Class of 2019

Fin Ewing III

Lifetime Achievement

Biography

Fin Ewing, III was born July 14, 1958, in Texas. At that time, his maternal grandfather, Bruton Orand and his father, Finley Ewing, Jr. ran the Orand Buick car dealership in Dallas. It didn't take Fin long to find his way into the family business. The dealership had a coffee shop and for keeping it clean, eight-year-old Fin earned $25 a week. He worked in various positions of increasing responsibility at the dealership through his teen years. After graduating from TCU in 1980, Fin was back in the car business full-time and in 1985, he assumed management of Ewing Buick Company. The family business has expanded over the years and Fin is now President and Dealer/Operator of Ewing Automotive Group, which owns several dealerships in the Plano, TX area.

Fin and his wife, Beth, have three children - Finley IV, Charlie, and Gail. In addition to his numerous business achievements, Fin was named Plano's Father of The Year in 2007. His kids, 17, 15, and 11 years old at the time, recounted fond memories hunting and playing golf with their father. Today, his two oldest are married, Finley IV has followed in his father's footsteps and is VP and COO of Ewing Automotive Group, and Charlie is the Head Women's Golf Coach at Mississippi State University (and married to rising LPGA star, Ally Ewing).

The Ewing family has a long history of philanthropy in the Dallas area with the two largest beneficiaries being the Genesis Women's Shelter and the Northern Texas PGA Section. Ewing also sponsors a number of golf programs supporting kids of all ages and skill levels.

In addition to his success as a business owner, husband, father, and philanthropist, Fin recently achieved another significant goal. Though he reportedly had no claims to any musical talent, he learned to sing and performed on-stage to a packed house at The Rustic (a Dallas concert venue). His band, Fin Ewing and The Wrong Direction, now plays at various places in Dallas, including an annual gig at The Rustic, where Fin continues to live his dream.

Legacy Video

Inductee Highlights

Funds the Project Shelter Pro-Am which has raised more than $5M for the Genesis Women’s Shelter, an organization supporting abused women and children
Named sponsor of the Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour, the largest of its kind in the country
Title sponsor of the Ewing Charity Classic Pro-Am, whose proceeds of over $4M go to the NTPGA Foundation and its "growth of the game" initiatives
Sole benefactor of the Carmel Cup, a 54-hole event played at Pebble Beach each year, that includes eight elite college golf teams from around the country

The Rule of Three

Fin Ewing III’s contributions to the game of golf are vast and significant.

Ewing’s longtime title sponsorship of The Project Shelter Pro-Am at Preston Trail Golf Club has helped the event raise more than $5 million for the Genesis Women's Shelter, which is dedicated to supporting abused women and children. Other golf tournaments that Fin has been associated with include the Royal Oaks Great 108, St. Jude Tournament, Spike Dykes Tournament, KidSwing, Birdies for Kids, and President Bush’s Warrior Open.

Fin Ewing and The Wrong Direction

It's fair to assume that the much-accomplished Fin Ewing, III likes a challenge and once a goal is set, so is his commitment - even to something as unique as learning to sing. In 2016, Fin saw an article claiming that anyone could learn to sing. Though he had no claims to any musical talent, Fin was curious enough and willing to take the risk to find out if "anyone" included him. So, he hired a voice coach, shared his goal of playing at The Rustic, and then teacher and student went about the business of turning Fin into a singer. He formed a band, with its name (Fin Ewing and The Wrong Direction) inspired by pro golfer and fellow Texas Golf Hall of Famer, Ryan Palmer. A year later, Fin and his band performed live at The Rustic, to a packed house, with resounding success!

Going in the Right Direction

The Ewing Automotive Group has been the title sponsor of the Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour since 2005. The junior tour is a 501(c)(3) organization with 4,000 Junior Tour members ages 7-19 who compete in more than 500 junior tournaments annually.

The NTPGA Foundation offers youth opportunities to learn, play, and compete while developing their skills. The programs foster competition, but the primary goals are to grow the game, provide a welcoming and inclusive environment, and encourage friendship, sportsmanship, honesty, and integrity. Alumni of the program since Ewing’s title sponsorship began include PGA Tour stars Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, and Will Zalatoris.

A Drive to Help

Fin’s fundraising for the Northern Texas PGA is legendary. The Ewing Charity Classic Pro-Am, founded in 2006, has raised more than $4.75 million to support the Northern Texas PGA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to growing the game initiatives including junior golf, scholarships, fellowships, inclusion and military and veterans.

Since 2012, the Ewing Automotive Group annually gives away a Mercedes-Benz to a PGA Club Professional who competes in a closest-to-the-hole contest following play.

Many Degrees of Association with College Golf

Fin's interest in, and ties to, college golf are also very prevalent. His sons, Finley IV (Texas Tech) and Charlie (Vanderbilt), both played Division I college golf.

Fin helped facilitate major fundraising campaigns for both universities to build new state-of-the-art team clubhouses. In addition, Charlie is the head women’s golf coach at Mississippi State. Fin also started and fully funded The Carmel Cup, a 54-hole college golf tournament at Pebble Beach that has featured some of the nation’s most elite teams, including Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Stanford.

Keepsake

Flag from the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Deep Dive Interview

More stories from the endlessly philanthropic Fin Ewing

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Fin Ewing III - Junior Golfer Stars

Deep Dive Video Interview