ROCKINGHAM — Senior golfer Ethan Brown has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
A staple of the Richmond Senior High School boys’ golf program since his freshman year, Brown put an exclamation point on his career in his final two matches over the past week.
Brown’s efforts during the final Sandhills Athletic Conference match and the NCHSAA 4A Mideast regional tournament landed him his first career recognition.
Athletic Profile
Age: 17
Birthday: July 20, 2004
Year: Senior
Spring Sport: Golf
Years on Varsity: 4 years
Experience: 4 years
“TEEING OFF” WITH ETHAN BROWN
This spring, Brown served as a captain for the Raiders, who saw their season come to a close with back-to-back matches at Pinehurst No. 6.
In the first match on April 25, Brown and his Richmond teammates competed in their last Sandhills Athletic Conference match. As a team, the Raiders earned fifth place and Brown was the frontman for Richmond that day.
During the 18-hole contest, Brown posted a final score of 92, shooting a 43 on the front nine and a 49 on the back.
That effort, combined with his five best nine-hole scores averaged, secured his trip to the regional round, making it the second time in two years he made the postseason.
Along with junior teammate Ayden Mabe, Brown returned to Pinehurst No. 6 on Monday to battle it out with over 70 golfers in the 4A Mideast regional tournament. In that event, Brown posted his best round in a high school match, shooting a 90 (+18).
Finishing the regional tied for 42nd place, Brown shot a 47 on the front nine before rallying to post a 43 on the final stretch. He missed the cut for the state tournament by just 10 strokes.
In his final 36 holes, Brown had 13 pars and one birdie. He also had 19 greens-in-regulation, hit 15 fairways and averaged his drive at 263 yards.
Richmond head golf coach Keith Parsons noted that Brown’s dedication to the program and growth with the sport the last four years has been impressive.
“I never have seen anyone want to get better more than Ethan,” Parsons said. “When he was a member of our team in ninth grade, everyone could see his desire to be a better player, even as he narrowly missed out on qualifying for any of our matches.
“He practiced and practiced and practiced, then was one of our top three players heading into his first match of his 10th grade year,” he added. “COVID ended up canceling the entire season before he had the opportunity to play. As an 11th grader, he was one of our top players, then became our captain and leader as a 12th grader. I’m so happy he was a part of our program, and he helped make it better.”
Senior Ethan Brown tees off during an earlier match this season at Scotch Meadows. (Deon Cranford/The Richmond Observer)
RAPID RESPONSES WITH ETHAN BROWN
ROSports: What have the past two matches been like for you and what has allowed you to have success in shooting your career-best round at regionals?
Brown: “I didn’t think I played great in the last conference match, but I was able to make it to regionals which was what I wanted to do.
“At regionals, I just played my game and did what I had to do to be competitive. My iron game has been really strong lately, which has helped when I haven’t putted well.”
ROSports: How would you describe your progression with the Raiders over the last four years and what have you enjoyed most about being on the team?
Brown: “When I started playing golf, I could barely get the ball off the ground. It’s been a pretty good progression and I’ve gotten a lot better in a lot of areas.
“The best part about playing golf at Richmond has been spending time with my teammates. We’ve had a lot of fun and played a lot of really good golf.”
ROSports: What are your plans for after high school and why do you want to pursue that career path?
Brown: “I want to become a PGA golf pro, and I’m already an assistant golf pro. I have to take a two and a half year course to become a pro, and I’ll do that through the PGA.
“I’m also going to get a business degree from Sandhills Community College. I think I’m a perfect fit for this career and I kind of fell into it. I love teaching and playing the game of golf.”
The Richmond Observer will publish its Official Richmond County Female Athlete of the Week soon.
