Texas Tech University Athletics
Dresser Wins Cotton States Invitational
June 28, 2005 | Men's Golf
June 28, 2005
MONROE, La. - Texas Tech senior golfer Andrew Dresser owned the par 5s and in the end the 54th annual W.E. Cole Cotton States Invitational championship trophy.
Dresser, the No. 1 player at Texas Tech, played the par 5s at 5-under par to propel himself to a 2 and 1 victory over Australian Andrew Tampion in the final match at Bayou DeSiard Country Club on Sunday afternoon.
"I played great on the par 5s," said the two-time All-Big 12 golfer. "The two on the front he birdied, but lost both of them. That was a tough break."
Dresser eagled No. 3 and No. 6 on the front nine to forge a two-hole lead and essentially sealed the match with a birdie on the par-five 16th.
"I birdied both the par 5s on the front and he eagled them," said Tampion, winner of three international events in the last two years. "That's where he got a couple up."
Dresser was a model of consistency all week and that continued on Sunday. In his morning "Northern Hemisphere" semifinal win over Matthew Harvey, Dresser missed just one fairway and one green en route to a 4 and 3 win over the 17-year-old former Monroe resident.
"I just striped it all day down the fairway and at the pin," Dresser said of his morning match in which a large gallery pulled for Harvey. "I didn't make many putts, but he wasn't making any birdies. I parred him to death."
The championship match of Dresser and Tampion provided contrast with the consistency of Dresser and the wild ride that marked Tampion's play on Sunday.
In Tampion's morning "Southern Hemisphere" semifinal win over South African Tyrone Mordt, the match was all square heading into the par-3 15th. All Tampion did was hit a hole-in-one to take a one-hole lead and birdie No. 16 to close out Mordt 2 and 1.
In the championship match Tampion was two down heading into the par-3 ninth. His tee shot sailed way right, but it caught the edge of the cart path and caromed 30 feet back onto the green.
The 20-year-old from Melbourne then drained a 20-foot birdie putt to cut the lead to one.
"I hit a terrible shot off nine," Tampion said. "I got lucky and converted that."
Tampion's good fortune and birdie briefly changed the momentum of the match and on No. 10 Dresser lipped out a 3-foot par putt, allowing Tampion to draw even.
However, Tampion could not seize the opportunity. On the back nine his driver started to falter and on No. 11 a wayward drive led to bogey. Then on the par-5 14th, his second shot went left, bounced off a tree and on a drain cover. He was allowed relief, but he airmailed his chip shot, which led to bogey and a two-hole disadvantage.
"I played that way all week," said Tampion, the 2005 Australian Amateur runner-up. "I don't know how I got this far." Tampion got a birdie on 15 to get within one, then his erratic play caught up with him.
At 16 his second shot found the left bunker and led to par. Dresser made birdie on the par-5 to up the lead to two.
On the par-3 17th, Tampion's drive found the right bunker, while Dresser landed in the center of the green. Tampion needed to hole out to have a chance to win the hole. His bunker shot nearly hit the pin, but bounced 10 feet past.
After Dresser lagged his putt close, Tampion conceded the match.
Scott Beder, Monroe News-Star
