Will Dottley's shot at defending his title was in jeopardy with five holes to play, but he grinded out a 1-under-par 71 en route to claiming back-to-back Greenwood Country Club Invitational trophies.
Madison's Dottley made birdie at the par-5 16th, par at the par-4 17th and eagle at the par-5 18th for a three-day total of 7-under 209, giving him a three-shot victory over former Southern Mississippi golfer Ben Snow Sunday at the 57th annual GCC Invitational.
Dottley is just the sixth player to win back-to-back Invitational championships in the 57-year history of the tradition-rich tournament.
Dottley drained a 35-foot eagle putt on the final hole to put an exclamation point on his victory, but it was his two-putt par at 17 that was the turning point.
Snow and Dottley entered the 17th hole tied, but Snow's approach shot came up 10 yards short of the green. He was unable to make an 8-foot putt for par, giving Dottley a one-shot lead with one hole to play.
Then Dottley closed things with a bang on 18 with the eagle. Then Snow missed a short birdie putt to shoot 72.
"It's great to be able to defend at such a great tournament, but it wasn't easy," said Dottley, who won the tournament last year by two strokes with a 9-under 207.
USM golfer Michael Harrell of Lyon started the final round just one shot back of second-round leader Dottley, but he fell out of contention on the first hole by making a quadruple bogey. He birdied the next hole but was never able to recuperate from his disastrous start and finished with an 80, giving him an 11th place finish.
Harrell wasn't the only golfer in the final foursome to struggle, as Erin McDonald finished with a 77. He started the day two shots behind Dottley and finished seventh with a three-day total of 1-over.
Mike LaRose shot a final-round 70 to finish tied for third at 3-under 213 with Austin Brown of Jackson, who carded a 71 Sunday.
Brown was the first-round leader after opening the tournament Friday with a 67.
Dottley made a birdie at the par-4 ninth hole to make the turn at even, giving him a two-shot lead over Snow. But Dottley's lead was erased on the par-5 12th, when Snow made birdie and he made bogey.
"I told myself that I really needed to make that putt for birdie on 9 to get back in control of things, and I was feeling good after two solid pars at 10 and 11," Dottley said. "On 12, I hit a 9-iron from 185 yards and got a big bounce in front of the green and wound up over the back, facing a really tough pin placement."
Snow then took a one-shot lead on the par-3 14th, when he made par and Dottley a bogey after missing the green to the left.
Snow's lead was short-lived, though, as he made bogey at 15 from less than 100 yards out in the fairway. He missed the green to the right and was unable to get up and down for par.
Dottley made par to even things up, and both players made birdie at 16.
"I felt a little shaky going into 15. Ben probably hit his worst shot of the day there, and it opened the door for me," Dottley said.
Cliff Camp of Greenwood had the best finish of any of the local players, shooting 76 Sunday to finish tied for ninth place. He was 1-under after his first two rounds.
Greenwood's Alan Ellis finished 13th at 4-over.
