Men's golfer Brad Bawden named PING first team All-American

Brad Bawden came to Eastern Florida State College with the hopes of playing well for two years and moving on to a Division I program.

The sophomore from Hockley, England played his final round of golf as a Titan on Friday afternoon as a PING First Team All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

"It's a nice feeling, it is nice to know that all of your hard work has paid off," said Bawden who finished his Titans career with a seventh-place finish in the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. "It is something I am proud of, it isn't something I probably realized until now, I was focused and practicing for this tournament and now I can look back and see what I have achieved."

Bawden achieved a lot in his two seasons with the Titans, helping Eastern Florida State College finish in the top four in two national championship tournaments and has won two tournaments and placed second twice including a second-place finish at the District 4 Championship this spring.

"It's been fun, I have seen a big development in both my golf game and myself as a person the past two years," Bawden said. "I have grown up a lot, been away from my family the past two years so I have learned to fend for myself."

On the golf course, Bawden has matured just as much as he has off the course.

"When I first came here, I wasn't very mature in my mental game. I would get angry when things didn't go well and I still do but I can shake it off. It is just a game and so I go out and just have fun," Bawden said.

He will be making his final decision on where he will be playing golf next season, but knows he will be making his dream of playing Division I golf a reality.

"That was always my plan, come here for two years and transfer to a Division I school and see what happens," Bawden said. "This has been the best place for me. I practiced hard and kept improving and it spurred me on to work harder and be even better every day."