Chris Brown has become the first Central Carolina Community College golfer to be named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-America team.
SANFORD - Chris Brown has become the first Central Carolina Community College golfer to be named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-America team.
Brown, of Sanford, finished 16th among the 92 golfers in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III National Championships, which was held June 6-9 at the Chautauqua Golf Club in Chautauqua, N.Y.
"Being the first All-America golfer from CCCC is incredible. You don't hear of many people coming from a place like Sanford that can say they are an All-America, so it is truly amazing to be able to say that," said Brown.
CCCC Golf Coach Jonathan Hockaday said Brown's All-America recognition is exciting. "Chris being named an All-America is not only a huge accomplishment for himself, but also for the golf program," said Hockaday. "It certainly helps us take a step in the right direction of where we want this program to go and shows our present and future golfers that we can compete on the national level."
Brown shot a four-round total of 312 in the national championships, with scores of 82-80-75-75 on the par-72, 6,571-yard course.
"Playing in the national tournament was an awesome experience that I hope I can experience again next year," said Brown. "Not many people get the chance to do something like this, so I really took the time to enjoy the moment. It was fun to get out and play with some great competition and play an excellent golf course."
Brown recently shot a 75 at Whispering Pines Country Club and an 81 at Anderson Creek Golf Club for a two-day total of 156 in winning the NJCAA Division III Region 10 tournament by two strokes. With the win, Brown was named NJCAA Region 10 Player of the Year.
Brown, who played golf for four years at Lee County High School, led CCCC as low scorer in all tournament play this year.
"I have become a much better player over the course of the year. I felt like my game was in a good place going into the year, but with the help of the coaches I have really become a much better player and have lowered my scores," said Brown. "The part that I developed most during the course of the year would be my mentality on the course. Before this year, I would have a hard time letting go of the bad shots and not letting myself get past it. Both of my coaches have really helped me get past the bad shots and focus on the next one."
Hockaday, who is assisted by Coach Jack Radley, said Brown worked hard on his game this year and really took some strides in being a better player. "The fact the he was able to close out our last two tournaments the way he did says a lot about him as a player," said Hockaday. "He was able to win the district tournament in a close finish and at nationals he knew he needed a good back nine to get inside the top 18 and be named an All-American, and he played his last seven holes at two-under par."
What advice would Brown give to young golfers? "The best advice I can give to someone that is playing golf is to forget the shot you have previously hit and focus on the next shot," said Brown. "This has been some of the best advice I have been given since I started and will always be something I remember on the course. If you do not do this, you will compound mistakes and make some really bad scores."
Brown will be a returning member of the CCCC golf team for 2017-18. "My goals for next year are to lower my scoring average for the year and make it back to nationals," said Brown. "Hopefully, I will play good enough in my next year at CCCC to get some coaches to look at me. I would really like to transfer to another school and finish out my four years."
Hockaday believes Brown's performance will serve as motivation for next year's team. "I think it will motivate the other guys to work hard on their games so that we can get back to the national tournament as a team next year," said Hockaday. "That's our goal starting out each season and I think that seeing the experience Chris had at nationals will help push the guys even harder to reach that goal."
For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit the college website at www.cccc.edu.
Chris Brown has become the first Central Carolina Community College golfer to be named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-America team.
Chris Brown, who has become the first Central Carolina Community College golfer to be named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-America team, shot a four-round total of 312 in the national championships, with scores of 82-80-75-75 on the par-72, 6,571-yard course.