On Ambition & Excellence: Bentley Cotton
2/15/2024
Long before the meteoric rise of tech unicorns in Austin, there was a different type of unicorn in town. Originally, the term was used to describe born-and-bred Austinites who remained in Austin through college or adulthood because, like a unicorn, they were (and still are), well…rare.
While the pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas is on full display when any student-athlete signs their letter of intent to compete for the Longhorns, that prestige shines especially bright when born-and-raised Austinites decide to put on the burnt orange and white. Why? Because recruiting rarity from our own backyard is a clear-cut testament to the strong reputation of Texas Athletics.
For Texas Women’s Golf student-athlete and native Austinite Bentley Cotton, the decision to become a Longhorn—and a unicorn—was driven by her pursuit of excellence and desire for a collegiate athletics experience that would match her ambitious nature.
Cotton’s family has deep roots not only in the city of Austin, but also in the game of golf. Cotton inherited her affinity and love for the game from her father, Jim “Jimbo” Cotton—who played golf at Baylor University—and his own father, Bill Cotton, who was one of the original developers of the Balcones Golf Club in Northwest Austin. Though that legacy certainly had a large impact on Cotton’s upbringing, she says the strongest influence on her athletic aspirations has come from her brother, Austin Cotton.
“Austin played every sport growing up and I did everything he did. I hunted, I fished, I wakesurfed. I played football with him, I played baseball with the boys, I played softball, volleyball, basketball—everything. My dad played golf at Baylor and then my brother ended up playing golf at Baylor as well. And, so, I followed in his footsteps,” explains Cotton.
While her decision to pursue golf may have been inspired by following in her family’s footsteps, Cotton’s choice to attend The University of Texas was fueled by a desire to step off the beaten path and outside of her comfort zone.
“I decided on Texas because I knew I would be pushed. I knew when I came here it would not be easy and I would be pushed outside of my comfort zone. But, that meant that I would the best I could be when I graduated.”
Cotton attributes the growth she’s experienced and accomplishments she’s achieved at Texas—a continual decrease in her scoring average, selection to multiple Academic All-Big 12 teams, a 2023 selection to the All-Big 12 team and being a three-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll—to the premier resources and talent available here.
“Our athletic trainer, Adam Pecina, is amazing. Whatever you need, he is able to help you. Our academic advisor, Kelsey Davis, is unbelievable and the academic center is incredible. And then you look at my coaches [Ryan Murphy and Kate Golden] and they are some of the top not only in the nation, but the world,” she says with admiration.
Cotton is a senior this year, which means she’s spent the past four years touring college golf facilities across the U.S. and traveling nationwide to play different courses. In fact, she played Augusta National last spring and counts it as an extraordinary experience and her favorite course she has ever played. That’s all to say, Cotton is intimately familiar with the breadth of resources available to college student-athletes across the U.S.—and it’s against that experience that she confidently asserts Texas facilities are amongst the best in college golf.
“We have access to UT Golf Club any time we want to play and our team facilities down at the very end are unbelievable—our range and our out putting green and chipping green. At Texas, we have all the extra tools that are needed to be the best,” she shared.
It’s not just the facilities, resources and staff that Cotton considers as the extra tools that provide Texas Women’s Golf student-athletes a competitive edge. “Texas recruits some of the best junior golfers of all time,” she says, explaining that the opportunity to compete alongside top peer talent has constantly pushed her to exceed what she believes she’s capable of athletically.
Cotton will graduate this May, closing out her collegiate career as a Longhorn with a degree in corporate communications and having achieved her determination to be an accomplished student and highly-skilled athlete.
“I came here as a pretty good junior golfer, and I look back in awe at how I have grown and how I’ve gotten better. My scoring average has gone way down, I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone and really been uncomfortable at times, which has made me a better person and a better player. Texas has been fantastic and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she says.
“None of it would have been possible without donor support, and I am so thankful for everything they have done to make my experience and time at Texas so incredible.”
I decided on Texas because I knew I would be pushed. I knew when I came here it would not be easy and I would be pushed outside of my comfort zone. But, that meant that I would the best I could be when I graduated.Bentley Cotton
So, what’s next for Cotton? She shares that right now her primary professional goal is to compete on the pro golf circuit, but—ever ambitious—she has other high-flying goals for herself, too.
“I have a passion for aviation and I want to be a pilot someday. My godfather is a pilot and he has really inspired me to be one. My dad’s dad, my grandfather, was also a pilot. So, I have to follow the footsteps in the Cotton family and be a pilot as well!”
