with a 64 to tie for second at 15-under 129 alongside Boatner and Driver, who followed their opening 63 with a 66. The father-son duo of Shane Heise and Duke Heise of The Woodlands made the day’s biggest climb, vaulting six spots with a 64 to tie for fourth at 13-under 131 with Robert Gwin and Clay Fullick, and first-round co-leaders Salcedo Signoret and Goodspeed.

With multiple teams in contention into the closing holes at both sites, the February regional championships showcased the volatility and excitement of the four-ball format. From early-round fireworks to final-round charges, the events underscored why the Texas Golf Association’s regional four-balls remain one of the most compelling and competitive stops on the state’s amateur calendar.