History |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Cotton States Story Past Cotton States Champions
 "I have some very fond memories of the Cotton States Invitational. My most memorable match was against Randy Sonnier, either in the quarterfinal or semifinal. We finished 18 holes all square and halved only two holes the entire match. I was fortunate enough to win the match on the first playoff hole and I then went on to win the Cotton States Title. It was great experience for my professional career."
Hal Sutton 14-Time PGA Tour Winner 1983 PGA Champion 4-Time Ryder Cup Team Member United States Captain, 2004 Ryder Cup  "My most vivid memory is playing Frank Brame and being 5-down. I got it to all square on 18, but lost in a playoff. I also have fond memories of the Moses Motel.... We did have some good times in the Moses."
David Toms 12-Time PGA Tour Winner 2001 PGA Champion 2002, 2004 Ryder Cup Team Member  "I have nothing but the best thoughts about The Cotton States. The community really embraced the tournament, and made everyone feel truly welcome. I loved Bayou DeSiard and all the event festivities. I met some great friends in Monroe, and only wish the tour would have had events as fun as the Cotton States."
Bill Rogers 6-Time PGA Tour Winner 1981 British Open Champion 1981 Ryder Cup Team Member (Back to top) The Cotton States Story
Nothing captures the spirit of Bayou DeSiard Country Club more than its prestigious annual W. E. Cole Cotton States Invitational Golf Tournament. Originally played in 1949 as the Bayou DeSiard Labor Day Golf Tournament, the festive affair was renamed The Cotton States Invitational in 1951 by the club's young head professional, W. E. "Winnie" Cole . Little did Cole know that 27 years later, in 1978, the event would be retitled again, forever to be known as the W. E. Cole Cotton States Invitational Golf Tournament. On its 50th anniversary, speaking about the 1951 name change he made, Cole said, "We needed a name that would make the tournament special and give it stature. I felt The Cotton States would be appropriate because those are the states from which we have always drawn the majority of our tournament players." Winnie Cole was right on target, and from the outset The Cotton States became one of the most popular late summer tournaments in the South. In fact, it originally preceded the U. S. Amateur Championship by one week and made the perfect tune-up tournament for some of golf's greatest young players. In the very first Cotton States (1951), Don January , then playing for North Texas State and later a highly successful participant on both the PGA and Senior Tours, came to Monroe and left with the championship. He was the first of many tremendous golfers to win The Cotton States. Eventually, because colleges began starting their fall semesters earlier, The Cotton States moved away from Labor Day and was played on earlier dates. It continues to draw a high-quality field, featuring some of the region's top veteran amateurs as well as college golfers from many states. Except for 1970 and 1971, the tournament has used a match play format which has brought about countless dramatic moments and last-minute victories. Among past Cotton States champions -- most of whom were in college at the time, later achieving national prominence -- are Hal Sutton (1976), Homero Blancos (1962-63-64), Jackie Cupit (1960), Hal Underwood (1966), Rik Massengale (1967), Stan Lee (1973-74), Mike Heinen (1987) and Perry Moss (1989). Gil Morgan also played here and was runner-up to Robert Shelton of Monroe in 1970. Other notables who played here include former British Open champion Bill Rogers (1972), former PGA champions John Mahaffey (1968) and David Toms (1986), and 1998 British Open runner-up Brian Watts (1984). Gene Dahlbender , of Atlanta, Ga., joins Blancos as the only three-time winner of The Cotton States, taking the title in 1955-56 and 1961. Local winners have included Jack Rivers (1959), Clayton Cole (1965), Wayne Peddy (1968), Terry Peddy (1979), Doug Farr (1991), Bob Cooper (1999), ULM golfers Drew Proctor (1993) and Brian Frazier (1997), Paul Jones, Jr. (1980) of Bastrop and Tom Bryant (1981) of Lake Providence.
(Back to top)
Home | History | Course | Players | Leaderboard | Media | Contact | Application |