Birdie barrage nets Drenth another QCAm Tour win

Aug 03, 2008 08:22PM

Comment on this story
| Print this story | Email this story
By Ryan Sergeant, rsergeant@qconline.com

LONG GROVE, Iowa --This weekend's Glynns Creek Amateur was another walk in the park on the Quad City Amateur Tour for St. Ambrose junior-to-be Dusty Drenth. Drenth continued what has been an incredible summer on the links, firing a final-round 65 for a two-day 9-under 135 total that gave him the crown.

This marked Drenth's third consecutive start that he has won on the QCAm Tour, following victories at the Short Hills and Palmer Hills Amateur tournaments before electing to take last weekend's Pebble Creek Amateur off to prepare for last week's Iowa Amateur at Davenport Country Club.

Drenth finished in a modest tie for 20th at last week's Iowa Amateur at Davenport Country Club with rounds of 73-74-73 but bounced back back Sunday to make a huge statement and take another step toward possible Player of the Year honors.

"It's been great," he said of his stretch of great golf lately. "I have been on top of my game, and today I actually put it all together. It feels good to play well."

Drenth began the day at 2-under par and one shot behind first-round leaders Greg Rios and Ben Peters, but a stretch of eight birdies in 10 holes propelled him to the victory. Peters, the defending QCAm Tour Player of the Year who was third at the Iowa Am, matched his Saturday 69 on Sunday, but his 6-under 138 total was dusted by three strokes. Rios (1-under 71 on Sunday) and recent Pebble Creek Am winner Steve Schwabe (4-under 68) tied for fourth at 4-under. Dan Fisher (73-68 141, 3-under) rounded out the top five.

Even though Drenth had a good cushion at the end of the day, he said he never felt totally in control of the tournament on Sunday.

"I just really tried to keep playing my game," he said. "I was trying not to think how far I was ahead, but more just trying to make birdies."

Mission accomplished.

"I was 8-under from the stretch of hole 6 to hole 15," he said. "I didn't have any putts outside of 10 feet. I was just having fun and not really thinking about it."

Now, Drenth will continue to practice and prepare for the next event, the Tour Championship to be held at the TPC Deere Run, Aug. 23-24. This is an event that is special to Drenth for multiple reasons.

Drenth grew up playing Deere Run quite a bit and will get to play it the next two years as St. Ambrose is hosting the NAIA nationals there in May 2009 and 2010.

"The course isn't as hard as it looks," he said. "The fairways are firm, and they are going to roll; the greens are smooth. It's going to be a great experience playing competition there while getting ready for nationals."