2025 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship
Dawson Dial
Cedar Park
,
Texas
Age: 10 - 11
Gender: Boys
Region: South Central
The Path to the National Finals
Qualifying Path
Should a player advance through local qualifying, the subregional and regional qualifying sites are pre-determined based upon the local qualifying site. The player is not guaranteed participation in the subregional qualifier unless he/she advances through local qualifying. The player is not guaranteed participation in the regional qualifier unless he/she advances through local and subregional qualifying.
PLAYER BIRTHPLACE:
Austin, Texas
HOME GOLF COURSE AND LOCATION:
Twin Creeks Country Club - Cedar Park, Texas
PLAY GOLF RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED:
Right
AGE STARTED PLAYING GOLF:
0 - Pushed golf balls around on the living room floor with a plastic club when able to fully walk at 10 months old. Began making full swings with a blue plastic club by 16 months old. Played first hole on a golf course at 22 months old. Made his first birdie on the golf course before 2 years old. Played through his first 18 holes at 2.5 years old.
LOWEST SCORE SHOT (9 AND/OR 18 HOLES):
9 holes - 28 (3 times: 1 competition 2 practice) and 18 holes - 61
HANDICAP INDEX:
Under par scores typically in both competition and practice, no official handicap index to date.
HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN GOLF?
Watching my dad practice in the house as an infant and watching golf on TV when he was watching tournaments.
WHO INTRODUCED YOU TO GOLF?
My dad
WHO DO YOU NORMALLY PLAY GOLF WITH?
My dad and my friends at Twin Creeks.
WHO IS YOUR GOLF INSTRUCTOR?
Breck Spradley (Golf Channel Academy at Barton Creek Country Club) & Jeff Ronquillo (Twin Creeks Country Club)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT PLAYING GOLF?
The competition. Even when I am out just playing different games or formats with my friends or my Dad, I still like to compete. The feelings being in contention and coming down the stretch are the best!
WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT GOLF?
Controlling mental focus and emotions is probably the most difficult. Next would be the amount of work and dedication required to be consistently great.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF CLUB?
Custom made Scotty Cameron putter received from Santa at 5 years old!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF COURSE IN THE WORLD?
TPC Sawgrass
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN GOLF SO FAR?
2022 U.S. Kids World Champion - 9 year old division @ Pinehurst no. 1. There are other achievements that are worth mentioning such as: 2022 USK Player of the Year Finalist (a score tie-breaker at USK World's coming down to 1 shot was apparently the difference between me and A. Wu), winning my first golf tournament at 4 years old by 12 shots, shooting my first competition round under par at 5 years old, finishing top 8 in USK World's 4 times in 6 appearances.
HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATED IN A USGA OR PGA OF AMERICA EVENT? IF SO, WHICH ONE(S), WHEN, AND HOW DID YOU DO?
Not sure if this is PGA of America but the 2024 National Rent-a-Car PGA Junior League National Championship - Team Texas. My partner and I were low for our team which finished 5th at the National Finals, just out of the match play. We tied for first out of 32 teams in the Fields Ranch Round-up on Sunday for all the teams that did not make the match play.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER JUNIORS PARTICIPATING IN DCP WHO ARE TRYING TO REACH THE NATIONAL FINALS?
Practice A LOT.
DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE?
Yes
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT?
The opportunity to make it to Augusta National!
MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM YOUR LOCAL, SUBREGIONAL OR REGIONAL QUALIFIERS:
I won each event so that was nice. At the regional final, I chipped in once and made 2 of the 3 putts including the 30' putt. The 30' putt cost me in previous years at both the sub-regionals and regionals. I was the southwest region alternate to Augusta in 2022 when the regional final was at Champions Club in Houston. 1 point on the 30' might have cost me a chance at going to Augusta that year.
HAVE YOU TRIED TO QUALIFIY FOR DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT IN THE PAST? IF SO, PLEASE LIST EACH YEAR AND YOUR PREVIOUS RESULTS:
2021 - 2nd at Local, 4th at Sub-regional / 2022 1st at Local, T1 at Sub-regional, 2nd at Regional - National Finals Alternate / 2023 1st at Local, 4th at Sub-regional / 2024 1st at Local, 1st at Sub-regional, 1st at Regional.
DID YOU WATCH LAST YEAR’S DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS ON TELEVISION? IF SO, WHAT IMPACT DID THAT HAVE ON YOUR PARTICIPATION THIS YEAR?
Yes. I typically watch it every year to check on friends or competitors that I know and have competed against through various tours such as USK, Team invite events, South Texas and North Texas PGA, Notah Begay and others.
LIST FROM STRONGEST TO WEAKEST – DRIVING, CHIPPING, PUTTING:
I work on my weaknesses at practice and feel my game is solid through the bag, but putting is definitely a strength, especially pressure putting.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF ACCESSORY (HAT, HEADCOVER, BALL MARKER, ETC.)?
I like cool-looking club headcovers. I like collecting them from different places and using them for a while.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MALE GOLFER, AND WHY?
Tiger Woods because of his mental strength and perseverance to overcome anything.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE GOLFER, AND WHY?
Rose Zhang because she has a great attitude every time I've seen her compete.
WHO IS THE COOLEST PLAYER IN GOLF, AND WHY?
Jordan Spieth because of some of the great shots he pulled out at tournaments and how he reacted to them.
HAVE YOUR EVER PLAYED WITH SOMEONE FAMOUS? IF SO, WHO? PLEASE DESCRIBE THE CIRCUMSTANCES:
I played with Joe Durant in April of 2024. I was invited to play at the Insperity Junior Pro-Am at the Woodlands and Mr. Durant was my pro. He finished 2nd in the tournament that week too! I also played with Kirk Triplett at the same event 2 years before in 2022. That was cool because I birdied our last hole (#10) on Woodlands Tournament Course to beat Mr. Triplett by 1 that day!
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO PLAY GOLF WITH A DREAM FOURSOME, WHO WOULD THE OTHER THREE PEOPLE BE?
Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS AS IT RELATES TO GOLF? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE:
I only play tournaments with #1 golf balls and mark them with a red dot. Also, I have certain shirts that I feel I play good in and certain shirts I don't feel I play good in.
WHAT FOOD WOULD YOU SERVE AT YOUR CHAMPIONS DINNER AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL?
Cheese Breadsticks, Pasta Bar with Lasagna, Cheese Ravioli, and Various Noodles w/ Meat, Alfredo, and Marinara Sauces, and Salad Bar - For dessert I would have Ice Cream Cookies (Chocolate or Vanilla) with M&M's on the cookies.
DESCRIBE ANY TALENTS OR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF GOLF:
I love to go fishing, especially at the Texas Coast, with my grandpa and my dad. I also enjoy playing basketball with my friends in a youth league and at school. I'm really good at card games and rubik's cubes. I could safely drive a golf cart since I was 8 or 9. I love riding my hoover board, electric dirt bike, and electric scooter in my neighborhood.
DESCRIBE ANY OBSTACLES YOU’VE OVERCOME IN YOUR LIFE:
When playing golf there are always obstacles to overcome. I get more bad breaks than good ones. From bad bounces, bad lies in the middle of the fairway like being in a divot, mud balls, lip outs, to hitting it in a bunker that was never raked at all and full of footprints, golf is just one obstacle after the next. Mentally overcoming those bad breaks is always a challenge that once you do, it makes things seem much easier.
HERO / ROLE MODEL(S):
Dad
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Attitude is everything.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Professional golfer - It's all I've ever wanted to be since I can remember anything.
