Shelby relishes the banking race. (Plano Bancshares Inc. Chmn. Pat Shelby)

Plano Bancshares chairman guarding Collin County turf

One day two-summers ago, Pat Shelby's golf club sailed through the air, careened off a rooftop and made its splashdown in the swimming pool of someone's home near the 14th hole of the Queens Course at Gleneagles Country Club.

Shelby, chairman and majority owner of Plano Bancshares Inc. and operator of a family oil business, gave the club its mighty heave after spanking an errant drive off the tee box. He was so mad, he didn't even bother retrieving it.

"It was a terrible drive," Shelby Said. "I've never used that club again. I pulled out another driver and drove off."

If you think the tantrum means Shelby is a quitter, guess again. For one thing, Shelby is better at banking than he is at golf. And his fiercely competitive nature has brought his once floundering banking franchise to the top spot among banks in fast-growing and well-heeled Collin County. Shelby vows to keep that lofty perch and keep his bank independent to boot - no easy task as the state's biggest banks march in to grab the wealth.

Gary Tipton, president of Dallas-based Inwood National Bank and one of Shelby's golf partners, witnessed the club-throwing incident. He testifies that Shelby is not a 48-year-old baby, just a competitive guy.

"Patrick is not a really hot-tempered guy," Tipton said, "but every once in a while... ."

Among Shelby's acquaintances, the tale of the flying club is well-known.

Doug Myers, president of Plano Bank & Trust, laughed at the incident and then quipped, "I hope he has more patience with people than he does with …