Colson Brown is grateful he was being nosy within the coaching room someday.
The walk-on true freshman quarterback at Georgia Tech was receiving remedy someday on his shoulder, and Yellow Jackets’ males’s golf coach Bruce Heppler was additionally in there speaking with coach Mark Smith. The duo had been discussing golf and Brown chimed in.
That dialog led to Brown playing for the Georgia Tech golf team this week, and of all locations at Cypress Level in California, No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best 2023 for top Classic Courses in the USA. Brown competed within the Cypress Level Traditional, and although he didn’t win a match, he bought to expertise a once-in-a-lifetime alternative.
“I can’t actually recall after I came upon I used to be enjoying at Cypress Level,” stated Brown, who received a state championship in highschool at North Augusta, South Carolina. “I believe it sunk within the day earlier than we left the place I used to be going to play.”
As soon as Brown launched himself to Heppler and heard of Heppler needing one other participant for a match this week, Brown expressed his curiosity in enjoying. Georgia Tech was dedicated to 2 tournaments and wanted 11 complete gamers whereas solely having 10 accessible on account of one redshirting.
Brown confirmed the coach movies of his swing and gave him his quantity. A pair weeks later is when Heppler referred to as, saying he cleared the whole lot with the soccer coaches for Brown to affix the golf staff in California earlier this week.
“I began going to apply at their facility on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Brown stated. “I knew my swing was in a great spot, however I simply didn’t wish to go on the market and embarrass myself.”
The Georgia Tech golf staff took him in. He practiced with the likes of Christo Lamprecht, No. 2 within the World Newbie Golf Rankings, and others from the 2023 nationwide runner-up squad. All of this whereas having soccer apply and lessons.
“The blokes took me in and made me really feel actually snug,” Brown stated.
A pair days earlier than leaving, Heppler referred to as Brown into his workplace and supplied him with all of the gear he would want for the match: a golf bag, journey bag, shirts and hats, and much more.
Colson Brown on the 2023 Cypress Level Traditional. (Picture: Georgia Tech)
Brown hopped on a aircraft and traveled to the Monterey Peninsula. The match consisted of six gamers from every staff enjoying match play in three periods: foursomes, four-ball and singles.
The primary day was 36 holes, beginning with foursomes. Brady Rackley was paired with Brown, and although the duo fell 4 and three to Texas’ Tommy Morrison and Jacob Sosa, it was a memorable morning.
“Tommy and I talked lots through the day,” Brown stated. “Everybody type of knew the circumstances, and everybody was nice to me the entire time.”
The duo was paired once more in four-ball however fell 2 and 1 to Auburn. When he lastly checked out his telephone after the lengthy day, he couldn’t imagine the hundreds of notifications ready for him.
“Folks had been so jealous of me and calling me the luckiest man in America,” Brown stated. “I assume it nonetheless hasn’t set in.”
On Tuesday was singles, the place Brown confronted Illinois’ Piercen Hunt. He fell 9 and seven, however once more, stated Hunt was nice to play in opposition to and supplied nice commentary by means of the spherical.
Brown returned and bought again into his routine Wednesday, and his soccer teammates had nothing however questions for him when he returned.
Brown stated he loved attending to see the distinction in how the golf staff and soccer staff interacted with one another, however he’s thrilled with how supportive the golf staff was of him stepping in and the way accepting the soccer staff was of him being gone.
Now, Brown has one heckuva story to inform for the remainder of his life, and he’s bought loads of Georgia Tech golf gear (that Heppler let him preserve) to show it.
“I actually cant say that I used to be Tiger Woods on the market,” Brown stated, “however I hit the ball about in addition to I might’ve contemplating the circumstances.”
